The new BK9105 Bus Coupler from Beckhoff Automation makes the comprehensive Beckhoff Bus Terminal I/O system of over 200 different signal types fully available to EtherNet/IP users. The BK9105 is ODVA-certified and follows the producer and consumer model for I/O data. Developed using the most advanced industrial Ethernet technology, but costing just $318 (U.S.) at list price, the BK9105 provides users with a dramatic price-to-performance ratio.

The BK9105 is well-equipped with twelve different LEDs that offer users a wealth of diagnostic information without requiring additional tools, including: simple voltage displays, Ethernet port status and a wide range of information regarding established connections and Ethernet/IP communication status.

The BK9105 Bus Coupler acts as an EtherNet/IP slave and uses standard RJ45 connectors and auto-negotiates either a 10-Mbit/s or 100-Mbit/s Ethernet connection. The coupler has an integrated dual port Ethernet switch which allows for extremely flexible topology configurations. I/O nodes can be configured in a line topology as an alternative to the traditional star topology. In many applications, the line topology and use of RJ45 connectors significantly reduces the required wiring effort and cabling cost.

The BK9105 can be given an IP address via several different mechanisms. For example, the BK9105 can be auto-addressed via a BootP or DHCP server, BK9105 and the server assigned IP address can be stored permanently. The BK9105 can also be addressed manually via DIP switches.