# Introduction ## 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. #### SEE ALSO A comprehensive introduction to EtherCAT® technology can be found at [https://www.acontis.com/en/what-is-EtherCAT-communication-protocol.html](https://www.acontis.com/en/what-is-EtherCAT-communication-protocol.html). ## The EC-Monitor - Features ## 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. ### Licensing procedure for Development Licenses 1. Installation of EC-Monitor protected version 2. Determine the MAC Address by calling [`emonGetSrcMacAddress()`](api_general.html.md#_CPPv420emonGetSrcMacAddress10EC_T_DWORDP16ETHERNET_ADDRESS) or from a sticker applied on the hardware near the Ethernet controller 3. Send an Email with the subject “**Development License Key Request, Commission** *your commission number*” with the MAC address to [sales@acontis.com](mailto:sales@acontis.com) 4. Acontis will create the license keys and return them in a **License Key Text File (CSV format)**. ```none 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 ``` 5. Activate the License Key by calling [`emonSetLicenseKey()`](api_general.html.md#_CPPv417emonSetLicenseKey10EC_T_DWORDPK9EC_T_CHAR) 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. ```cpp dwRes = emonSetLicenseKey(0, "DA1099F2-15C249E9-54327FBC"); ``` ### Licensing procedure for Runtime Licenses 1. Installation of EC-Monitor protected version 2. Determine the MAC Address by calling [`emonGetSrcMacAddress()`](api_general.html.md#_CPPv420emonGetSrcMacAddress10EC_T_DWORDP16ETHERNET_ADDRESS) or from a sticker applied on the hardware near the Ethernet controller 3. 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. ```none 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 ``` 4. Send an Email with the subject “**Runtime License Key Request, Commission** *your commission number*” with the MAC address to [sales@acontis.com](mailto:sales@acontis.com) 5. Acontis will create the license keys and return them in a **License Key Text File (CSV format)**. ```none 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 ``` 6. Activate the License Key by calling [`emonSetLicenseKey()`](api_general.html.md#_CPPv417emonSetLicenseKey10EC_T_DWORDPK9EC_T_CHAR) with the license key that corresponds to the MAC address on the hardware and check the return code. ```cpp dwRes = emonSetLicenseKey(0, "DA1099F2-15C249E9-54327FBC"); ``` ## License ### EC-Monitor license According to EC-Monitor Software License Agreement (SLA). ### Free Open Source Software contained in EC-Monitor #### Expat XML parser license V2.6.0 ```none Copyright (c) 1997-2000 Thai Open Source Software Center Ltd Copyright (c) 2000 Clark Cooper Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Fred L. Drake, Jr. Copyright (c) 2001-2002 Greg Stein Copyright (c) 2002-2016 Karl Waclawek Copyright (c) 2016-2024 Sebastian Pipping Copyright (c) 2016 Cristian Rodríguez Copyright (c) 2016 Thomas Beutlich Copyright (c) 2017 Rhodri James Copyright (c) 2022 Thijs Schreijer Copyright (c) 2023 Hanno Böck Copyright (c) 2023 Sony Corporation / Snild Dolkow Licensed under the MIT license: 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. ``` ### Free Open Source Software supported by EC-Monitor The following components are not part of EC-Monitor, but relate to it: #### acontis atemsys Linux kernel module The acontis atemsys is licensed under the GPL: ```none 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. ``` ## Versioning EC-Monitor follows the following versioning scheme: **V***MAJOR***.** *MINOR***.** *SERVICEPACK***.** *BUILD* (e.g. V3.2.1.04). The libraries are binary compatible by unchanged *MAJOR* and *MINOR* digits. If *SERVICEPACK* increments, *BUILD* restarts with 01. *BUILD* 99 is reserved for test builds that have not been officially released for productive usage.