The SoM (System on Module / Stack on Module) including the multi-protocol technology „GOAL“ (PROFINET, EtherNetIP, EtherCAT) from port GmbH receives an extensive firmware update 2.1.

The firmware update contains the following enhancements.

Port’s µGOAL technology has been integrated and now allows the simple connection of low performance CPUs such as the ATMEGA2560, STM32F, STM32G, STM32H and STM32L. The µGOAL technology makes it possible to make almost every MCU with SPI interface EtherCAT, PROFINET and EtherNetIP capable.

General

Introduction of uGOAL: Very small footprint, Support a wide variety of platforms from 64bit Linux down to 8bit embedded systems (e.g. ATMEGA2560)

Extension of process image: Support of max. data of different stacks (EIP 509/508 Bytes Forward Open, PROFINET 1434 bytes for each direction, ECAT 1408 byte). Size depending on RAM of target platform.

New examples: more examples to speed up the development like IP management via HTTP, TCP proxy example and uGOAL examples for the different network stacks

Support for STM Cube IDE: generate AC applications directly from STM Cube IDE

Generator for IDE projects: generate applications for IDEs like E2 Studio, STM Cube and Eclipse

PROFINET

Support of MRP: MRP Slave support

PNIO Process Alarm Queue: Prioritizing alarms for PROFINET

PNIO Conformance to v2.4: conformance to the latest PNIO specification

Dynamic reconfiguration of PNIO: plugged modules can be reconfigured at runtime

Simplified API: create new applications with less code

Backwards compatible: compatible with older AC applications

EtherCAT

EoE can be deactivated: for smaller applications

EtherNet/IP

ACD support: support for ACD IP address conflict detection and resolution

CT 18 conformance: conformance according to latest specification

Plugfest Tests conformance: passes all plugfest tests

Support for Virtual Classes: Extended parameterization possibilities

Tool ICC – Industrial Communication Creator

Support for Mac OS: support for Mac OS on Intel and M1 (via Rosetta 2)

Better support for iRJ45: including automatic LED support etc.

Tool ICE – Industrial Communication Explorer

Support for Mac OS: supports Mac OS on Intel and M1 (via Rosetta 2)

Update of interface list at runtime: refresh list of active interfaces at runtimes

EtherCAT

Support for EtherCAT state machines: switch through the different states of EtherCAT visually

EEPROM initialization: write an ESI file generated by the Industrial Communication Creator to the device

PROFINET

Alarm support: show and acknowledge alarms

Scripting support: add own Python scripts for manipulating the process image

IN/OUT module support: supports data exchange using combined input/output modules