PXIe-8842 Performance as Master Using NI-Industrial Communications for EtherCAT

Issue Details

I am looking to use a PXIe-8842 as an EtherCAT master with the NI-Industrial Communications for EtherCAT toolkit. What kind of performance can I expect from this controller? 

Solution

The performance of the PXIe-8842 as an EtherCAT master was evaluated following the guidelines in the Archived: NI-Industrial Communications for EtherCAT Master Benchmarks resource.

The software stack used included:

• LV 2025 Q1 Patch 2 (32-bit)
• LVRT: 2025 Q1
• LV FPGA: 2025 Q1
• Compact RIO: 2025 Q2
• NI-Industrial Communications for EtherCAT: 2025 Q2

For the high payload benchmark, the hardware setup consisted of four NI-9145 EtherCAT Slave chassis with the following modules:

• 23 x NI 9214 (Thermocouple Input Module)
• 1 x NI 9474 (Digital Output Module)
• 1 x NI 9423 (Digital Input Module)
• 1 x NI 9215 (Analog Input Module)
• 1 x NI 9263 (Analog Output Module)

For the low payload test, a single NI-9145 with NI 9474, NI 9423, NI 9215, and NI 9263 modules was used.

The analog modules were configured with a value precision of 0.02, a value range of 20, and a value base of 10. The real-time test ensured that inputs matched outputs two cycles in the future for 90 seconds. Fixed test scan periods were set at 200, 500, 1000, 1200, 4000 and 10 000 microseconds.

The performance metrics obtained for the PXIe-8842, including CPU Idle Time and standard deviation, are as follows: