The new EL2595 EtherCAT Terminal serves as “ballast with EtherCAT interface” and is designed for direct connection of LED lamps. The terminal is only 12 mm wide, but integrates control, dimming and monitoring functions. It covers a wide voltage and current range and is therefore universally applicable. Thanks to precise current control it offers excellent compliance with the set values for switching and dimming. Several LED lamps, which may be distributed, can be synchronised via EtherCAT. Integrated current measurement enables Condition Monitoring and further comprehensive diagnostic functions.
LEDs are becoming increasingly popular in different markets thanks to their benefits compared with other light sources in terms of light intensity and quality, service life, current consumption, type variety and costs. In the EtherCAT I/O system the EL2595 LED terminal serves as constant current source for LED lamps between 0…700 mA. A voltage between 2…48 V is generated from the 24 V supply voltage. Dimming of the LED is affected through current reduction. For monitoring and commissioning the input and output currents and voltages are measured and read via the process data.
The EL2595 is used for controlling and synchronising high-precision LED lamps. Examples include obstacle lights on wind turbines, visual inspection systems for quality assurance or applications in which fast and precise flash or exposure processes have to be controlled with high repeat accuracy and constant light quality.