Product Description:

The BK5150 is an EtherCAT bus coupler produced by Beckhoff within the BK EtherCAT Bus Couplers series. It serves as the network interface between an EtherCAT master and a stack of Beckhoff I/O terminals, translating real-time field data to the controller and returning output commands. By occupying the head position of an I/O slice chain, the coupler powers the downstream terminals and maintains deterministic communication for decentralized modular machines and process stations. This arrangement lets the controller treat the terminal row as a single distributed I/O node while the coupler manages local signal exchange in the background.

Communication on the terminal side reaches a maximum bus speed of 1 Mbaud, permitting fast scanning of discrete and process values without saturating the EtherCAT segment. The housing measures 44 × 100 × 68 mm, allowing easy placement on a DIN rail when cabinet depth is limited. Up to 960 digital I/O points can be addressed because each slice adds contacts that the coupler multiplexes into the cyclic data image. A limit of 64 bus terminals can be attached directly, and expansion modules are required beyond that point. The device draws 320 mA from a control-side supply of 24 VDC, and two rotary address switches assign a node ID when fixed addressing is preferred.

The enclosure carries a protection rating of IP20, so the coupler is intended for installation inside a closed control cabinet rather than in exposed areas. For mixed-signal stations, the coupler accepts 60 analog channels, and optional K-bus extenders raise the permissible terminal count to 255 positions before another coupler is needed. This layout supports a mix of logic and analog terminals on one station without requiring a separate local controller. Power conductors routed through the internal copper tracks can carry up to 10 A, enabling moderate load currents to pass alongside logic supplies while sixteen Rx-PDOs and sixteen Tx-PDOs map process data into the EtherCAT frame.