1. Introduction

1.1. What is EtherCAT?

EtherCAT® (Ethernet for Control Automation Technology) is a high-performance Ethernet Fieldbus technology that provides a reliable, efficient, and cost-effective communication solution for a wide variety of industrial automation applications. Originally developed as an open technology by Beckhoff Automation in 2003, and subsequently turned over to an independent organization known as the EtherCAT Technology Group, EtherCAT has since become one of the most widely used industrial Ethernet protocols in the world.

1.2. The EC-Monitor - Features

1.3. Protected version

The EC-Monitor software is available in different protected versions:

Protected: Binary with MAC protection
Unrestricted: Binary without MAC protection
Source: Source code

The protected version will automatically stop after about 30 minutes of continuous operation. In order to remove this restriction a valid runtime license key is required. The runtime license protection is based on the MAC address of the Ethernet controller used for the EtherCAT protocol. With a valid License Key the protected version will automatically become an unrestricted version.

1.3.1. Licensing procedure for Development Licenses

Installation of EC-Monitor protected version
Determine the MAC Address by calling emGetSrcMacAddress() or from a sticker applied on the hardware near the Ethernet controller
Send an Email with the subject Development License Key Request with the MAC address to sales@acontis.com

Acontis will create the license keys and return them in a License Key Text File (CSV format).

Number;MAC Address;License Key
1;00-00-5A-11-77-FE;DA1099F2-15C249E9-54327FBC
2;64-31-50-80-20-4E;1B7C1F86-D08E40A8-4F96F2BA

Activate the License Key by calling emSetLicenseKey() with the license key that corresponds to the MAC address on the hardware and check the return code. The license key is 26 characters long.
```
dwRes = emSetLicenseKey(0, "DA1099F2-15C249E9-54327FBC");
```

1.3.2. Licensing procedure for Runtime Licenses

Installation of EC-Monitor protected version
Determine the MAC Address by calling emGetSrcMacAddress() or from a sticker applied on the hardware near the Ethernet controller
Provide the MAC Addresses and numbers from previously ordered and unused runtime license stickers in a text file to acontis as described in the example below. Please use a separate line for each runtime license sticker number and MAC Address.
```
S/N; MAC Address
100-105-1-1/1603310001;00-00-5A-11-77-FE
100-105-1-1/1603310002;64-31-50-80-20-4E
```
Send an Email with the subject “Runtime License Key Request” with the MAC address to sales@acontis.com

Acontis will create the license keys and return them in a License Key Text File (CSV format).

Number;MAC Address;License Key
1;00-00-5A-11-77-FE;DA1099F2-15C249E9-54327FBC
2;64-31-50-80-20-4E;1B7C1F86-D08E40A8-4F96F2BA

Activate the License Key by calling emSetLicenseKey() with the license key that corresponds to the MAC address on the hardware and check the return code.
```
dwRes = emSetLicenseKey(0, "DA1099F2-15C249E9-54327FBC");
```

1.4. License

1.4.1. EC-Monitor license

According to EC-Monitor Software License Agreement (SLA).

1.4.2. Free Open Source Software contained in EC-Monitor

1.4.2.1. Expat XML parser license

Copyright (c) 1998, 1999, 2000 Thai Open Source Software Center Ltd
and Clark Cooper
Copyright (c) 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Expat maintainers.

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
"Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to
permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to
the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included
in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.
IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY
CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT,
TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE
SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

1.4.3. Free Open Source Software supported by EC-Monitor

The following components are not part of EC-Monitor, but relate to it:

1.4.3.1. acontis atemsys Linux kernel module

The acontis atemsys is licensed under the GPL:

Copyright (c) 2009 - 2020 acontis technologies GmbH, Ravensburg, Germany
All rights reserved.

This program is free software; you can redistribute  it and/or modify it
under  the terms of  the GNU General  Public License as published by the
Free Software Foundation;  either version 2 of the  License, or (at your
option) any later version.

1.4.3.2. WinPCap

The WinPCap library is supported, but not shipped with EC-Monitor.

1.4.3.3. Npcap

The Npcap library is supported, but not shipped with EC-Monitor.