Industrial Ethernet – Software Blueprint for EtherCAT, PROFINET & EtherNet/IP

Implement Industrial Ethernet communication on the phyCORE-AM64x quickly and reliably. Together with our partner IBV, we provide a Development Kit featuring a pre-configured software SDK that brings EtherCAT, PROFINET, and EtherNet/IP to PHYTEC hardware, ready to run. Use our ready-made demos as a quick starting point and the SDK as a solid foundation for your own application development.

Industrial communication protocols like EtherCAT, PROFINET, and EtherNet/IP place special demands on hardware and operating systems: they require deterministic latencies that a standard Linux system alone cannot guarantee.

The phyCORE-AM64x solves this problem through its heterogeneous processor architecture. The SoC combines powerful Cortex-A53 Linux cores with dedicated real-time processors (R5F) and specialized Industrial Ethernet units (PRU-ICSSG). This enables demanding communication protocols to operate in real time, while the actual application logic runs comfortably under Linux.

Our SDK, developed in collaboration with IBV, makes exactly this architecture highly accessible to you.

What We Deliver: Industrial Ethernet Out of the Box

In cooperation with our partner IBV, we have taken care of the complex software integration for you:

  • Pre-configured SDK: A complete software development kit for the AM64x that makes the Industrial Ethernet protocols EtherCAT, PROFINET, and EtherNet/IP directly usable.

  • Protocol Demos with Quickstart: A ready-to-run demo application is available for each of the three protocols, including a Quickstart Guide for immediate onboarding.

  • Standalone Test Image: A ready-to-use Linux image for the phyCORE-AM64x Industrial Communication Kit that you can flash directly to an SD card for initial testing.

  • Yocto Meta-Layer as BSP Template: The meta-indcomms-ibv layer serves as a clean starting point for your own production-ready Yocto image.

  • Integration support: Beyond the demos, PHYTEC and IBV are here to support you in integrating these protocols into your specific application.

Technical Details

The TI AM64x seamlessly bridges Linux and real-time operations: The main application runs on the Linux-capable Cortex-A53 cores, while time-critical communication is offloaded to the dedicated PRU-ICSSG units. These PRUs execute the protocol firmware directly, ensuring deterministic behavior — completely independent of the Linux system load. The result: Both soft and hard real-time scenarios can be smoothly implemented on a single SoC.

Each protocol utilizes a proven, industrial-grade software stack:

  • EtherCAT: Based on the Beckhoff SSC stack, the established industry standard for EtherCAT slaves. IBV brings years of ETG membership and integration experience to the table.

  • PROFINET: The PRU-ICSSG executes the TI PROFINET Device Firmware, based on the Siemens ERTEC stack with lwIP as the network foundation (Industrial Communications SDK v09.02).

  • EtherNet/IP: Also realized via the AM64x's PRU-ICSSG, provided through the joint TI/IBV software stack.

Hardware Expansion for Full PRU Access

To unlock the PRU-ICSSG interfaces of the  phyCORE-AM64x Industrial Communication Kit includes an adapter board that provides two additional Ethernet ports. The Industrial Ethernet protocols are operated exclusively through these dedicated ports.

Recommended Hardware

The  phyCORE-AM64x Industrial Communication Kit is the direct hardware foundation for this Ezpire module. It consists of the phyCORE-AM64x SOM, a carrier board, and an adapter board for accessing the PRU Ethernet ports. It ships with a pre-flashed SD card, allowing you to get the protocol demos up and running immediately. The kit is designed for developers who want to evaluate Industrial Ethernet on the AM64x or build their application directly on this platform.

Links & Resources

Get started directly with the SDK and the demo applications. Here you will find all the necessary materials, from the corresponding Development Kit to the Yocto resources for your own integration.

phyCORE-AM64x Industrial Communication Kit
Here you will find all details and ordering options for the Development Kit, on which our SDK and the provided images run right out of the box.
SDK Package (Image, Quickstart, Demos)
The complete package for a quick start. Contains the ready-to-run demo applications for EtherCAT, PROFINET, and EtherNet/IP, as well as the corresponding Quickstart Guide.
BSP Image (IBV v0.1)
The ready-to-use, pre-configured Linux image including the IBV protocol stack for direct flashing onto an SD card.
PHYTEC Documentation: Industrial Ethernet Dev Kit
Our comprehensive technical documentation that guides you step-by-step through commissioning and using the protocols.
GitHub: Yocto Meta-Layer
The official Yocto meta-layer. Use this BSP template to cleanly integrate the Industrial Ethernet SDK into your own production-ready image in an update-safe manner.
IBV icNET: Industrial Communication Software
Detailed technical information from our partner IBV regarding the fieldbus and Industrial Ethernet stacks used in the SDK.
IBV Website Further information on the service and product portfolio of our software partner IBV.