iR-ECAT: Use Manual ESI Copy, Not the Install Tool

Copy the complete iR-ECAT ESI package into the Sysmac Studio device-description storage while preserving its folder structure; importing only the top-level XML can expose the coupler while leaving its I/O modules unavailable. This is a catalog-resolution problem, not an I/O current or thermal-load fault. Once Sysmac Studio resolves the subordinate descriptions, an Omron NX or NJ EtherCAT master can configure the coupler and insert the attached iR modules.

Missing-submodule symptom

The decisive symptom is the split between coupler visibility and module visibility. If Sysmac Studio accepts the iR-ECAT ESI and displays the coupler but offers no subordinate I/O modules, master-to-device compatibility is not the first suspect. The software has identified the parent device but has not loaded the descriptions that define the modular station.

Attempts to install descriptions separately from Modules_v1, Modules_v2, or Modules_v3 may produce a file-not-found message. Treat that message as a package-layout or reference-resolution fault. It does not show an EtherCAT communication failure because no cyclic network exchange has started at this stage.

ESI hierarchy and cyclic timing

An EtherCAT Slave Information file describes the slave identity, supported configuration, process-data objects, and modular relationships used by the engineering tool. A modular coupler needs more than a parent entry: Sysmac Studio must also resolve the definitions for each selectable I/O module. A catalog can therefore show the communication head correctly while presenting an empty module list.

The number that matters after configuration is the process image assembled from the selected modules. Module order and data size determine how the master maps cyclic input and output bytes. A missing or incorrectly ordered module changes that map, so a project may compile yet fail identity or configuration checks when the physical station is compared with the configured station.

Current and thermal load remain separate engineering limits. The ESI tells the controller how to exchange data; it does not prove that the coupler, internal bus, field supply, or individual outputs can carry the connected load. This is heat, not logic: calculate connected load from the module documentation and verify supply segmentation independently of EtherCAT catalog installation.

Manual ESI installation procedure

1. Download the XML configuration package from the Support section of the iR-ECAT product page. Use the complete distribution rather than an isolated XML copied from one subfolder.

2. Extract the package without flattening its directory structure. Confirm that the extracted content retains the referenced module areas, including Modules_v1, Modules_v2, and Modules_v3.

3. Close Sysmac Studio before changing its device-description files. Locate the ESI storage used by the installed Sysmac Studio release through its configuration or installation documentation; the exact filesystem path depends on the software installation.

4. Copy the complete ESI package manually into that storage. Keep the parent XML and subordinate folders in their supplied relative positions. Installing each subordinate file as though it were an independent slave description can break the references used by the parent device.

5. Reopen Sysmac Studio or reload its EtherCAT device catalog. Add iR-ECAT to the EtherCAT network, then expand the coupler entry and confirm that the module selection is populated.

6. Insert each I/O module in the same order as the physical station. For example, select iR-DI16-K only when that exact module is installed; a similar channel count does not establish an equivalent EtherCAT identity or process-data layout.

7. Regenerate the process-data mapping and assign application variables only after the station order is final. Review every input and output offset before enabling machine outputs.

Configuration verification

Verify the repair first offline. The coupler must appear under iR-ECAT, the required I/O modules must be selectable, and the configured sequence must match the station from the coupler outward. Inspect the generated process-data map for missing modules, unexpected byte shifts, or duplicated entries.

Then connect the NX or NJ controller and read the EtherCAT diagnostics. Confirm that the slave identity is accepted and that the configured station reaches normal cyclic exchange without a module mismatch. If the master reports a discrepancy, compare the first reported module position with the physical stack; one wrong module near the coupler shifts the interpretation of every module after it.

Test inputs before outputs. Toggle one field input at a time and verify that only its assigned controller variable changes. For outputs, isolate hazardous motion and energize one channel at a time while measuring the field voltage and load current. Catalog visibility proves configuration access, not correct wiring or adequate supply capacity.

Recurring integration pitfalls

Package flattening is the primary software pitfall. Copying all XML files into one directory can destroy relative references even though every visible filename appears present. Preserve the downloaded hierarchy as a unit.

A second pitfall is treating the module description as a separate EtherCAT slave. The iR-ECAT communication module is the network slave; subordinate I/O descriptions populate its modular configuration. Add the I/O beneath the coupler rather than as independent network nodes.

Catalog success can also hide a physical-order error. Build the project from the actual left-to-right station sequence and recheck it after maintenance. A replacement with a different identity or data layout requires a matching catalog selection even when its electrical function appears similar.

Finally, keep electrical loading outside the configuration diagnosis. If a channel works unloaded but fails, overheats, or resets under load, read the current and derating limits for the exact module and supply group. Reinstalling the ESI cannot correct an undersized supply, excessive output current, or enclosure-temperature problem.

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