Product Description:

The EPP2008-0001 digital output module is built by Beckhoff within the EPP EtherCAT P Box Modules series. This IP67 field device provides eight channels of 24 V switching that can be mounted close to sensors and actuators, allowing real-time EtherCAT P communication and power to travel through a single hybrid cable. In distributed automation systems, it actuates solenoids, contactors, and indicator devices directly from a controller without needing a local I/O cabinet. Mounting the module near the machine process can shorten output wiring and keep field connections closer to the loads being switched.

The unit offers 8 digital outputs that are routed to an output block of eight M8 sockets; each channel supplies up to 0.5 A per channel at an operating level of 24 VDC. Internal current summing limits the entire module to 3.0 A, so the combined load of all channels may not exceed this value. Fast output stages have an off-to-on propagation delay of 50 µs, enabling precise pulse patterns for valve or lamp control. Short-circuit monitoring latches an output when the channel current rises above the protection threshold, and diagnostic flags are returned to the EtherCAT master for fault handling. This behavior helps the controller detect overloaded channels quickly and isolate faults to a specific output.

EtherCAT P connectivity is provided through two M8 sockets, 4-pin, P-coded, and shielded ports that forward both communication and supply voltages along trunk lines up to 30 m in length without repeater hardware. The short-circuit trip point is fixed at 1.5 A per channel, and once a fault is cleared, the output stage recovers within 100 µs. The module uses separate internal power rails, with Up assigned to logic power and Us assigned to load power, so the control electronics and switched output current are supplied independently. That separation helps maintain stable communication while the module switches connected field devices.