Beckhoff Announces Compact, Cost-effective Stepper Motor I/O Terminal

With the new EL7062 dual-channel EtherCAT Terminal, Beckhoff enables the direct connection of two stepper motors in the medium power range of up to 3 A and for a voltage range of 8–48 V. With flexible parameterization and minimized channel costs, the flexible motion interface is ideal as a low-cost drive for a wide range of stepper motor applications.

In an extremely compact form factor, the 24-mm-wide EL7062 EtherCAT Terminal contains two stepper motor output stages, two digital inputs for limit switches and one encoder interface per channel for a wide range of 5 V encoders. Via parameterization, the EL7062 flexibly adapts to the connected stepper motor and its corresponding application requirements. With regard to the input encoder signal, the module supports the entire spectrum of TTL encoders (5 V differential, single-ended/open collector). Very high-resolution microstepping ensures extremely smooth and precise motor operation.

The maximum total output current is 6 A, typically to operate two 3 A stepper motors. This can also be configured variably – for example, the motion interface could be configured for a 2 A and 4 A motor. With the ZB8610 fan module, which is available as an accessory, the maximum power even increases to 5 A per channel. The dual channels in the EL7062 significantly reduce the price compared to single-channel solutions.