The EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) has published an initial draft of its official EtherCAT P technology specification: ETG.1030 EtherCAT P Specification. An application note has also been finalized as a guideline to implement EtherCAT P slaves.

The document defines the basics of EtherCAT P, an industrial Ethernet technology that combines EtherCAT communication and power lines into one standard 4-wire Ethernet cable, as an extension of the physical layer of the EtherCAT technology.

An application note from Beckhoff Automation includes the according extension of the EtherCAT implementation including the associated connectors, electrical specifications as well as recommendations for EMC-compliant design. The note highlights the different design requirements, especially with regard to the usage and connection of supply voltages, and describes calculations on the basis of existing currents and voltages in the network.