Nu er der over 100 mio. installerede EtherCAT-nodes
Med 105,2 mio. installerede nodes har EtherCAT yderligere cementeret sin position som den førende, når det gælder industrielle real-time Ethernet systemer (in english).
With 105.2 million nodes, EtherCAT has significantly surpassed the 100-million mark and further solidified its market-leading position in the field of industrial real-time Ethernet systems. In 2025, 16.9 million new nodes were added – a clear sign that growth is accelerating again.
The data is based on quantities reported by chip manufacturers and follows a deliberately conservative methodology: multi-protocol chips are only counted proportionally, FPGA implementations account for just 10% of the total, and modular I/O modules are not included in the count. As a result, the figures realistically reflect the actual EtherCAT market and avoid overestimates.
- The fact that 16.9 million new nodes were added in a single year speaks for itself: inventory levels following the chip crisis have been reduced, and EtherCAT’s organic growth continues, says Martin Rostan, Executive Director of the EtherCAT Technology Group, and he continues:
- Our method involves a certain time lag because not every chip delivered immediately ends up in a shipped device. However, chip manufacturers report realistic figures, as exaggerations would have financial consequences. We have taken a very conservative approach with multi-protocol chips: the proportion actually used for EtherCAT is likely to be higher in practice.
Several factors contribute to the continued success of EtherCAT:
• Technical advantages: short cycle times, high determinism, and low latency due to efficient data throughput – made possible by EtherCAT’s characteristic 'on-the-fly' functional principle.
• Easy to commission – flexible, scalable topology, automatic address assignment, no switches, no IT expertise required.
• Wide range of applications: manufacturing automation, robotics, packaging technology, semiconductor manufacturing, energy and building technology, medical technology, test and measurement systems, and transportation.
• Economic appeal: cost-effective implementation, robust interoperability, and the widest variety of devices on the market.
The EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) foresees sustained, accelerating growth of EtherCAT – driven by the increasing importance of cybersecurity and new applications in robotics, manufacturing automation, and intralogistics.
With EtherCAT, the license fee is included directly in the chip. Through Beckhoff Automation - the inventor and licensor of EtherCAT - EtherCAT chip manufacturers use this to fund the ETG and, by extension, the technology ecosystem.
Membership in the ETG remains free of charge for users and suppliers; funding is provided by the license fees included in the chips. This model supports neutrality, open collaboration, and rapid adoption of the technology.
