Product Description:

The EL3008 is an 8-channel analog input terminal produced by Beckhoff as part of the EL EtherCAT Terminals series. The unit plugs into an EtherCAT I/O strand and forwards voltage measurements to the controller. Within an automation cell, it provides high-density acquisition of process signals such as potentiometer or transducer outputs, eliminating the need for separate stand-alone input cards.

Each terminal provides 8 single-ended channels referenced to a common ground. The converter digitizes every channel with 12-bit resolution, so the controller receives 4,096 discrete steps across the accepted signal span. The input signal range reaches ±10 V, enabling direct connection of most low-level voltage sensors. A typical conversion time of 1.25 ms is achieved by the multiplexed sigma-delta architecture; this is the interval required for a complete scan of all inputs. The sampling process uses multiplexing, so the hardware sequentially switches its front end between channels instead of using parallel converters. Channel isolation has a dielectric strength of 30 V, and the single-ended topology simplifies wiring.

An input low-pass stage with a 1 kHz cutoff attenuates high-frequency noise before conversion, supporting a measurement error below ±0.3% FS across the full temperature range. The analog front end presents more than 130 kΩ of internal resistance, limiting sensor loading, and withstands up to 95% relative humidity during operation. The terminal electronics typically draw 130 mA from the E-bus supply, while the EtherCAT process image assigns 2 bytes of status data and 2 bytes of measurement data to each channel for deterministic data exchange. The module does not support distributed clocks, but the enclosure meets the IP20 protection class for installation in enclosed control cabinets.