System-integrated overcurrent protection in the EtherCAT I/O system

The EL922x Terminal series for overcurrent protection is designed for 24 V DC operation and includes 19 different EtherCAT Terminals. There are 1- and 2-channel versions for various current loads up to a maximum of 10 A. Furthermore, the wide range of terminals is divided into:

• EL9221 and EL9222 Terminals with standard functionality such as rated current, which can be parameterised not only using TwinCAT System Manager software, but also conveniently with an LED button, and
• EL9227-xxxx Terminals with extended functionality that can be parameterised in the TwinCAT System Manager, such as the selection of a characteristic curve, preliminary warning threshold, undervoltage signal, feedback cut-off, event logging and a password-protected software seal.

System-integrated overcurrent protection offers numerous practical benefits for users. Wiring effort is reduced, since the feed into adjacent I/O terminals is achieved automatically by simply plugging in the terminal. In addition, control cabinets benefit from space and cost savings because additional coupling hardware and other digital I/O or power feeding products are no longer required. Furthermore, numerous types of process data can be accessed via EtherCAT, for example utilisation rate, load current, input/output current, undervoltage/overvoltage and feedback. This enables transparent system monitoring, minimised downtime, simplified troubleshooting and a comprehensive overview of plant history.