Product Description:

Beckhoff’s EL7041-1000 is a single-channel stepper motor terminal in the EL EtherCAT Terminals series. The unit combines a power stage and an incremental encoder interface, allowing a two-phase stepper motor to be driven directly from a distributed I/O station. In an automation cell, it translates position commands from the EtherCAT bus into phase-controlled current patterns, so axes such as small pick-and-place slides or indexing tables can be synchronized with upstream PLC logic.

The power stage provides a motor supply of 48 VDC and can deliver up to 5 A per phase, enabling medium-torque motors to accelerate without an external drive. A maximum step frequency of 32,000 full steps/s supports rapid indexing, while the integrated pulse generator can interpolate each full step into 64-fold microstepping for smoother motion and reduced audible noise. Two limit inputs and four encoder inputs share a common digital input level of 24 VDC, so conventional proximity switches and differential encoder channels can be connected without level converters. The terminal processes encoder feedback with four-fold evaluation, closing a local position loop that minimizes bus traffic and allows deterministic point-to-point moves even when several axes share the same fieldbus segment.

For feedback channels, the terminal supports incremental encoders and accepts a maximum evaluation rate of 400,000 increments/s, which is sufficient for high-speed rotary stages. The encoder electronics are powered from an internal 24 VDC source, isolating sensor supply from the motor circuit. The housing is only 24 mm wide and clips onto a 35 mm DIN rail, so axis controllers can be lined up densely inside a control cabinet. With a protection rating of IP20, the module is suited for installation in enclosed panels where unshielded hands cannot reach live conductors.