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Bolt EtherCAT Communication — Traditional vs Flair Bridge

BOTH

Bolt rigs communicate with the Flair PC via EtherCAT — a real-time industrial Ethernet protocol. There are two ways to establish this connection:

  1. Traditional method — an EtherCAT PCIe card installed in the Flair PC (Windows only), running the INtime real-time OS extension.
  2. Flair Bridge — MRMC's external hardware device that handles the EtherCAT connection, allowing any PC, Mac, or Linux machine to control the Bolt over standard Ethernet (Flair 7 only).

Method 1: Traditional EtherCAT Card (Windows / Flair Classic or Flair 7)

This method requires a compatible EtherCAT PCIe card installed in the Flair PC, the MRMC Bolt Setup Files, and a licensed INtime installation. It is the only option for Flair Classic.

What you need

  • A Dell or compatible PC with a free PCIe slot
  • A CIFX-series EtherCAT PCIe card (Hilscher)
  • The Bolt Setup Files Folder — supplied by MRMC; contains EtherCAT drivers and Bolt-specific configuration
  • INtime real-time OS (TenAsys) — hardware dongle license required
  • Flair Classic or Flair 7

Bolt Setup Files Folder

The Bolt Setup Files Folder is not publicly available for download. It must be obtained from MRMC. MRMC entered liquidation in May 2026 — contact the Flair Community WhatsApp group, as other operators may be able to share a copy.

Setup overview

Setting up a traditional EtherCAT connection requires working knowledge of Windows device drivers, INtime configuration, and BIOS settings. The steps below are a high-level guide — full details depend on your specific hardware.

  1. Install the EtherCAT card — power down the PC, install the CIFX card into a PCIe slot, secure it, connect the EtherCAT cable to the correct port on the card.
  2. Verify hardware detection — boot the PC and confirm the card appears in Windows Device Manager without errors.
  3. Install INtime — run the INtime installer, configure licensing (hardware dongle required), set up Node A.
  4. Deploy Bolt Setup Files — extract the Bolt Setup Files Folder to the required directory, install EtherCAT drivers from the setup folder, configure network settings as per the folder's instructions.
  5. Install and configure Flair — point Flair at the EtherCAT connection.

Troubleshooting

Symptom Likely cause Fix
ERR light on EtherCAT card Communication failure Check cable, port selection, and INtime status
CS8 shows 'A' but Flair won't connect STARC board seating Reseat the STARC board in the CS8
INtime Node errors Node A not running Restart Node A from the INtime monitor
No communication after cold boot Boot order Boot Bolt first, wait for 'A' on CS8, then cold boot PC

Method 2: Flair Bridge (Flair 7 only)

The Flair Bridge is MRMC's purpose-built EtherCAT bridge device. It connects to the Bolt via EtherCAT on one side, and presents as a standard Ethernet device on the other. This eliminates the need for a PCIe EtherCAT card, INtime, BIOS configuration, and Windows-specific hardware.

Flair Bridge requires Flair 7. It does not work with Flair Classic.

Advantages

  • Works on Mac, Windows, and Linux
  • No EtherCAT card, no INtime, no BIOS tweaks
  • Plug-and-play Ethernet connection from the Flair machine
  • Portable — works with laptops

Setup

  1. Connect the Flair Bridge to the Bolt CS8 via EtherCAT cable (ETH 0 port on the Bridge is dedicated to EtherCAT).
  2. Connect the Flair PC/Mac to the Flair Bridge via standard Ethernet — use a managed switch if you need to connect other devices to the same network.
  3. Install Flair 7 on the PC/Mac.
  4. Configure the Flair 7 network settings to point at the Flair Bridge.

"I've had our Bolt running through the Flair Bridge and it worked pretty seamlessly! You need a managed switch to then plug the Flair computer into since the ETH 0 port has to be used for the EtherCAT connection." — Josh Ellis-Tufts

Pricing (at time of MRMC liquidation, May 2026)

  • £499 for EtherCAT systems (Bolt)
  • £449 for other rigs

DIY alternative (community-verified)

Colin Michael Quinn confirmed a working DIY Flair Bridge substitute using a Raspberry Pi CM5 with a Waveshare CM5-DUAL-ETH-MINI board. Requires Flair Bridge firmware for the MMC.

Colin's Dell machine setup showing EtherCAT card installation in progress Missing Bolt Setup Files Folder — a common problem requiring community support Official MRMC Flair Bridge device

Which method to choose

Traditional EtherCAT Flair Bridge
Flair Classic ✅ Yes ❌ No
Flair 7 ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Mac / Linux ❌ No ✅ Yes
Laptop-friendly ❌ No ✅ Yes
INtime required ✅ Yes ❌ No
Additional hardware cost EtherCAT card only £449–£499
Source: WhatsApp Community Chat May 2026; MRMC Flair Bridge announcement November 2025