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In December, the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) invited all members to its second Plug Fest, which was geared toward developers and manufacturers of devices with Safety over EtherCAT (FSoE) functionality. This time, ETG member company CODESYS GmbH hosted the interoperability meeting with no charge for participants at the company's location in Kempten, Germany.

In addition to the regular EtherCAT Plug Fests, the ETG has offered FSoE-focused interoperability meetings since 2019. Developers and manufacturers use these events to test FSoE MainInstances and FSoE SubInstances as well as FSoE software stacks and tools with Safety over EtherCAT technology.

With over 40 participants, the event was once again very well attended, which shows there is a definite need for this type of gathering. During the two-day FSoE Plug Fest, a total of seven FSoE MainInstance and 15 SubInstance implementations were tested for interoperability. The tests were supported by the FSoE Conformance Test Tool (CTT) maintained by the ETG for SubInstances and MainInstances with FSoE functionality. In addition, attendees at the event had the opportunity to exchange ideas with the ETG's FSoE experts and address open questions.

The large number of safety controllers (FSoE MainInstances) that were tested is particularly noteworthy. Dr. Guido Beckmann, Head of the Safety Working Group at the ETG, summarizes: "The large number of participants at this specific FSoE Plug Fest reflects the widespread acceptance of FSoE technology. With well over 50 manufacturers of FSoE devices listed in the ETG, this protocol is the most widely used safety communication protocol in industrial automation. Truly, the number of safety controllers with FSoE support is unique."

The EtherCAT Technology Group is already planning future Safety over EtherCAT Plug Fests. All dates can be found on the ETG homepage as they are scheduled.

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Over 40 participants traveled to Kempten, Germany for the EtherCAT Technology Group's FSoE Plug Fest.