[EtherCAT / MyActuator] Motor Reaches Operation Enabled but Produces No Torque
Problem
A MyActuator RMD motor transitions to Operation Enabled, but:
- Produces no torque
- Does not move
- Returns zero feedback values
- Shows no faults or alarms
Environment
- OS: Windows 11
- Device: MyActuator RMD motor
- Communication: EtherCAT (RapidSetup)
- State: CiA 402 reaches Operation Enabled
Symptoms
- Motor is completely silent (no holding torque)
- No movement
- Feedback values are all zero (position, velocity, torque)
- Mode of Operation Display (0x6061) = 0
- No drive faults
Root Cause
Distributed Clock (DC) Synchronization is not enabled.
- EtherCAT communication is working
- CiA 402 state machine completes
- Internal motor control loop does not start without DC Sync
SM-Synchron allows communication but does not provide timing for control loop.
Solution
1. Modify ESI File
Edit the section to force DC-Synchron only and remove SM-Synchron entries.
2. Clear Cached Files
Delete:
- ESICache
- EtherCAT folder
- .bin folder
3. Regenerate ENI
Rebuild configuration in RapidSetup.
Notes / Gotchas
CustomNodeInfo.xml
- Ensure ModeOfOperation is defined
PDO Naming
- Inputs: SND PDO Mapping0.
- Outputs: RCV PDO Mapping0.
Key Insight
“Operation Enabled” does not guarantee motion.
Takeaway
This is a synchronization issue, not a communication issue.