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“Plug & Work” – Bus Terminals for circuit boards The EtherCAT plug-in modules are electronically-based on the well-known EtherCAT I/O system, while their design allows them to be directly attached to a circuit board. The circuit board is an application-specific signal distribution board that distributes signals and power to individual application-specific plug connectors in order to connect the controller to machine modules as required. Elaborate manual wiring of single wires, common in conventional control cabinet construction, is replaced. In combination with industrially manufactured cable harnesses, the signal distribution board – a circuit board specially designed by the user or by Beckhoff – distributes signals and power supply between the EtherCAT plug-in modules and the machine. The unit costs are lowered through the automated production of circuit boards and cable harnesses. The risk of incorrect wiring is reduced to a minimum, since the EtherCAT plug-in modules and the plug connectors of the cable harnesses offer coding options. The manufacturing process can be accelerated as far as possible and the risk of wiring errors is minimised. This saves working time and thus costs. It allows production at different worldwide locations with a minimum of risk, since errors are avoided through automation and coding. 9 Machine module 1 9 Machine module 2 Signal distribution via single-core wiring 9 Machine module 1 9 Machine module 2 Signal distribution via signal distribution board www.beckhoff.com/EtherCAT-plug-in-modules Latching grid Mechanical coding 7 We reserve the right to make technical changes.