Error -2147138473 When Setting Active Mode Programmatically for Third-Party EtherCAT Device

Updated Mar 24, 2026

Reported In

Hardware

  • cRIO-9038
  • PXI-8115
  • cRIO-9045

Software

  • LabVIEW 2017 Full
  • LabVIEW 2017 SP1
  • LabVIEW 2023 Q3

Driver

  • NI-Industrial Communications for EtherCAT

Other

EtherCAT®

Issue Details

When I use the Set Scan Engine Mode VI in order to programmatically set the Operating Mode of a third-party EtherCAT device in Active Mode, I get the following error:

Error -2147138473 occurred at an unidentified location

Possible reason(s):

NI-Industrial Communications for EtherCAT:  (Hex 0x80054457) An internal error has occurred in the NI-Industrial Communications for EtherCAT software. If the problem persists, contact National Instruments technical support.

This error is shown in the following dialog box.
ExplainError.JPG

Solution

If the  EtherCAT SubDevice Information (ESI) File of the Third-Party EtherCAT Device includes an EEPROM section, this section of the code does not allow the EtherCAT slave to switch to Active Mode.

EEPROM_UNCOMMENTED.JPG

In order to properly set the Scan Engine in Active Mode, edit the ESI File commenting the EEPROM element. To comment an element on a XML File, you have to place the element inside the following syntax <!-- Commented Element -->.

EEPROM_COMMENTED.JPG

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