High speed EtherCAT Box I/O is built for enhanced flexibility, performance and reduced logistics costs

In order to provide a greater variety of rugged distributed I/O technology, Beckhoff Automation has introduced the new EP1518 EtherCAT Box. This dynamic I/O device integrates numerous functions such as 32 bit fast-pulse counters, digital inputs with sensor diagnostics and adjustable filter characteristics all into one compact and feature-laden I/O box.

With the EP1518, multi-function I/O technology from Beckhoff has been expanded to include a flexible, IP 67-rated variant that is ideal for use outside of electrical cabinets and in harsh environments. The EP1518 enables shorter cycle times, faster network communication speeds via EtherCAT, increased precision in distributed logistics and more.

The EP1518 EtherCAT Box has eight 24 V DC inputs as well as an EtherCAT input port and output port for linking to the process level. The device also counts fast pulses with a counting frequency of up to 1 kHz. Integrated data pre-processing enables the reliable counting of pulses, independent of the control cycle time.

All eight inputs of the EP1518 are equipped with an up/down counter and gate input that can be deactivated. Two of the eight inputs are available for standard 32 bit up/down counters, however all eight signal inputs on the EP1518 IP 67 box are transmitted as “normal” digital signals over the EtherCAT network. In addition, the EtherCAT Box is equipped with short-circuit detection via diagnostics of the sensor supply. The software-based adaptation of the inputs to the most diverse sensors/switches can be adjusted by filter characteristics between 10 μs and 100 ms.