What is TwinCAT RT-Ethernet intermediate driver and how to install it?

Introduction

If you are working with automation software, you may have heard of TwinCAT, a software system that turns almost any PC-based system into a real-time control with multiple PLC, NC, CNC, and/or robotics runtime systems. TwinCAT is a product of Beckhoff, a company that specializes in PC-based control technology. Some of the benefits of using TwinCAT are:

It is open and platform-independent, meaning that it can run on various operating systems and hardware configurations.
It has integrated IPC diagnostics, which allows you to monitor and optimize the performance of your system.
It is based on EtherCAT, a fast and flexible industrial Ethernet protocol that supports hard real-time communication.
It has in-house BIOS and motherboard development, which ensures compatibility and reliability of the hardware components.

However, to use TwinCAT with EtherCAT or other real-time Ethernet devices, you need to install a special driver on your Ethernet port that can handle the real-time requirements. Real-time means that the system must respond to events within a specified time frame, otherwise it may cause errors or failures. For example, in factory automation or drive technology, real-time means safely and reliably reaching cycle times in the range of less than ten milliseconds down to microseconds.

Ethernet, as defined in IEEE 802.3, is not suitable for hard real-time applications, because it is non-deterministic, meaning that it does not guarantee when a message will be delivered or received. The media access control protocol, CSMA/CD with its backoff algorithm, prevents the network from supporting hard real-time communication due to its random delays and potential transmission failures.

To overcome this limitation, Beckhoff developed two different drivers for Ethernet cards: TwinCAT driver for real-time Ethernet and TwinCAT RT-Ethernet intermediate driver. The former works only for Ethernet cards with Intel chipset and supports hard real-time for Beckhoff Real Time Ethernet and EtherCAT applications. The latter works also with other network cards that have no Intel chip set, but it is an evaluation driver for laboratory and test operation, to be able to test TwinCAT also with other network cards that have no Intel chip set. It supports no hard real-time and may cause jitter. Jitter means variation in latency, which can affect the accuracy and stability of the system.

In this article, we will focus on the TwinCAT RT-Ethernet intermediate driver, which provides an EtherCAT interface without high real-time behavior. This driver is sufficient for basic EtherCAT functionality, such as configuration, diagnosis, or parameterization. We will show you how to install it on your PC and how to deal with some common issues that may arise when using it.

Installation steps

There are two ways to install the TwinCAT RT-Ethernet intermediate driver on your PC: via the TwinCAT Adapter dialog or via. TcRteInstall.exe in the TwinCAT directory. We will explain both methods in detail below.

How to install the driver via the TwinCAT Adapter dialog?

The TwinCAT Adapter dialog is a tool that allows you to configure the network adapters for TwinCAT communication. You can access it from the TwinCAT System Manager, which is the main application for configuring and managing your TwinCAT system. To install the driver via the TwinCAT Adapter dialog, follow these steps:

Open the TwinCAT System Manager and select the menu item Communication -> TwinCAT Adapter. This will open the TwinCAT Adapter dialog.
In the dialog, you will see a list of all available network adapters on your PC. Select the adapter that you want to use for TwinCAT communication and click on the button Install.
A new window will pop up, asking you to choose the driver type. Select TwinCAT RT-Ethernet intermediate driver and click on OK.
The driver installation will start and you will see a progress bar. Wait until the installation is finished and click on Close.
The dialog will refresh and show you the status of the adapter. It should say TwinCAT RT-Ethernet intermediate driver installed. If not, check the error message and try again.
Click on OK to close the dialog and return to the TwinCAT System Manager.

How to install the driver via TcRteInstall.exe in the TwinCAT directory?

TcRteInstall.exe is an executable file that allows you to install or uninstall the TwinCAT RT-Ethernet intermediate driver from the command line. You can find it in the TwinCAT directory, which is usually located at C:\TwinCAT\TcRteInstall.exe. To install the driver via TcRteInstall.exe, follow these steps:

Open a command prompt window and navigate to the TwinCAT directory. For example, type cd C:\TwinCAT and press Enter.
Type TcRteInstall.exe -i -n "name of network adapter" and press Enter. Replace “name of network adapter” with the actual name of the adapter that you want to use for TwinCAT communication. You can find it in the Device Manager or in the Network Connections window.
The driver installation will start and you will see some messages on the screen. Wait until the installation is finished and check for any errors.
To verify that the driver is installed correctly, type TcRteInstall.exe -s -n "name of network adapter" and press Enter. You should see a message saying TwinCAT RT-Ethernet intermediate driver installed. If not, check the error message and try again.

How to check the driver settings and IP address of the port used?

After installing the driver, you may want to check its settings and make sure that it is configured properly. You can do this by using the Windows Device Manager or by using a tool called TcRteConfig.exe, which is also located in the TwinCAT directory. To check the driver settings and IP address of the port used, follow these steps:

Open the Windows Device Manager and expand the category Network adapters. You should see an entry called TwinCAT RT-Ethernet intermediate driver. Right-click on it and select Properties.
In the Properties window, go to the tab Advanced. Here you can see various parameters of the driver, such as buffer size, frame size, priority, etc. You can modify them if needed, but be careful not to change them without knowing what they do.
To check the IP address of the port used by the driver, go to the tab Details. Here you can see various information about the driver, such as device description, hardware ID, driver version, etc. Look for the property called IP Address and note down its value. This is the IP address of the port used by the driver for TwinCAT communication.
Alternatively, you can use the tool TcRteConfig.exe to check the driver settings and IP address of the port used. To do this, open a command prompt window and navigate to the TwinCAT directory. Type TcRteConfig.exe -n "name of network adapter" and press Enter. You should see a table with various information about the driver, such as IP address, subnet mask, gateway, buffer size, frame size, priority, etc. You can modify them if needed, but be careful not to change them without knowing what they do.

Common issues and solutions

Although the TwinCAT RT-Ethernet intermediate driver is a useful tool for testing and evaluating TwinCAT with other network cards that have no Intel chip set, it is not a perfect solution for hard real-time applications. It may cause some issues that affect the performance and reliability of your system. Here are some of the common issues that you may encounter when using the driver and how to solve them:

Issue: The driver causes jitter or latency in the communication.

Solution: As mentioned earlier, the driver does not support hard real-time and may cause jitter or latency in the communication. This means that the data transmission may not be consistent or timely, which can affect the accuracy and stability of your system. To reduce or eliminate this issue, you can try the following steps:

Check the network load and traffic on your PC and on your network. If there are too many applications or devices using the network, it may cause congestion or interference that affects the communication. Try to close or disable any unnecessary applications or devices that use the network.
Check the network configuration and settings on your PC and on your network. If there are any errors or misconfigurations in the network parameters, such as IP address, subnet mask, gateway, DNS server, etc., it may cause problems in the communication. Try to fix or correct any errors or misconfigurations in the network parameters.
Check the driver settings and parameters on your PC. If there are any errors or misconfigurations in the driver parameters, such as buffer size, frame size, priority, etc., it may cause problems in the communication. Try to fix or correct any errors or misconfigurations in the driver parameters.
Check the cable connection and quality between your PC and your EtherCAT device. If there are any damages or defects in the cable or in the connectors, it may cause problems in the communication. Try to replace or repair any damaged or defective cable or connector.
If none of the above steps work, you may need to switch to a different Ethernet card that supports hard real-time communication with TwinCAT. You can use an Ethernet card with Intel chipset and install the TwinCAT driver for real-time Ethernet instead of the TwinCAT RT-Ethernet intermediate driver.

Issue: The driver causes a blue screen of death (BSOD) on your PC.

Solution: A blue screen of death (BSOD) is a serious error that causes your PC to crash and display a blue screen with an error message. It usually indicates a hardware or software problem that prevents your PC from functioning properly. If you encounter a BSOD when using the driver, it may be caused by one of the following reasons:

The driver is incompatible with your operating system or your hardware. The driver is designed to work with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 10, and with network cards that have no Intel chip set. If you are using a different operating system or a different network card, it may cause a conflict or an error that leads to a BSOD. To solve this issue, you can try to update your operating system or your network card driver to the latest version, or switch to a compatible operating system or network card.
The driver is corrupted or damaged by a virus or malware. The driver is a software component that can be affected by a virus or malware that infects your PC. If the driver is corrupted or damaged by a virus or malware, it may cause a malfunction or an error that leads to a BSOD. To solve this issue, you can try to scan your PC with an antivirus or anti-malware program and remove any virus or malware that is found. You can also try to reinstall the driver from the original source or from a trusted website.
The driver is conflicting with another driver or program on your PC. The driver is a software component that can interact with other drivers or programs on your PC. If the driver is conflicting with another driver or program on your PC, it may cause a problem or an error that leads to a BSOD. To solve this issue, you can try to identify and disable or uninstall any driver or program that is conflicting with the driver. You can use the Windows Event Viewer or the Windows Reliability Monitor to check for any errors or warnings related to the driver.

Conclusion

In this article, we have explained what TwinCAT RT-Ethernet intermediate driver is and how to install it on your PC. We have also discussed some of the common issues that you may encounter when using the driver and how to solve them. We hope that this article has helped you to understand and use the driver better.

However, we would like to remind you that the driver is not a perfect solution for hard real-time applications. It may cause jitter or latency in the communication, which can affect the performance and reliability of your system. If you need hard real-time communication with TwinCAT and EtherCAT devices, we recommend that you use an Ethernet card with Intel chipset and install the TwinCAT driver for real-time Ethernet instead of the TwinCAT RT-Ethernet intermediate driver.

Here are some tips and recommendations for using the driver:

Always check the compatibility and requirements of the driver before installing it on your PC.
Always use the latest version of the driver and update it regularly.
Always check the settings and parameters of the driver and adjust them if needed.
Always monitor and optimize the network load and traffic on your PC and on your network.
Always test and verify the communication quality and stability between your PC and your EtherCAT device.

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about the TwinCAT RT-Ethernet intermediate driver:

Q: Where can I download the TwinCAT RT-Ethernet intermediate driver?

A: You can download the TwinCAT RT-Ethernet intermediate driver from the Beckhoff website. You can also find it in the TwinCAT directory on your PC after installing TwinCAT.

Q: How can I uninstall the TwinCAT RT-Ethernet intermediate driver?

A: You can uninstall the TwinCAT RT-Ethernet intermediate driver by using the same methods that you used to install it. You can use the TwinCAT Adapter dialog or the TcRteInstall.exe tool. To uninstall the driver via the TwinCAT Adapter dialog, select the adapter that has the driver installed and click on the button Uninstall. To uninstall the driver via TcRteInstall.exe, type TcRteInstall.exe -u -n “name of network adapter” and press Enter.

Q: How can I switch between the TwinCAT RT-Ethernet intermediate driver and the TwinCAT driver for real-time Ethernet?

A: You can switch between the two drivers by using the same methods that you used to install them. You can use the TwinCAT Adapter dialog or the TcRteInstall.exe tool. To switch from the intermediate driver to the real-time driver, you need to uninstall the intermediate driver first and then install the real-time driver. To switch from the real-time driver to the intermediate driver, you need to uninstall the real-time driver first and then install the intermediate driver.

Q: How can I use multiple network adapters with TwinCAT?

A: You can use multiple network adapters with TwinCAT, but you need to make sure that they are configured properly and that they do not interfere with each other. You can use different drivers for different adapters, such as the TwinCAT RT-Ethernet intermediate driver for one adapter and the TwinCAT driver for real-time Ethernet for another adapter. However, you need to assign different IP addresses and subnet masks for each adapter and make sure that they are not in conflict with each other or with other devices on your network. You also need to specify which adapter is used for which communication type in the TwinCAT System Manager.

Q: How can I contact Beckhoff for technical support or feedback?

A: You can contact Beckhoff for technical support or feedback by using their website, phone number, email address, or social media channels. You can find their contact information on their website. You can also check their online documentation, forums, videos, and webinars for more information and guidance.

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