EL4114 by Beckhoff

The EL4114 is a four-channel analog output terminal manufactured by Beckhoff within the EL EtherCAT Terminals series. It installs on the EtherCAT I/O bus to provide current signals to field devices such as proportional valves, positioners, or transducers in distributed control systems. By converting digital process data from the controller into regulated current loops, the terminal supports deterministic motion or process regulation inside industrial automation cells.

Each channel provides an output range of 4 mA to 20 mA from the common 24 V DC field supply. Output words are processed at a native width of 16 bits, so the controller can command fine setpoint steps without additional scaling. The channels share a single-ended ground reference, simplifying wiring when loads are tied to a common return. With an enclosure rating of IP20, the device is intended for cabinet mounting where protection from dust and finger contact is sufficient. The module places four 16-bit values into the cyclic process image and acquires new data through simultaneous sampling, ensuring that all outputs update together. Load resistance should remain below 350 ? to prevent current-limit clipping.

When distributed clocks are disabled, the converter reaches a maximum output rate of 4 kSps and accepts controller cycle times down to 250 µs. Enabling distributed clock synchronization slightly reduces throughput to 2.5 kSps and lengthens the minimum scan interval to 400 µs, but it aligns every update precisely with the EtherCAT system time. This timing behavior allows the terminal to support applications that need either high output speed or phase-accurate synchronization. The simultaneous sampling architecture maintains an identical delay across the four channels, so waveform integrity is preserved during rapid cycling.