Product Description:

The 4EX101.01 expansion housing is manufactured by B & R Automation for the 4P Power Panels series. It is intended to mount alongside a PP41 operator panel so that additional interface hardware or communication boards can be accommodated within tight control cabinet spaces. By providing a fixed mechanical footprint that matches the panel family, the unit simplifies installation and maintains the clearances required for reliable industrial automation operation. The module acts as an auxiliary slot carrier rather than a standalone controller, supporting the panel’s processing hardware by providing an enclosed bay for future upgrades.

The enclosure is sized to match the front bezel of the PP41, giving predictable alignment with adjacent devices. Its depth of 81.4 mm provides the clearance required for standard DIN rail wiring runs behind the panel, while the overall height of 173 mm helps keep ventilation openings on neighboring modules unobstructed. A face width of 31 mm conserves horizontal rack space so that additional control components can occupy the same row. Internally, the unit provides 1 insert slot, which serves as a protected cavity for fieldbus couplers, memory extensions, or other proprietary I/O boards that complement the primary panel function.

The rear connector plane follows the B&R SYSTEM 2005 interface, allowing the installed module to share power and backplane data with the host without extra cabling. A dedicated node number switch is included so the expanded station address can be set directly on the hardware, simplifying setup when multiple power panels reside on the same network. This arrangement keeps the added module integrated with the host panel while reducing the need for separate interconnect wiring inside the cabinet. Within the 4P Power Panels family, the housing adds expansion capacity without changing the panel’s basic mounting pattern.