Texas Instruments (TI) offers an Industrial Communication Software Development Kit (SDK) designed to streamline the development and implementation of industrial communication protocols.

This SDK provides numerous advantages for developers working in industrial environments:

• Comprehensive Multi-Protocol Support: The SDK supports a wide range of industrial communication protocols, including EtherCAT, PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, and more. These protocols are all compatible with the same processor family, leveraging the Programmable Real-time Unit and Industrial Communication Subsystem (PRU-ICSS).
• High Performance and Real-Time Capabilities: The SDK is optimized for high-performance Arm-based processors and includes dedicated hardware accelerators such as PRU-ICSS. It supports real-time operating systems (RTOS) as well as bare-metal implementations, delivering the deterministic performance required by industrial communication protocols.
• Ease of Development: The SDK simplifies the development process by providing a comprehensive set of protocol stack libraries, software tools, and example applications. Developers can evaluate the industrial communication solution on a TI Evaluation Module (EVM) and quickly jump-start development on custom hardware. Pre-configured examples and reference implementations reduce time to market and accelerate the development process.
• Scalability and Flexibility: The modular design of the SDK allows for easy customization and scalability to meet specific application requirements. The SDK is scalable across TI’s microcontroller and processor families, all of which support PRU-ICSS.
• Integration with the TI Ecosystem: The SDK integrates seamlessly with TI's development tools, including Code Composer Studio™ (CCS) and the system configuration tool (SysConfig), enhancing the overall user experience. It is also compatible with other TI products, including microcontrollers and analog components like ADCs, offering a complete solution for industrial applications.
• Extensive Documentation and Support: The SDK includes comprehensive technical documentation such as data sheets, application notes, and user's guides to assist developers. Direct technical support is provided by TI’s product engineers through the e2e forum, helping to resolve issues and guiding developers through the development process.

TI’s Industrial Communication SDK delivers various industrial Ethernet stacks, including EtherCAT, PROFINET, and EtherNet/IP. The firmware for the PRU-ICSS includes software binaries tailored for the PRU cores, with specific MAC implementations for each industrial communication protocol, such as EtherCAT ESC, PROFINET MAC, EtherNet/IP MAC, and IO-Link Master frame handler.

The SDK structure includes:

• OS Kernel: The SDK includes a FreeRTOS implementation, providing the necessary real-time operating system support.
• Drivers and Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL): This section contains peripheral drivers and the HAL, which support the various industrial protocols.
• Protocol Stacks and Middleware: This section includes the industrial communication stacks described in Section [ToDo add reference].
• Examples and Demos: These provide user software for device-specific functions, such as sensors, actuators, and drives.

The documentation provided with the SDK thoroughly explains how to build and operate each example, making sure that developers have the required resources to build a successful product with industrial communication.