Product Description:

The IP2301-B318 is an IP-rated digital I/O box produced by Beckhoff as part of the IP Compact Box Units series. Installed close to sensors and actuators, it aggregates discrete signals and forwards them over a single fieldbus cable, reducing cabinet wiring in industrial automation cells. The device combines input monitoring and output switching in one enclosure and is isolated from the control system, allowing decentralized expansion on machines exposed to dust, moisture, or vibration.

The unit provides 4 digital inputs that detect signal states with an internal current draw of 6 mA per channel, making it suitable for proximity sensors powered from the shared 24-volt rail. Each input is debounced by a 3.0 ms filter so that fast control pulses are captured without false edges from contact bounce. On the output side, there are 4 digital outputs driven from the module’s power feed. These outputs switch loads against the common supply, which must be maintained at 24 VDC, ensuring consistent logic levels for valves or relays. The process image presented to the controller is 4 bits in and 4 bits out, so every status change is transferred within one bus cycle without additional mapping.

Output drivers are rated for a continuous load of 0.5 A per channel and can tolerate an overcurrent of 1.5 A briefly during a short-circuit condition before the field device or upstream fuse disconnects. To survive washdown areas and metalworking spray, the housing carries a sealed IP65/IP66/IP67 rating, and all signals are routed through M8 screw-in connectors that lock against vibration. Electrical separation between the sensor side and the controller is maintained by opto-isolation, and an integrated tee connector links the box directly into trunk lines without extra junction hardware, simplifying daisy-chain layouts on the PROFIBUS segment. The module also supports ohmic, inductive, or lamp loads and can deliver up to 0.5 A of sensor supply per channel, allowing mixed actuation tasks on a single node.