Field Bus Network Adapter and Field Bus Network Subscriber with Field Bus Connections

• US 20130091314A1
• Filed: 10/08/2012
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Kynast, Rigobert
• Granted Patent: US 8,972,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/306
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4004 Coupling between buses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/437 Ring fault isolation or reconfiguration for SDH/SONET ring networks H04J3/085

Abstract

A field bus network adapter includes a first field bus connection configured to connect a first field bus cable, a second field bus connection configured to connect a second field bus cable, and N number of third field bus connections configured to connect a third cable each. The first field bus connection and the second field bus connection are connected to the N number of third field bus connections such that (i) data received at the first field bus connection are output at a first of the N number of third field bus connections, (ii) data received at an nth of the N number of third field bus connections are output at an (n+1)th of the N number of third field bus connections, and (iii) data received at an Nth of the N number of third field bus connections are output at the second field bus connection.

Claims

1. A field bus network adapter comprising:

a first field bus connection configured to connect a first field bus cable;

a second field bus connection configured to connect a second field bus cable; and

N number of third field bus connections configured to connect a third cable each, where N=1, 2, 3, . . . ,

wherein the first field bus connection and the second field bus connection are connected to the N number of third field bus connections such that (i) data received at the first field bus connection are output at a first of the N number of third field bus connections, (ii) data received at an nth of the N number of third field bus connections are output at an (n+1)th of the N number of third field bus connections, and (iii) data received at an Nth of the N number of third field bus connections are output at the second field bus connection.

2. The field bus network adapter according to claim 1, further comprising:

a switching means configured to automatically bridge one of the N number of third field bus connections if no network subscriber is connected thereto.

3. The field bus network adapter according to claim 1, further comprising:

a switching means configured to automatically connect the first field bus connection to the second field bus connection if a network subscriber is not connected to any of the N number of third field bus connections.

4. The field bus network adapter according to claim 1, further comprising:

a switching means configured to automatically connect an (n−

1)th of the N number of third field bus connections to an (n+1)th of the N number of third field bus connections if no network subscriber is connected to an nth of the N number of third field bus connections.

5. The field bus network adapter according to claim 1, further comprising:

a voltage supply connection configured to connect to at least one of the N number of third field bus connections such that network subscribers connected to the at least one of the N number of third field bus connections are supplied with a voltage.

6. The field bus network adapter according to claim 1, wherein the first field bus connection, the second field bus connection, and/or at least one of the N number of third field bus connections includes an 8-pole modular socket.

7. The field bus network adapter according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the N number of third field bus connections includes an M12 socket.

8. The field bus network adapter according to claim 1, wherein at least four contacts of the first field bus connection and of the second field bus connection are occupied.

9. The field bus network adapter according to claim 1, wherein at least eight contacts or at least ten contacts of the N number of third field bus connections are occupied.

10. A field bus network subscriber comprising:

a field bus connection configured to connect a field bus line in which two supply lines and two return lines are combined, the field bus connection being connected in a field bus network subscriber such that the field bus network subscriber is configured (i) to transmit data to two further field bus network subscribers, and (ii) to receive data from the two further field bus network subscribers via the field bus line.

11. The field bus network subscriber according to claim 10, wherein the field bus connection is connected in the field bus network subscriber to enable the field bus connection to supply voltage to the field bus network subscriber.

12. The field bus network subscriber according to claim 10, wherein the field bus connection includes at least one of (i) an 8-pole modular socket, and (ii) an M12 socket.

13. The field bus network subscriber according to claim 10, wherein at least eight contacts or at least ten contacts of the field bus connection are occupied.