Product Description:

The 5LS187.6 logic scanner card is produced by B&R Automation for the 5LS Logic Scanner Cards series. When inserted in a controller backplane, it acts as the communication coprocessor that exchanges cyclic and acyclic data between machine nodes and the host CPU. This separation helps maintain predictable update timing when several networked devices exchange commands, status words, and diagnostics at the same time. By combining a CAN fieldbus channel with an Ethernet Powerlink port, the card supports deterministic messaging for coordinated drives, safety islands, and distributed I/O in automated production lines.

On the CAN side, a 4-Pin Multipoint connector presents the bus wiring to external devices. The integrated SJA 1000 CAN controller handles message filtering and error management for the interface, and electrical isolation between the transceiver and logic stages helps protect the host PC from ground loops. The channel supports transfer rates up to 500 kBit/s, and the board stores traffic in 1 MByte SRAM to reduce host interrupts during bursts of activity. Stable CAN handling is useful when the controller must poll remote nodes and process status feedback without delaying the main application scan. Because the board follows the PCI Half-Size format and supports plug-and-play resource assignment, it fits compact industrial computers without manual jumper settings.

The Ethernet side operates at 100 Mbps through one Powerlink interface that terminates on a shielded RJ45 connector. Its physical layer complies with the ANSI/IEEE 802.3 standard, so the port can connect directly to standard switching hardware by using 100 Base-T signaling. A ready relay on the board can switch loads up to 10 A at 30 VDC, providing a hardware-level status output for startup or fault indication. Because the Powerlink interface and relay output are on the same card, external machine signals can reflect network readiness without extra interface hardware. With plug-and-play enumeration, the Powerlink channel is detected automatically, which simplifies installation in systems that require deterministic 400 µs cycle times.