The up/down counter counts binary pulses, and transmits the counter state, in an electrically isolated form, to the higher-level automation device. Optionally, the EL1512 EtherCAT Terminal can be set up as an up or down counter (16 bits). The EtherCAT Terminal contains two inputs that indicate their signal state by means of light emitting diodes. The EL1512 is particularly suitable for simple counting tasks, e.g. in connection with flow meters.