Product Description:

The IL2302-B518 coupler box unit is manufactured by Beckhoff as part of the IL Coupler Box Units series. Installed close to sensors and actuators, it aggregates field signals and forwards them to a higher-level controller over a fieldbus. The device provides four inputs and four outputs, allowing compact decentralized control and reducing cabinet wiring in conveyor, filling, and inspection equipment. It supports both digital and analog peripherals, making it suitable for mixed-signal work cells where several signal types are handled in one station.

The IL2302-B518 communicates over the CANopen protocol. A combination of one M12 plug and one M12 socket, each with five pins, forms the bus interface so the unit can sit inline without extra tees. The screw-type M12 connectors used for I/O provide vibration-resistant terminations. For analog processing, it can forward 60 inputs and 60 outputs, while its digital architecture supports up to 960 inputs and 960 outputs when fully expanded. Each onboard output channel is limited to 0.5 A per channel, preventing overload on connected actuators. Isolation of 500 V is maintained between the control electronics and the fieldbus circuit, helping protect upstream PLC hardware from transient field voltages. To suppress contact bounce on discrete sensors, an input filter of 3 ms is applied before the signal reaches the network.

The housing carries an IP65/66/67 rating, so dust ingress and high-pressure water jets do not affect operation in washdown areas. Despite the sealed design, it remains compact at 30 mm × 210 mm × 26.5 mm, allowing installation on machine frames where space is limited. Up to 120 extension modules can be chained, with CANopen cyclic data exchanged through 16 send and 16 receive PDOs. The electronics draw only 45 mA from the box supply, while sensors can be fed with up to 0.5 A across the auxiliary lines. An individual input requires 6 mA for logic recognition, which supports predictable sensor loading during operation.