Product Description:

The EK1122 is an EtherCAT junction coupler manufactured by Beckhoff and placed within the EK EtherCAT Couplers series. The unit creates two independent branches inside an EtherCAT segment, allowing field I/O islands to be positioned logically in a star layout while still using the protocol's line-based wiring concept. By inserting this coupler, an automation builder can split network traffic toward separate machine modules and keep deterministic timing without adding a full controller.

The coupler's housing carries a protection rating of IP20, so it is intended for installation inside a control cabinet where only solid-object ingress protection is required. Internally, the ports follow the branch order 1→2→E-bus, meaning frames first reach junction 1, then flow to junction 2, and finally pass onto the backplane EtherCAT terminal bus. Firmware compatibility starts with Rev -0017 / FW 01; earlier revisions do not support this branch device. A total of 2 junctions are provided, matching applications that need dual spur lines without extra hardware. The network layout uses Star topology, letting each spur act independently so cable faults remain localized and do not halt every downstream slave.

When either branch is unused, the hardware automatically shorts them together, a condition described as Junctions 1 and 2 bridged; this maintains signal continuity so the main trunk stays active. Live insertion is not supported, and the unit does not support Hot Swap capability, so power must be removed before wiring changes. EtherCAT Distributed Clock synchronization is optional elsewhere in the system, but this coupler does not require Distributed Clocks, which simplifies configuration in controllers that lack that service. Standard EtherCAT object dictionaries expose the coupler parameters to compatible control software.