Beckhoff Automation announces its support of the EtherCAT Technology Group. Over 30 end users, industrial suppliers, and OEMs are committed to the EtherCAT Technology Group, and the number is growing. "Companies committed to lead the technology in their industry recognize the benefit of high speed yet inexpensive Ethernet-based control communication and join the EtherCAT technology group. We are proud to have such well-known names as Applied Materials, Imperial Tobacco, and Husky Injection Molding within the organization," says Martin Rostan, EtherCAT product manager and EtherCAT Technology Group secretary.

The EtherCAT Technology Group established a website, www.ethercat.org, for communicating information to all interested parties. Technology Group members believe EtherCAT has the performance and requirements necessary to meet current and future demands for Ethernet at the control level.

EtherCAT, Ethernet for Control and Automation, is leading the wave of fast, robust, open Ethernet control networks. EtherCAT is well suited for control environments since it can be operated with or without switches; it has 80% bandwidth utilization resulting in high performance; and it is open, since it uses standard Ethernet Network Interface Cards, will be a published specification, and is based on input from the EtherCAT Technology Group. Technical experts from a variety of industries provide application feedback and make sure that EtherCAT meets the demands of their applications.