Ethercat field IO-module

[aand74]

For Ethercat field IO-modules, like f.i. EP2308-0001 from Bechkhoff,
you always have an Ethercat in connection and an Ethercat out connection, to daisy chain the modules.
Is this some kind of 'Ethercat switch', or a strictly electrical connection?
Or in other words, if the fielbus IO module has no power, will the Ethercat be able to pass through to components behind the powerd down module?

 

[AlfredoQuintero]

What you are saying is correct. EtherCAT IO have a built-in EtherCAT Slave Controller (ESC) chip or ESC supporting SoC (system-on-chip) which controls the forwarding of the EtherCAT packet from one port to the other. As you point out, if one particular node looses power, the nodes to the other side of the master become inaccessible.
That is why most EtherCAT masters support ring redundancy.