We use something similar:

a Xenomai kernel (Linux 2.6.37, xenomai 2.5.6) combined with RTNet, SOEM
(Simple Open EtherCAT Master) and Orocos RTT to create a full hard realtime
control system ( without any hard - soft realtime mode switches)

SOEM with RTNet patch and a generic RTT component to connect to the
EtherCAT system, together with drivers for some of the beckhoff hardware is
available on http://git.mech.kuleuven.be/robotics/soem.git

It might be interesting to see what the differences are between the
EtherLab system and the SOEM system.

Ruben

On Wed, Jan 11, 2012 at 8:56 PM, Austin Hendrix <legotown@aol.com> wrote:

> This sounds nearly identical to the system we use here at Willow Garage on
> the PR2.
>
> We're using a PREEMPT_RT kernel (2.6.31+, moving to 3.0) with a 1kHz
> control loop in user space.
>
> -Austin
>
> Jonathan Hurst <jonathan.hurst@oregonstate.edu> wrote:
>
> >Dear ROS Users,
> >
> >We would like to use Robot Operating System on ATRIAS, the bipedal
> >robot we are building
> >(http://mime.oregonstate.edu/research/drl/Site%20Pages/Atrias.html),
> >but we must have reliable real-time control at 1kHz with communication
> >over an EtherCAT bus.  We have assembled some existing software tools
> >to enable this, including the EtherLab driver and Orocos RTT to tie
> >things all together in real time.  If you are interested in this
> >discussion, please feel free to join the Email list - it has a brief
> >history with one or two summaries of working systems, but I hope we
> >will have much more detailed discussions, or receive pointers to other
> >working systems.  You can sign up for the list here:
> >https://secure.engr.oregonstate.edu/mailman/listinfo/ethercat-ros
> >
> >Jonathan
> >--
>
> >*****************************************************************************
> >Jonathan W. Hurst
> >Assistant Professor
> >School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering
> >Oregon State University
> >204 Rogers Hall
> >Corvallis, OR 97331-6001
> >
> >jonathan.hurst@oregonstate.edu
> >Voice: (541) 737-7010
> >Fax: (541) 737-2600
> >http://mime.oregonstate.edu/research/jhurst/
>
> >******************************************************************************
> >_______________________________________________
> >ros-users mailing list
> >ros-users@code.ros.org
> >https://code.ros.org/mailman/listinfo/ros-users
> _______________________________________________
> ros-users mailing list
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>



-- 
Ruben Smits, Phd
Chief Technology Officer
Intermodalics BVBA
+32479511786
www.intermodalics.eu