title: "openPOWERLINK" url: doc/communication/openpowerlink.html ---

# openPOWERLINK

openPOWERLINK is an Open Source Industrial Ethernet stack implementing the Ethernet POWERLINK protocol.

## Prerequisites

The following is needed in order to use openPOWERLINK with 4diac FORTE:

- openPOWERLINK V1.8.0

- TinyXML

## Instructions

The openPOWERLINK V1.8.0 stack from SourceForge should be compiled using at least the following options in CMake:

- `CFG_POWERLINK_CHM`

- `CFG_POWERLINK_PROCESS_IMAGE`

- `CFG_X86_WINDOWS_DLL` (only available on Windows)

If compiled on Windows the resulting DLL and LIB must be copied to the main openPOWERLINK-V1.8.0 folder.

TinyXML can also be downloaded from SourceForge. 4diac FORTE CMake has to be configured as follows:

- check `FORTE_MODULE_POWERLINK`

- set `FORTE_MODULE_POWERLINK_LIB_DIR` to [OPENPOWERLINK-V1.08.0_HOME]

- set `FORTE_MODULE_POWERLINK_TINYXML_DIR` to the directory where you unpacked TinyXML

For communication through opwenPOWERLINK, instantiate and configure the function blocks provided within the opwenPOWERLINK folder. The opwenPOWERLINK folder is part of 4diac’s type library.

## Where to go from here?

- Go back to Protocols index:
  Communication Index

- If you want to go back to the Start Here page, we leave you here a fast access
  Start Here page

Or Go to top