Product Overview; Overview Of Ethercat Couplers Ek18Xx; Fig. 11 Ethercat Coupler Communication Diagram - Beckhoff EK18 Series Documentation

Product overview

4 Product overview
4.1

Overview of EtherCAT couplers EK18xx

An EtherCAT coupler is required in order to connect EtherCAT Terminals with E-bus-communication (series
ELxxxx, ESxxxx, EMxxxx) to an EtherCAT network. This coupler relays the communication from the higher-
level EtherCAT network to the terminals, or functions as a master itself and generates telegrams. Beckhoff
offers different components for different application scenarios.
The selection of the correct coupler depends on the following criteria:
• is a local small controller needed?
• is the coupler to be connected via copper cable or optical fiber cable?
• is the coupler to be addressed via IP or is it located in the unswitched network?
• is the coupler to be controlled via EAP (EtherCAT Automation Protocol) or EtherCAT Device Protocol?
• required protection class: IP20 or higher?
• is the coupler to be plugged in at different places at the network using the HotConnect technique?
A coupler connects the added terminals to the right; it can be connected to the higher level network to the
left. Couplers that support the EtherCAT Device Protocol 'to the left' must be connected there to an
EtherCAT master.
Fig. 11: EtherCAT coupler communication diagram
The following overview can be used for selection:
18 Version: 2.2 EK18xx