Product Description:

The EL1872 digital input terminal is produced by Beckhoff within the EL EtherCAT Terminals series. Designed for distributed control panels, the component gathers sixteen 24-volt field signals and transfers their states directly to an EtherCAT controller through the internal E-bus. By combining compact dimensions with standardized wiring, the unit simplifies high-density sensing tasks in packaging machinery, material-handling lines, and other industrial automation systems that rely on deterministic I/O updates. Its role is limited to reading binary sensors, so it contains no output drivers or galvanic isolation relays.

Each channel operates at a nominal logic level of 24 VDC, conforming to EN 61131-2 Type 1/3 input characteristics. The terminal provides 16 inputs, and every bit is debounced by an internal 10 µs filter before being copied into the process image. To power the interface circuitry, the module draws 4 mA from the 24-volt sensor supply and a separate 100 mA from the EtherCAT E-bus. Individual input pins draw only 3 mA from the connected sensors, keeping field wiring requirements modest. A pair of 2 × 10-pin male headers routes the sensor lines, while sixteen status LEDs on the front edge display the live state of each channel. After sampling, all data are transferred as a 16-bit input word that the controller can read without additional parsing.

Mechanically, the EL1872 occupies only 12 mm of rail space, allowing dense installation in cabinets that use a 35 mm mounting rail. Sensor wiring is handled through a flat-ribbon cable, so multicore harnesses can be connected without individual screw terminals. The housing has an IP20 protection rating, making the terminal suitable for enclosed control cabinets rather than exposed machine areas. Its narrow housing preserves rail space for adjacent terminals, while the plug-in sensor connection reduces the amount of point-to-point wiring needed inside the cabinet.