Product Description:

The EL3356-0000 is an analog measurement terminal from Beckhoff that fits into the EL EtherCAT Terminals series. It is intended for strain-gauge or load-cell applications within industrial automation, where precise force or weight feedback is required for closed-loop control. In operation, it converts very small bridge signals into process data that a controller can use for weighing, tension monitoring, or force-based motion tasks. Because bridge-based transducers produce low-level millivolt signals, the terminal is built to capture small changes without requiring a separate measurement amplifier in the I/O row.

The terminal is wired for a full-bridge sensor topology and relies on a differential ground reference to reject common-mode noise. Each of its two analog inputs is converted with a resolution of 16 bits, and both channels are sampled in simultaneous mode so paired signals remain aligned during the same acquisition step. The onboard hardware applies a 10 kHz low-pass filter before the A/D stage, while a software 50 Hz filter can be enabled to reduce mains interference. A measurement cycle of 10 ms sets the update period delivered to the EtherCAT master. The module supports sensitivity scaling down to 0.01 µV/V, accepts a Ud span up to 24 mV, monitors a Uref level up to 12 V, and comes without switchable operating modes.

The terminal has an IP20 housing suited for installation inside control cabinets. Supply power for the electronics is routed via E-Bus, which removes the need for separate logic wiring at the terminal. Two differential inputs share that internal bus resource without local galvanic isolation, and Distributed Clocks synchronization is not available on this model. This arrangement suits compact EtherCAT stations where sensing hardware is grouped closely with the control I/O. The design focuses on stable bridge measurement and straightforward signal handling rather than local timing features.