One Board. EtherCAT, CAN, and Full Field I/O.
A dual-port EtherCAT control platform that combines deterministic fieldbus networking with isolated CAN, mixed analog and digital field I/O, and a protected 24V industrial power front end — engineered by Embed Square for machine modules and distributed control nodes.
2×
EtherCAT Ports
Independent PHY channels
4+2
Analog I/O
Conditioned in / buffered out
4+4
Isolated Digital I/O
Optocoupled in / out
24V
DC Power Input
Protected industrial front end
Key Features
Engineered for Industrial Field Duty
Embed EtherCAT consolidates deterministic fieldbus networking, isolated CAN, and mixed analog/digital field I/O onto a single board-level control platform.
Networking
Dual-Port EtherCAT PHYs
Two independent Ethernet PHY channels with dedicated magnetics and RJ45 connectors for inline daisy-chain networking.
Isolation
Isolated CAN Interface
CAN transceiver on its own isolated 5V domain, with common-mode choke and field-side surge protection.
Analog I/O
4-In & 2-Out Analog Front End
Four conditioned analog inputs and two buffered analog outputs on isolated ±12V rails.
Digital I/O
Isolated 4-In & 4-Out Digital I/O
Four isolated digital inputs and four isolated digital outputs via optocoupled field interfaces.
Power
Protected 24V Power Front End
Input protection and filtering feeding regulated logic rails and isolated ±12V analog supplies.
Commissioning
USB-C, UART & SPI
USB Type-C service port plus UART, SPI/display and SWD headers for full debug and service access.
Product Overview
EtherCAT Networking Meets Local Field I/O
Embed EtherCAT is a dual-port EtherCAT control platform organized around a central controller, two dedicated EtherCAT PHY channels, and a complete set of field-ready analog, digital, and CAN interfaces on a single board.
The architecture is suited to machine modules, intelligent gateway subsystems, and distributed control expansions where deterministic fieldbus communication and local signal handling are required in the same node — connect it inline in an EtherCAT daisy chain and it presents a full local I/O face to the field.
The onboard controller handles EtherCAT-side MAC/control routing alongside analog sensing and drive, isolated digital I/O, isolated CAN, USB, UART and SPI — giving system integrators a single board-level platform for industrial automation and distributed control nodes.
Typical Applications
Where this platform is deployed
System Architecture
How the Platform Is Organised
Six functional blocks share one board — power, control, EtherCAT networking, field interfaces, auxiliary comms, and protection.
Power Rails
24V → 5V → 3.3V, Isolated ±12V
Protected 24V front end steps down to 5V then 3.3V logic; a flyback stage generates isolated ±12V analog rails, with a separate isolated 5V domain reserved for the CAN transceiver.
System Controller
Central MCU (U4)
One onboard controller arbitrates EtherCAT MAC/control alongside analog, digital, CAN, USB, UART and SPI traffic — a single point of routing for every interface on the board.
Connector Map
9 Dedicated Field Connectors
Each interface gets its own connector — power, dual EtherCAT RJ45, CAN, analog I/O, digital I/O, USB-C, UART, SPI and SWD debug — no shared or multiplexed pins.
Signal Naming
Fixed Signal Convention
Field I/O follows a consistent naming scheme across firmware and schematics — A_IN/A_OUT for analog, System_Digital_IN/OUT for digital — so channels map predictably end to end.
Isolation Domains
Three Independent Grounds
The isolated CAN supply, isolated ±12V analog rail, and optocoupled digital I/O each sit on their own ground reference, separate from the main logic domain.
Protection
Signal-Integrity Features
ESD protection on USB and Ethernet signal groups, choke/magnetics stages on field interfaces, PHY pull networks, and test points on 24V, ±12V, 5V and 3.3V rails.
How It Works
Two Ports In. Full Field I/O Out.
Embed EtherCAT sits inline on an EtherCAT network and exposes local analog, digital, and isolated CAN interfaces to the field — with dedicated power rails protecting every signal path.
EtherCAT / CAN Controller
Isolation built-in — a dedicated isolated CAN power domain, isolated ±12V analog rails from an onboard flyback converter, and optocoupled digital I/O keep field-side transients away from the control logic.
Applications
Built for Distributed Industrial Control
Machine Modules
Deterministic EtherCAT networking with local analog and digital signal handling in the same node — for building intelligent machine subsystems.
Intelligent Gateway Subsystems
Bridge EtherCAT fieldbus traffic to CAN and serial service interfaces for mixed-protocol machinery and equipment retrofits.
Distributed Control Expansions
Add remote I/O and control nodes to an existing EtherCAT network over a dual-port daisy-chain, without a separate fieldbus segment.
Remote I/O Mainboard
A compact 4×AI + 2×AO + 4×DI + 4×DO + isolated CAN field face on a single board for distributed automation nodes.
FAQ
Common Questions
Get In Touch
Request a Quote
Tell us about your application — EtherCAT network size, I/O channel count, CAN requirements, and deployment environment. Our engineers will respond within 24 hours.