参考设计 · EtherCAT 从站分支器Reference · EtherCAT Junction

EtherCAT 分支器方案EtherCAT Junction Solution

一颗 AX58101,把数据送到身体的每一处One AX58101, data to every body part

基于 ASIX AX58101(LT 版本)EtherCAT 从站控制器,我们做了一款"分支器"参考设计——主站的一条 EtherCAT 链路,经 AX58101 内部分发到人体的头、双臂、躯干、双腿等部位,就地驱动关节电机、读取编码器与传感器。它特别适合人形机器人:用最少的节点把部位级数据收拢到一根网线上。Built on the ASIX AX58101 (LT) EtherCAT slave controller, we built a "junction" reference design — one EtherCAT link from the master is split inside AX58101 to the robot's head, both arms, torso and legs, driving joint motors and reading encoders and sensors locally. It fits humanoid robots especially well: the fewest nodes, all body-part data on a single cable.

Block diagram

方案框图Block diagram

主站 EtherCAT 帧进入 AX58101,芯片内部通过 SPI Master / PWM / 编码器接口 / I²C 把控制与采集分发到四个身体部位子模块;双 PHY(Port0↔Port2 可互换)让分支拓扑可以灵活级联。The master's EtherCAT frame enters AX58101, which fans control and sensing out to four body-part modules via its internal SPI Master / PWM / encoder / I²C; the dual PHY (Port0↔Port2 swappable) lets the branch topology cascade flexibly.

AX58101 EtherCAT 从站分支器方案板框图
Board topology

8 口分支器,到底用几颗芯片How many chips for an 8-port junction

下面这张板级拓扑,把原理图里的走线接法一眼讲清:主站 EtherCAT 帧从 CN1 进,经 3 颗 AX58101 内部分发到 7 路分支输出(CN2–CN8 / DUT#1–7)。三颗芯片用 Port3(MII 扩展口)串接级联,所以它们的 3 个 EtherCAT 端口(Port0/1/2)全部留给外部;SWAP 只是把 Port0↔Port2 对调,方便沿身体继续级联。This board-level topology makes the schematic's wiring obvious at a glance: the master's EtherCAT frame enters at CN1, then 3 AX58101 chips split it to 7 branch outputs (CN2–CN8 / DUT#1–7). The three chips are daisy-chained through Port3 (MII expansion), so all three EtherCAT ports (Port0/1/2) stay free for external use; SWAP just swaps Port0↔Port2 for easier cascading.

AX58101 8 口 EtherCAT 分支器板级拓扑
Chip-count rule

芯片数 = ⌈端口数 ÷ 3⌉Chips = ⌈ports ÷ 3⌉

每颗 AX58101 内置 3 个 EtherCAT 端口,级联走 Port3 不占端口。所以"总端口数 = 进线 + 分支输出",芯片数直接向上取整除以 3。要扩端口就继续级联下一颗(SWAP 端口支持)。Each AX58101 packs 3 EtherCAT ports; cascading uses Port3 and costs no port. So total ports = IN + branch-OUT, and chips = ceil(total ÷ 3). Grow ports by chaining another chip (SWAP-ready).

分支器规格Junction spec 总端口(进 + 出)Total ports (IN + OUT) 所需 AX58101 颗数AX58101 chips needed
8 口(本板)8-port (this board) 1 进 + 7 出 = 81 IN + 7 OUT = 8 ⌈8/3⌉ = 3 颗⌈8/3⌉ = 3
5 口5-port 1 进 + 4 出 = 51 IN + 4 OUT = 5 ⌈5/3⌉ = 2 颗⌈5/3⌉ = 2
11 口11-port 1 进 + 10 出 = 111 IN + 10 OUT = 11 ⌈11/3⌉ = 4 颗⌈11/3⌉ = 4
一眼看懂的接法:The takeaway: 想做一台 5 口分支器(1 进 4 出),拿 2 颗 AX58101 —— 一颗当根(Port0 接主站进线,Port1/Port2 出两路),另一颗用 Port3 级联上来、再把它的 3 个 EtherCAT 端口出 3 路,合计 5 路对外;SWAP 让第二颗的"上进下出"方向自动对齐,布线不打架。To build a 5-port junction (1 IN, 4 OUT), take 2 AX58101s — one as root (Port0 to master IN, Port1/Port2 two branches), the second cascaded via Port3 and its three EtherCAT ports give three more branches, total five external ports; SWAP auto-aligns the second chip's up/down direction so layout stays clean.
BOM · ASIX

核心芯片与选型Core chip & selection

分支器的"大脑"是 AX58101;各身体部位的电机驱动、传感器与本地 MCU 为外设,按部位需求选配。具体型号与封装以原厂 datasheet 为准。The "brain" of the junction is AX58101; the motor drivers, sensors and local MCUs at each body part are peripherals, chosen per segment. Exact part numbers and packages per vendor datasheet.

ESC

AX58101(LT)AX58101 (LT)

EtherCAT 从站控制器,集成 2× 百兆 PHY、8 FMMU / 8 Sync Manager、64-bit 分布式时钟;内置 SPI Master(≤50MHz,≤8 设备)、3 路 PWM、编码器接口、I²C、最多 32 个 GPIO,80 脚 LQFP,工业级 -40~+105°C。EtherCAT slave with 2× FE PHY, 8 FMMU / 8 SyncMgr, 64-bit distributed clock; on-chip SPI Master (≤50MHz, ≤8 dev), 3× PWM, encoder I/F, I²C, up to 32 GPIO, 80-pin LQFP, -40~+105°C.

Topology

Port0↔Port2 互换Port0↔Port2 swap

双 PHY 支持端口互换,既能做一线进一线出的标准从站,也能做分支 / 汇接拓扑,方便沿身体级联多个分支器。The dual PHY supports port swapping — both a straight in/out slave and a branch / junction topology, so multiple junctions can cascade along the body.

Peripherals

丰富电机 / 传感外设Rich motor / sensing I/O

3 路 PWM、步进 / 方向、增量 / Hall 编码器、E-Stop、看门狗、I²C Master 一应俱全,可直接驱动或采集关节电机、编码器与传感器,省掉额外协处理器。3× PWM, step/dir, incremental / Hall encoder, E-Stop, watchdog and I²C Master onboard — drive or read joint motors, encoders and sensors directly, no extra coprocessor.

Per body

部位外设按需选配Per-segment peripherals

头部的视觉 / IMU、手臂与腿部的关节电机 + 编码器、躯干的电源与核心 IMU——各部位按功能挂接,AX58101 统一调度。Head vision / IMU, arm & leg joint motors + encoders, torso power & core IMU — each segment attaches by function, orchestrated by AX58101.

关于"分支器"的边界:On the "junction" boundary: AX58101 是 EtherCAT 从站 + 集成外设的控制器,本身不直接放大功率驱动大电流电机;关节电机由外挂的 BLDC 驱动芯片 / 本地 MCU 经 AX58101 的 PWM / SPI 受控。本方案画的是"数据流与部位级调度"的参考架构,不把电机驱动功率级算进 AX58101 内部。AX58101 is an EtherCAT slave + peripheral controller; it does not directly drive high-current motors. Joint motors are driven by external BLDC drivers / local MCUs, commanded through AX58101's PWM / SPI. This design shows the reference data-flow and per-body scheduling — not the motor power stage inside AX58101.
Topology

四路分支,各管一域Four branches, one domain each

AX58101 把一条 EtherCAT 流拆成四个身体部位子链路,每个部位就近处理自己的运动与传感。AX58101 splits one EtherCAT stream into four body-part sub-links, each handling its own motion and sensing locally.

部位分支Branch 承载数据Carries 典型节点Typical nodes
头部 HEADHead 视觉帧、姿态、避障深度Vision frames, attitude, depth 摄像头 / 视觉 SoC、IMU、ToFCamera / vision SoC, IMU, ToF
双臂 ARMSArms 关节力矩 / 位置指令、编码器反馈、触觉Torque / position cmd, encoder fb, touch 关节电机 ×N、编码器 ×N、力矩 / 触觉传感器Joint motors ×N, encoders ×N, force / touch
躯干 TORSOTorso 脊柱运动、电源状态、核心姿态Spine motion, power state, core attitude 脊柱电机、电源管理 BMS、核心 IMUSpine motor, BMS, core IMU
双腿 LEGSLegs 下肢力矩 / 位置、编码器反馈、足端压力Leg torque / position, encoder fb, foot pressure 关节电机 ×N、编码器 ×N、足端触觉 / 压力Joint motors ×N, encoders ×N, foot force
Highlights

为什么用人形机器人分支器Why a humanoid junction

把分散的身体部位,收拢到一根确定性的 EtherCAT 线上。Collapse scattered body parts onto one deterministic EtherCAT line.

少节点

一根线管全身One cable, whole body

主站只看到少数几个从站,身体各部位就近接入,布线从"一团乱麻"变成"一条主干 + 分支"。The master sees only a few slaves; body parts plug in locally — wiring becomes "one trunk + branches" instead of a tangle.

同步

分布式时钟对齐Distributed clock

AX58101 的 64-bit 分布式时钟让头 / 臂 / 躯干 / 腿的指令在亚微秒级对齐,多部位协同不"各跳各的"。AX58101's 64-bit distributed clock aligns head / arms / torso / legs commands in sub-microsecond — no drift between parts.

灵活

可级联分支Cascadable

Port0↔Port2 互换支持沿身体继续串接下一个分支器,身高 / 关节数扩展不重构总线。Port0↔Port2 swap lets you chain another junction down the body — grow height / joint count without rebuilding the bus.

工业级

耐得住现场Field-ready

-40~+105°C 工业温度、单芯片集成从站 + 外设,振动、温漂、空间都更友好。-40~+105°C industrial range and a single slave + peripheral chip — friendlier to vibration, drift and tight space.

Use cases

典型应用Typical applications

凡是"一个主站要管多个分散执行 / 传感单元"的场景,都吃这套分支架构。Any scene where one master must govern many scattered actuators / sensors fits this branch architecture.

场景
图示
Scene

人形机器人Humanoid robot

头 / 臂 / 躯干 / 腿分部位接入,统一调度运动与感知。Head / arms / torso / legs on one bus, motion and sensing unified.

场景
图示
Scene

多关节协作臂Multi-joint cobot

一拖多轴的低成本从站方案,节拍精准。Low-cost one-slave-many-axis design with tight timing.

场景
图示
Scene

外骨骼 / 康复Exoskeleton

髋 / 膝 / 踝多关节同步助力,按部位采集力矩。Hip / knee / ankle joints assisted in sync, per-part force capture.

场景
图示
Scene

分布式 IO / AGVDistributed IO / AGV

把分散的传感与执行就近汇接到主站,减少线束。Gather scattered sensing and actuation near the master, fewer harnesses.

Let's talk

想做这个人形机器人分支器?Want to build this junction?

我们提供 AX58101 参考设计、EtherCAT 配置(ESI/XML)、部位级固件框架与打样支持,从方案评审到小批量落地。We provide the AX58101 reference design, EtherCAT config (ESI/XML), per-segment firmware framework and prototyping — from review to low-volume build.