A control device (master device 10) is provided with: a communication instruction unit (112) that instructs a slave device (20c) to execute/stop communication with another device; a diagnosis instruction unit (113) that provides instruction to implement a breakdown diagnosis including detection of a breakdown location; a diagnostic results reading unit (114) that reads out the results of the breakdown diagnosis from the slave device; and a calculation unit (115) that calculates, from the results of the breakdown diagnosis, the length of a communication cable from the slave device to the breakdown location.

The master device of Profibus DP according to the present disclosure automatically configures network by performing a communication with a plurality of slave devices connected through Profibus, the device including a Profibus communication module configured to perform a communication with a plurality of slave devices, an imaginary network configuration information storage configured to be stored in advance with imaginary network configuration information, a network configuration information storage configured to be stored with network configuration information, and a Profibus master state machine configured to obtain network configuration information by performing a communication with the plurality of slave devices in response to the imaginary network configuration information stored in the imaginary network configuration information storage, to store the obtained network configuration information in the network configuration information storage, and to perform a communication with the plurality of slave devices in response to the stored network configuration information.

An actuator in a HVAC system includes a mechanical transducer, an input data connection, a feedback data connection, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to use a master-slave detection signal communicated via the feedback data connection to select an operating mode for the actuator from a set of multiple potential operating modes including a master operating mode and a slave operating mode. The processing circuit is configured to operate the mechanical transducer in response to a control signal received via the input data connection according to the selected operating mode.

A bus system is disclosed which comprises a plurality of electrical and/or electronic components coupled to one another in terms of signalling via at least one bus line, said components including at least one master component and at least two slave components. At least one of the slave components functions as a master for one or a plurality of the further slave components for at least one operating parameter. There is additionally disclosed a method for controlling such a bus system comprising a plurality of electrical or electronic components coupled to one another in terms of signalling via at least one bus line, wherein at least one of the slave components operates as a master for one or a plurality of the further slave components for at least one operating parameter.

The invention relates to a system (1), comprising at least two asynchronous computers (2-i), on each of which at least one application (A) is executed, which provides control data (SD) for at least one actuation system (3), wherein the provided control data (SD) are transmitted by a control-authorized computer (2-i) that assumes a master computer status (M-RS) to the actuation system (3) for the control thereof, wherein the computers (2-i) of the system (1) cyclically exchange state data (ZD) and performance data (LD) with each other by means of a data interface in a data exchange (DAS), wherein the computers (2-i) each determine, on the basis of the state and performance data (ZD.sub.opp, LD.sub.opp) received from other computers (2-j) and on the basis of the computer's own state and performance data (ZD.sub.own, LD.sub.own, in a master/slave selection (MSA) performed on the computer (2-i), a computer status (RS) as a control-authorized or non-control-authorized computer (2-i) to be assumed by the particular computer (2-i) itself.

A time synchronization system includes a master and slave devices connected to each other via a data bus and a signal line dedicated to transmission of a fixed-period signal. The master device transmits the fixed-period signal through the signal line regularly at a transmission period, and transmits start time information indicating a transmission start time at which transmission of the fixed-period signal is started and transmission period information indicating the transmission period for the fixed-period signal through the data bus. The slave device counts a number of times the fixed-period signal is received and calculates, as a current time in the master device, a transmission time at which the master device transmits the fixed-period signal based on the number of times the fixed-period signal is received. The slave device corrects the time to the calculated current time in the master device.

A method for secure communication between a master and a slave of a bus system includes exchanging a telegram between the master and the slave. The telegram has a first region and a second region. The first region contains a predefined instruction. The second region is filled at least in part with a free instruction. A communication system and a system or an industrial system are also provided.

A dynamic environment (e.g., an automated industrial process) has multiple conditions in response to which corresponding actions are required, and comprises various equipment, control device(s) to control the equipment, and one or more sensors to generate input signal(s) representing a monitored condition of the environment. A control system for the environment comprises a master processor and one or more co-processors, wherein the master processor configures a given co-processor to evaluate only a first subset of conditions expected to occur in the environment within a specified time period (e.g., less than a response time of the master processor), and to provide first control information representing an action to be taken if a particular condition of the first subset is satisfied. The co-processor receives the input signal(s) representing the monitored condition, processes the input signal(s) so as to determine if the particular condition of the first subset is satisfied, and provides the first control information to the control devices so as to control the equipment. Exemplary applications include dynamic environments in which machine vision techniques and/or equipment are employed.

A device includes a master device, a set of slave devices and a bus. The master device is configured to transmit first messages carrying a set of operation data message portions indicative of operations for implementation by slave devices of the set of slave devices, and second messages addressed to slave devices in the set of slave devices. The second messages convey identifiers identifying respective ones of the slave devices to which the second messages are addressed requesting respective reactions towards the master device within respective expected reaction intervals. The slave devices are configured to receive the first messages transmitted from the master device, read respective operation data message portions in the set of operation data message portions, implement respective operations as a function of the respective operation data message portions read, and receive the second messages transmitted from the master device.

A distributed network system can include a master controller having a master clock configured to output a master time, and a master transmission delay time module configured to modify the master time to add a known master transmission delay to the master time to output an adjusted master time. The system can include a first device operatively connected to the master controller and configured to receive the adjusted master time from the master controller.