Product Description:

The EL2596-0010 is a single-channel output terminal manufactured by Beckhoff within the EL EtherCAT Terminals series. Designed for precise triggering of LED loads in automation lines, the unit integrates into an EtherCAT I/O station and supplies controlled current to a potential-free LED circuit. By combining the EtherCAT distributed clock system with a dedicated trigger input, the product enables microsecond-level light activation required in vision inspection or high-speed packaging machines. The terminal is intended for applications that need accurate synchronization between machine motion and illumination.

With a nominal supply of 48 V DC, the terminal can deliver up to 1.2 A continuously, translating to a maximum output power of 14.4 W on its single channel. When driven by the internal distributed clock, the module accepts trigger signals up to 20 kHz and supports a minimum DC cycle time of 200 µs, allowing short, precisely spaced light pulses. The typical E-bus current draw is 265 mA, so backplane loading remains moderate even in dense racks. The terminal also uses 2-wire connection technology with an LED (ohmic) load, potential-free wiring, and one isolated output.

For higher intensity flashes, the terminal tolerates a pulse current of up to 3 A, while closed-loop control keeps the output current within ±3 mA of the set value. The switching element reacts in less than 1 µs, and synchronization with the distributed clock supports precise pulse placement during fast machine cycles. This behavior is useful when image capture must align closely with moving products on the line. A 5 µs input filter conditions the external trigger, and the front connector supplies up to 10 mA as a trigger output reference. The terminal can handle both constant and pulsed currents on one output, allowing steady-state lighting and strobe operation without extra hardware.