Integrated PC-Based Measurement Technology for Industrial Test Benches and Data Acquisition

The seamless integration of precision measurement technology into existing control architectures optimizes data quality in test bench and data acquisition applications. At the SENSOR plus TEST trade fair in Nuremberg from June 9 to 11, an integrated measurement chain will be presented that extends from the sensor connection into cloud environments and is used in electromobility as well as the hydrogen industry.

Scalable Measurement Infrastructure and Fieldbus Integration
The increasing complexity of industrial processes demands a synchronous transmission of large data volumes in real time. By linking hardware and software modules in ingress protection ratings IP20 and IP67, flexible scalability is achieved. The high-speed fieldbus EtherCAT provides the high-performance foundation, which can be expanded by the gigabit variant EtherCAT G if increased bandwidth is required. Full integration into the TwinCAT control software allows for needs-based configuration of the connected sensors directly within the control system of the automated manufacturing.

Cell Voltage Measurement for Battery Production and Hydrogen Industry
A central application area for this architecture is in the field of electromobility as well as in the manufacturing of fuel cells. For high-resolution short-term and long-term monitoring of individual cell voltages in accumulators or hydrogen fuel cells, specialized EtherCAT Terminals are utilized. The analog input terminals EL3008-0003 for eight times plus or minus three volts and EL3008-0005 for eight times plus or minus five volts support the acquisition of stacked voltages up to one thousand five hundred volts in measurement category CAT II. Cascaded wiring significantly reduces the installation effort when monitoring large cell stacks.

Network Analysis and Decentralized Condition Monitoring
For network analysis and energy management within the digital supply chain, the EL3475 EtherCAT Terminal is used in combination with the SCL6xxx series of low-signal split-core current transformers. This combination enables precise network analysis by capturing all relevant electrical characteristics. The use of electronic nameplates and pre-assembled cables minimizes configuration errors and facilitates the retrofitting of existing systems. The collected energy data can be transferred directly via the bus system into higher-level analysis tools and cloud environments.

For decentralized condition monitoring and dynamic position tracking directly at the machine, the robust IP67 module EP3751-0260 is utilized. This EtherCAT Box combines a three-axis acceleration sensor with a three-axis gyroscope. With a resolution of twenty bits and a sampling rate of four kilohertz, the system precisely records rotational movements and vibrations. The mechanical shock, vibration, and EMC resistance of the housing ensures reliable operation under extreme environmental conditions and secures data consistency within the automotive data ecosystem.

Additional Context: This section details technical specifications and competitive benchmarking not included in the original product announcement
In the field of industrial measurement technology and data acquisition, PC-based systems compete directly with dedicated, proprietary data acquisition systems from manufacturers such as National Instruments or Hottinger Bruel and Kjaer. While traditional measurement systems often require separate measurement amplifiers and specialized software licenses, the Beckhoff approach eliminates these hardware silos by placing the measurement technology directly on the DIN rail as a standard input and output module or decentrally in the field.

The acquisition of stacked voltages up to one thousand five hundred volts with the cell voltage measurement terminals represents an important criterion when testing high-voltage batteries for passenger cars, as modern drive architectures utilize voltage levels of eight hundred volts and more. Compared to specialized battery management test benches, which often use isolated signal conditioning modules, the cascaded EtherCAT wiring reduces system costs and decreases data transmission latency to the central controller.

For decentralized vibration monitoring, the combination of an acceleration sensor and a gyroscope in an IP67 housing with a sampling rate of four kilohertz and twenty-bit resolution offers functional advantages over standard condition monitoring systems, which often only record vibration amplitudes without rotational position changes. This high integration density reduces the number of required sensor heads and cables on moving machine parts, thereby lowering the probability of mechanical failure in harsh industrial environments.

Edited by Maria Brueva, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.

www.beckhoff.com