EtherCAT Drive Support – OMC A6 Series
Overview
Motion4Sim controllers support EtherCAT-based servo drives for high-performance motion systems.
⚠ Important: At this stage, only OMC A6 Series EtherCAT servo drives are officially supported. Support for additional EtherCAT drives will be added once tuning and validation for Motion-Simrig systems are completed.
Currently validated example:
Other drives — even if EtherCAT-compatible — may not function correctly until officially supported.
System Requirements
Before starting, ensure:
Motion4Sim Controller with EtherCAT Master support (PRO+ License)
OMC A6 EtherCAT Drive
Compatible servo motor (matched to drive)
Shielded EtherCAT CAT5e or CAT6 cable
Proper grounding
Correct mains power supply (e.g. 230V AC or 400V AC depending on model)
Emergency stop circuit
Safety Warning
⚠ Always disconnect mains power before wiring. ⚠ High voltage is present inside the drive. ⚠ Only qualified personnel should perform installation. ⚠ Improper wiring may permanently damage the drive.
Wiring Instructions
1. Power Wiring
AC Input
Connect mains power to:
L1 / L2 / L3 (depending on single-phase or three-phase model)
PE (Protective Earth) must be connected
Verify correct voltage according to drive label.
2. Motor Wiring
Connect:
U / V / W → Motor phases
PE → Motor earth
Encoder cable → Drive encoder input (M17 connector or equivalent)
Use only shielded motor cable if possible. the original cables are not shielded actually so shield them for yourself or ask for support
3. Motion4Sim Controller Wiring
The Motion4Sim Controller can be connected in two ways:
Option 1 – USB (Power + Communication)
The controller can be connected directly to the PC via USB. The USB connection provides both communication and power.
This setup is suitable for testing and initial configuration.
Option 2 – External 12V + Ethernet (Recommended)
For regular operation, it is recommended to use:
External 12V DC power supply
Ethernet connection to your local network
The controller uses DHCP, so it works plug & play in most networks.
⚠ Make sure your router supports multicast, as Motion4Sim uses multicast to send telemetry data to the controller.
The use of external power and Ethernet (LAN RJ45 port) is strongly recommended for stable operation.
3. EtherCAT Wiring
The OMC A6 drive has two RJ45 ports:
EtherCAT IN
EtherCAT OUT
Single Drive Setup
Controller → EtherCAT IN (Drive)
Multiple Drive Setup (Daisy Chain)
Controller → Drive 1 (IN) Drive 1 (OUT) → Drive 2 (IN) Drive 2 (OUT) → Drive 3 (IN) … and so on
Termination is handled automatically by EtherCAT. No manual termination resistor required.
EtherCAT Configuration
The servo driver is fully configured by the master controller. Simply connect it and supply power and voltage — the controller takes care of the rest. Individual setup parameters can be configured within the controller. However, most values are already preconfigured for use in motion sim rigs.
The configuration in the Motion4Sim controller is as follows:
You need a Pro Plus license to control EtherCAT servos. To use EtherCAT Master Mode, you must activate the EtherCAT option in the Setup tab and then transfer the data to the controller by clicking Transmit.
alternativly you can perform a "factory reset ethercat" , turning the encoder to left until you see the option and perform. the controller reboots with EtherCAT activated.
When the controller restarts and the EtherCAT drives are properly connected, it will first detect how many drives are connected. It will then partially reset them, configure them, and finally bring them into online status through a startup procedure. This process takes a short moment.
You can monitor this in the status display — when ".88rd" is shown, the drives are ready for operation. now you can enter motion mode
Now you can perform basic Actuator checks using the Service Menu
Service Menuor enter Motion Operation, this starts the homing procedure
Motion OperationLast updated