EL2911 by Beckhoff

The EL2911 is a safety output terminal produced by Beckhoff within the EL EtherCAT Terminals series. Installed alongside other EtherCAT I/O modules, the unit acts as a switchable 24 V DC power stage that disconnects or energizes field devices under the control of a TwinSAFE logic controller. It combines power switching with certified safety functions in a compact terminal housing. This arrangement supports emergency-stop and guard-monitoring circuits without requiring separate safety relays for the output channel.

The terminal can source up to 9 A, allowing it to drive contactors, magnetic valves, and mixed resistive, inductive, or lamp loads without external amplifiers. Its output voltage is 24 V DC, matching common control-cabinet power supplies and avoiding the need for additional converters. The device contains one output channel, which minimizes its process-data requirements on the EtherCAT bus and simplifies address assignment. The housing clips onto a 35 mm DIN rail, allowing straightforward installation with adjacent terminals in a control cabinet. Its IP20 enclosure rating protects against accidental finger contact with hazardous internal parts when the terminal is correctly installed and wired.

Functional safety communication uses Safety over EtherCAT, allowing diagnostic data and acknowledgment signals to travel within the same real-time communication cycle as standard process data. The output stage is short-circuit-proof, so internal protection shuts down the channel if the connected load draws excessive current. The permitted operating temperature range is 0 °C to +55 °C, which covers typical temperature conditions inside industrial control cabinets. When the machine is powered off, the terminal can be stored within a temperature range of -25 °C to +85 °C. The integrated diagnostic functions help the control system identify output faults and respond through the configured TwinSAFE logic.