BECKHOFF BC3100 - Manual (Page 5)

Basic information
BC3100 5
Basic information
The Beckhoff bus terminal system
Up to 64 bus terminals
each with 2 I/O channels
for any form of signal
Decentralized wiring of the
I/O level
IPC as control unit
Bus terminal controllers for
all current bus systems
Standard C rail assembly
Modularity
Display of channel status The bus terminal system is the universal connecting link between a
fieldbus system and the sensor/actor level. A unit consists of a bus terminal
controller or a bus coupler, which is the interface to the fieldbus, and up to
64 electronic terminals, of which the last is an end terminal. Terminals,
each with two I/O channels, are available for any form of technical signal
and can be combined as desired. The various types of terminal are all
constructed in the same way, so that the planning costs are kept extremely
low. The height and depth of the construction are calculated for compact
terminal cabinets.
Fieldbus technology makes it possible to use compact control
architectures. The I/O level does not need to be taken right up to the
control unit. Sensors and actors can be connected decentrally with minimal
lengths of cable. You can position the control unit at any convenient
location in the installation. Using an industrial PC as control unit makes it
possible to implement the operating and monitoring element as part of the
control hardware, so the control unit can be located on an operating desk,
control point or similar. The bus terminals constitute the decentralized
input/output level of the control unit in the switch cabinet and its
subordinate terminal cabinets. As well as the sensor/actor level, the power
unit of the equipment is also controlled via the bus system. The bus
terminal replaces a conventional terminal as the cabling level in the switch
cabinet; the switch cabinet can be made smaller.
The Beckhoff bus terminal system combines the advantages of a bus
system with the functionality of compact terminals. Bus terminals can be
used on all current bus systems and serve to reduce the diversity of parts
in the control unit, while behaving like the conventional standard units for
the relevant bus system and supporting the entire range of functionality of
the bus system.
The simple and compact assembly on a standard C rail, and the direct
cabling of actors and sensors without cross connections between the
terminals, serve to standardize the installation, as does the uniformly
designed labeling.
The small size and great flexibility of the bus terminal system mean that
you can use it anywhere that you could use a terminal and use any type of
connection – analog, digital, serial or direct sensors.
The modular construction of the terminal row, using bus terminals with
various functions, limits the number of unused channels to at most one per
function. Two channels to a terminal is the optimum solution for the number
of unused channels and the cost per channel. The possibility of using
power input terminals to provide separate power supplies also helps to
minimize the number of unused channels.
The integrated light-emitting diodes close to the sensor/actor indicate the
status of each channel.