BL20 is a new state of the art system for remotely collecting I/O signals. Historically, I/O signals were brought back to a single large cabinet. This approach is time consuming, costly and inflexible. The Modern distributed I/O approach is to use multiple small cabinets placed near the I/O that they control. This allows the machines to be designed in a flexible modular way. It also saves time and money. The BL20 distributed I/O system is specifically designed to address the subtle differences required for this approach. The BL20 consists of three parts: The Gateway, the Base and the Electronic Module. The Gateway is the connection to the I/O network and it is available in DeviceNet™, PROFIBUS®-DP, CANopen and Ethernet. The Electronic Modules are available in a wide variety of I/O signal types and counts. The Bases provide a complete set of connections for your field devices. In addition to providing I/O connection points, they also distribute, fuse and monitor local power distribution. This saves space, time and money compared to traditional PLC I/O. They are available in screw terminal or cage clamps.