Firmware Update El/Es/Em/Elm/Epxxxx - Beckhoff EL34 Series Documentation

Appendix
EL3443-0013
Hardware (HW)
00*
EL3453
Hardware (HW)
01*
EL3483, EL3483-0060
Hardware (HW)
01*
*) This is the current compatible firmware/hardware version at the time of the preparing this documentation.
Check on the Beckhoff web page whether more up-to-date documentation is available.
8.4

Firmware Update EL/ES/EM/ELM/EPxxxx

This section describes the device update for Beckhoff EtherCAT slaves from the EL/ES, ELM, EM, EK and
EP series. A firmware update should only be carried out after consultation with Beckhoff support.
Storage locations
An EtherCAT slave stores operating data in up to 3 locations:
• Depending on functionality and performance EtherCAT slaves have one or several local controllers for
processing I/O data. The corresponding program is the so-called firmware in *.efw format.
• In some EtherCAT slaves the EtherCAT communication may also be integrated in these controllers. In
this case the controller is usually a so-called FPGA chip with *.rbf firmware.
• In addition, each EtherCAT slave has a memory chip, a so-called ESI-EEPROM, for storing its own
device description (ESI: EtherCAT Slave Information). On power-up this description is loaded and the
EtherCAT communication is set up accordingly. The device description is available from the download
area of the Beckhoff website at (https://www.beckhoff.de). All ESI files are accessible there as zip files.
Customers can access the data via the EtherCAT fieldbus and its communication mechanisms. Acyclic
mailbox communication or register access to the ESC is used for updating or reading of these data.
The TwinCAT System Manager offers mechanisms for programming all 3 parts with new data, if the slave is
set up for this purpose. Generally the slave does not check whether the new data are suitable, i.e. it may no
longer be able to operate if the data are unsuitable.
278
Firmware
03
04
05
06*
Firmware
01
02
03*
Firmware
01
02
03
04
05
06*
Version: 1.5
Revision no.
EL3443-0013-0018
EL3443-0013-0019
EL3443-0013-0020
Revision no.
EL3443-0010-0016
EL3443-0010-0017
EL3443-0010-0018
Revision no.
EL3483-0000-0016
EL3483-0000-0017
EL3483-0000-0018
EL3483-0000-0019
EL3483-0000-0020
Release date
2018/12
2019/01
2019/01
2019/03
2019/07
Release date
2018/07
2018/12
2019/02
2019/05
Release date
2018/06
2018/08
2018/12
2019/01
2019/01
2019/03
2019/05
EL34xx