Long-term availability & experience
Two decades of EtherCAT engineering and a proven commitment to long lifecycles — the assurance industrial and medical products need across STM32 generations.
The field-proven EtherCAT MainDevice stack for STMicroelectronics controllers
acontis technologies provides its EC-Master - the leading EtherCAT® MainDevice software for a large range of devices from STMicroelectronics. acontis EC-Master brings deterministic, real-time EtherCAT® control to the STM32 family — the same complete stack that runs on high-end IPCs, scaled to fit the smallest, most cost-sensitive devices. Proven in thousands of shipping products.
20+ years EtherCAT leadership
The acontis EC-Master is available since 2005 and used by many industry-leading companies all over the world as a core element in their EtherCAT systemsEC-Master is powering thousands of EtherCAT systems
The acontis EC-Master is empowering more than 2 million EtherCAT MainDevices, including many applications utilizing the STM32 as host for the EC-Master.Fast cycle times
Decades of real-time software experience are compiled into the acontis EC-Master, enabling leading performmance with lowest Jitter, high data-throughput at shortest cycle times This is achieved by the unique modular but performance-optimized architecture, saving memory and CPU time but also the availablity of the unique real-time drivers developed by the acontis experts.Complete Feature set
The acontis EC-Master is a full-features EtherCAT MainDevice software - which can be configured to your need: From small direct control loops to large-scale EtherCAT systems including key functions as Hot Connect and more - combined with leading system analysis and monitoring functionsA long-standing partnership with STMicroelectronics
acontis has worked alongside STMicroelectronics for many years, tuning EC-Master to the real strengths of the STM32 architecture. The result is an EtherCAT MainDevice stack that treats STM32 as a first-class target — not an afterthought — with optimized link-layer drivers, zero-copy DMA transfers, and a bare-metal option that needs no operating system.
This also shows in the broad range of toolchains that can be used for the application programming - including STM32CubeIDE, the IAR Workbench or ARM Keil MDK(CMSIS).
Everything you need to build EtherCAT controllers on STM32
Full ETG.1500 Class-A feature set
CoE, SoE, EoE, FoE and VoE mailbox protocols, Distributed Clocks, HotConnect, cable redundancy, and rich diagnostics — the complete stack, not a subset.
Adaptable for low-end devices
Disable features you don't need to keep ROM and RAM footprint lean. On the smallest STM32 parts you can trade a few capabilities while keeping core deterministic real-time communication.
Broad range of applications
From compact I/O controllers and drives to robotics, medical devices, and machine automation — one API spans your whole portfolio.
Strong cybersecurity
Built with security in mind and a documented security process, EC-Master helps you meet the demands of modern connected industrial systems.
Best-in-class usability & robustness
The most widely deployed EtherCAT MainDevice software interoperates reliably with the messy real world of SubDevices — including the quirky ones that trip up lesser stacks.
High performance without compromises
EtherCAT MainDevices are often assumed to belong on beefy industrial PCs.
With the collaboration of acontis and ST, this is not the case. The acontis EC-Master is written in portable and efficient C++ and built for embedded reality!
Being highly scalable and providing the same, complete feature-set independent from the base-platform the acontis EC-Master is the optimal solution on controllers from ST for uncounted EtherCAT applications. In case of highly efficient controllers that come with low memory, the EC-Master comes with an adjustable feature-set - enabling the use of entry-level hardware.
In addition, the acontis EC-Master comes with optimizations for best performance, such as zero-copy DMA transfers and optimized link layers - independent of when used "bare-metal" on STM32F7 or STM32H7 series as well as on the STM32MP1 series with Linux. The architecture of the acontis EC-Master provides maximum flexibility and performance in terms of platform selection combined with a single API that allows to have "one application for all platforms".
As long as you use a STMicroelectronics device with 2 network interfaces, you will benefit from the industry-leading diagnosis and monitoring functionality that the EC-Master provides in combination with acontis tools including EC-Engineer: Gain full online access to your network - monitor live data, have direct access to the ESC's error counters, object dictionary and EEPROM. Profit from fastest troubleshooting with the easy-to-use topology view and detailed insights to the system performance - enabling the most robust and reliable EtherCAT networks!
One stack, scaled across the STM32 range
EC-Master runs on STM32 parts across generations. Pick the device that fits your cost and performance target — the API stays the same.
STM32F7
Balance of performance and cost for embedded, deterministic EtherCAT controllers.
STM32H7
For highly embededed controllers with full feature-set to achieve high EtherCAT performance.
STM32MP1
Linux-based application controllers enable flexible EtherCAT implementation.
More variants
In case you are interested in using other controllers from ST as EtherCAT MainDevice, let us know! For many variants we can make the EC-Master available upon request.
Want to see EC-Master on your STM32 target?
Talk to us about bringing deterministic, real-time EtherCAT control to your STMicroelectronics controller.