Product Description:

The EL7342-0035 is a dual-channel DC motor output terminal produced by Beckhoff for the EL EtherCAT Terminals series. Installed on an EtherCAT I/O station, the unit supplies pulse-width-modulated energy to two brushed DC drives so that a PLC can command speed and torque directly from the same backplane that handles standard digital and analog signals. Within an automation cell, it provides compact motion control for indexing tables, small conveyors, or valve actuators without adding standalone servo amplifiers.

Each channel is rated for 3.5 A per channel of continuous output, and internally the stage switches the power contacts with a carrier frequency of 32 kHz, which helps keep audible noise low on inductive loads. Command data arrive over EtherCAT, and Distributed Clocks support allows cycle-synchronous updates so the 10-bit current, 16-bit speed control resolution can be used with low timing jitter. The terminal accepts single-ended encoder feedback, and the upstream logic can capture up to 400,000 increments/s, enabling accurate velocity estimation on fast brushed DC motors. The module contains two full H-bridges, so both motor channels can be driven from one compact terminal. It is intended for inductive DC brush loads and relies on the logic power supplied through the terminal bus.

Power for the output stage is fed through power contacts rated at 10 A, while the control electronics require a separate 24 V DC supply from the motor line. When an external ZB8610 capacitor module is added, the permissible phase current rises to 6.5 A per channel, allowing the same form factor to drive higher-torque axes during acceleration. The plastic housing meets the IP20 protection rating, so it must be mounted inside a cabinet and does not require additional sealing between adjacent terminals. Its mechanical footprint is limited to 24 x 100 x 68 mm, which helps minimize rail space in densely populated control panels.