In short:EtherCAT servo drives, AC and low-voltage servo motors, integrated servo motors and CODESYS motion controllers from other makers can meet many Beckhoff axis requirements, but One Cable Technology, TwinCAT integration, safety functions and the motor-drive pairing need checking before anything is called equivalent.
What Beckhoff makes
Beckhoff Automation GmbH & Co. KG, based in Verl, Germany, is known for PC-based control: industrial PCs and embedded controllers running TwinCAT software, with EtherCAT I/O and drives. Beckhoff, TwinCAT and EtherCAT are trademarks of their owners.
On the motion side, the AM8000 synchronous servomotors come in seven sizes with standstill torque from 0.2 to 129 Nm and speeds up to 12,000 rpm, ordered with One Cable Technology (feedback carried over the motor cable) or a resolver. The AM8100 extends the range, the AX5000 and AX8000 are single and multi-axis servo drives, the EL72xx and ELM72xx servo terminals put compact drives into the I/O system, and the AMP8000 is a distributed servo drive built onto the motor. CX Embedded PCs are DIN-rail controllers that combine PC technology with Beckhoff’s modular I/O.
Why engineers look for a Beckhoff alternative
- Lead time on particular motors, drives or controllers.
- Second source for machines built in volume.
- Budget, particularly for simple axes in a large machine.
- A different platform. A customer may standardise on another PLC or motion controller.
- Mixed machines, where some axes stay on Beckhoff and others use a lower-cost EtherCAT drive.
What to check before treating a servo axis as equivalent
Motor
- Standstill, rated and peak torque, and the torque-speed curve at your bus voltage.
- Rotor inertia, flange, pilot, shaft and key, brake and length.
- Feedback: One Cable Technology, resolver or a serial absolute encoder, single or multi-turn.
- Overload capability; Beckhoff quotes up to five times rated for AM8000.
Drive
- Supply, continuous and peak current, and axis count.
- EtherCAT profile and modes, distributed clocks and process data.
- Safety: STO wiring or FSoE, and the SIL or PL rating required.
- Cabling: one-cable or separate power and feedback, and maximum lengths.
Controller
Axis count, cycle time, programming environment (TwinCAT or CODESYS), I/O and other networks.
Our guides on selecting a servo drive, selecting a servo motor and selecting a motion controller or PLC go into each step.
Alternatives in our supply network
EtherCAT servo drives. The Leadshine EL7 platform covers 400 W to 22 kW with STO and EtherCAT. For multi-axis cabinets, the Leadshine 4EL7-EC puts four 400 to 1,500 W axes in one EtherCAT housing. The Kinco FD5P (PRO) drives run to 7.5 kW with EtherCAT or PROFINET.
Servo motors. The Kinco SMH and SMK series cover 40 to 180 mm frames up to 7.5 kW, and the Leadshine ELM1 / ELM2 motors have 23-bit absolute encoders. For low-voltage axes, the Kinco SMK low-voltage motors run on 48 or 96 VDC.
Compact and distributed drives. In place of servo terminals, the palm-sized Leadshine ELD3 offers EtherCAT on 24 to 70 VDC. In place of a distributed drive, the Kinco iSMD integrated servo motors combine motor and drive with EtherCAT among the interface options.
Controllers. The Kinco AK and Leadshine MC500 are CODESYS EtherCAT motion controllers for up to 32 axes.
How the comparison works
The table under this text compares each Beckhoff series we hold data for with the closest product from our supply network, on published figures only. “Equivalent” means a product that meets the stated specification for your application, confirmed by an engineer, not an identical part or a drop-in for One Cable Technology. Specify Motion is not affiliated with, authorised by or endorsed by Beckhoff, and no logos are used. Names identify products only.
If the machine depends on Beckhoff-specific features such as One Cable Technology across many axes, staying with Beckhoff for those axes and using alternatives only where they clearly fit is often the sensible split. Send the axis list and we will suggest where that line falls.
Beckhoff Automation series and the closest match from our supply network
Each row compares the highest published figures for the series. A match here is a starting point: an engineer confirms the fit for your load, duty, mounting and interface before recommending anything.
| Beckhoff Automation series | Type | Closest match |
|---|---|---|
| CX Embedded PCs | PLC | Kinco K6S Same product type |
| AX5000 | AC servo drive | ADVANCED Motion Controls DigiFlex Performance Servo Drives (DP, DZ, DV) meets 1 of 2 figures Meets 1 of 2 figures compared |
| AX8000 | Multi-axis servo drive | Leadshine 2ELD2 Two-Axis DC Servo Drives meets 2 of 4 figures Meets 2 of 4 figures compared |
| EL72xx / ELM72xx servo terminals | DC servo drive | Leadshine ELD2 Series Low-Voltage DC Servo Drives meets or exceeds the figures compared Meets or exceeds all 3 figures compared |
| AM8000 | AC servo motor | Kinco SMH Series AC Servo Motors (SMH40S-SMH180D) Same product type |
| AM8100 | DC servo motor | Kinco SMK Series Low-Voltage DC Servo Motors meets or exceeds the figures compared Meets or exceeds the figure compared |
| AMP8000 | Integrated servo motor | Kinco SMK Series AC Servo Motors (SMK40S/60S/80S, SMK130G, SMK180G) meets or exceeds the figures compared Meets or exceeds all 2 figures compared |
Specify Motion is not affiliated with Beckhoff Automation GmbH & Co. KG. Brand and series names are used only to identify products. Comparisons use published figures; always confirm against the current datasheet.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a third-party EtherCAT servo drive in TwinCAT?
Generally yes. EtherCAT drives that follow the CiA 402 drive profile (CoE) are normally added to a TwinCAT project with the maker's ESI device description file and run as NC axes. Check the supported operating modes such as cyclic synchronous position, the distributed clock settings, the process data mapping and how safety (STO, or FSoE if you use it) is wired or networked.
Can AM8000 motors run on another make of drive?
Motors ordered with One Cable Technology send feedback digitally over the motor cable and are intended for Beckhoff drives, so another drive normally cannot read them. Resolver versions are more open, but the usual and more predictable route is a matched motor and drive from one maker, with the flange and shaft checked against the machine.
Is there an alternative to the EL72xx servo terminals?
Servo terminals put a compact low-voltage drive in the I/O system. The nearest alternatives are miniature EtherCAT DC servo drives, which mount on the machine or a DIN rail and connect on the same EtherCAT network. Compare supply voltage, continuous and peak current, feedback, STO and the space available, since a separate drive takes more room than a terminal.
What should I send to get a Beckhoff equivalent proposed?
Send the motor and drive order codes, whether the motors use One Cable Technology or a resolver, the load and motion profile, supply voltage, the controller and TwinCAT version, safety functions in use, cable lengths, axis count and the environment. For controllers, add the I/O count, cycle time and any other networks the machine uses.
Sources
Figures are summarised from the sources above and from manufacturers' published data on the date shown. Always confirm against the current datasheet for your exact part.