The present disclosure provides an industrial robot safety control system, a back-up safety circuit and a safety module. The safety module includes a first safety circuit and a second safety circuit. The first safety circuit and the second safety circuit receive a warning signal at a same time. The first safety circuit is configured to respond to the warning signal. The second safety circuit include a delay system and an event response circuit. The delay system sets a time delay when receiving the warning signal, wherein, when the delay system does not receive a first control signal indicating that the first safety circuit has responded to the warning signal during the time delay, the delay system controls the event response circuit to respond to the warning signal. The present disclosure may help avoid the problem of common mode failure of the back-up safety mechanism.

A method for monitoring data processing and data transmission in a safety chain of a safety system, and a device for carrying out the method, which achieve the object of further simplifying the monitoring of the safety chain of an overall safety function of a modular safety system, in particular during ongoing operation. For this purpose, the method and device use at least one actual characteristic value for a safety-relevant characterizing attribute of the data processing and/or data transmission.

A distributed transaction ledger (e.g. a blockchain) is used to track and validate changes in a building management system such as a building automation system, access control system, or security/surveillance system. The building management system 100 includes a series of distributed devices connected to a peer-to-peer validation network. The distributed devices generate transaction information during normal operation and broadcast the transaction information to the validation network. The validation network maintains a distributed transaction ledger for the building management system, for example, by validating the transaction information and distributing the transaction information across the validation network according to consensus criteria to be stored locally in multiple instances by nodes of the validation network, which can be dedicated computing devices and/or validator distributed devices. The distributed devices perform building management functions based on validated transaction information retrieved from the transaction ledger.

Present embodiments include an automation control system that includes an input/output device module with a device bus therein. The input/output module also includes a first bus contact on a first side of the input/output device module and communicatively coupled with a first end of the device bus, and a second bus contact on a second side of the input/output device module and communicatively coupled with a second end of the device bus. The second side generally faces an opposite direction from the first side and the input/output device module is configured to be coupled with additional input/output device modules positioned on the first and second sides of the input/output device module via the first and second bus contacts. Further, the first and second bus contacts are positioned on non-lateral surfaces of the input/output device module, the first and second contacts include spring-loaded connectors, the first and second contacts include two-prong or three-prong forks, or the input/output device module is a terminal block.

An input module for an industrial controller includes configurable execution windows. The execution windows are defined by a first parameter and a second parameter stored within the input module. A third parameter defines a status bit which is compared against the execution window to set a window output signal within the input module. The execution window may define a range between the first and second parameters against which the status bit is compared. Alternately, the first and second parameters may define setpoints against which the status bit is compared. At one of the setpoints, the window output signal is set and at the other of the setpoints, the window output signal is reset.

Some embodiments provide irrigation controllers comprising: a housing; a control unit including a first microcontroller configured to execute irrigation programs and a first set of code; and a removable plug-in device that removably mates with a portion of the irrigation controller and communicationally couples to the first microcontroller, wherein the plug-in device comprises a memory storing a second set of code to replace at least a portion of the first set of code, wherein the plug-in device is configured to re-flash at least a portion of the first set of code allowing a copy of the second set of code to overwrite at least the portion of the first set of code; wherein the first set of code comprises a bootloader that writes the copy of the second set of code over the first set of code with the exception of the bootloader that is not written over.

A modular field device comprising a housing, sensor and an electronics unit arranged in the housing, and comprising a display and/or operating unit that can be releasably connected to the electronics unit, said display and/or operating unit having a radio module for wireless communication with at least one other unit and an internal power supply, particularly a battery or rechargeable battery for at least partially supplying power to the radio module.

Described herein are several embodiments relating to modular irrigation controllers. In many implementations, the irrigation controllers are modular in that various functional components of the irrigation controller are implemented in removable modules that when inserted into position within the controller, expand the capabilities of the controller. Also described are various different types of expansion modules that may be coupled to the modular controller, having as variety of functions and features, as well as related methods of use and configuration of these modules in the controller. In some embodiments, a serial communication bus is provided between a control unit of a modular irrigation controller and an expansion module.

An input module for an industrial controller is configurable to simplify setup and commissioning. The input module includes input terminals configurable, for example, as a counter input. Still other input terminals may be configured to trigger events as a function of the input signals present at the terminals. Time signals corresponding to transitions in state of the input terminals, triggering of events, or operation of the counters may be recorded. The input module is further configurable to transmit data back to the processor or to transmit data directly to another module in the industrial control network.

Present embodiments include an adaptable automation control component that includes a base capable of communicatively coupling with a system bus and with a functional module that includes communication and control circuitry. The adaptable automation control component also includes a device power bus including electrical contacts that are capable of communicatively coupling the adaptable automation control component with a separate automation control component, and an activation mechanism including circuitry capable of continuing the device power bus when the activation mechanism is engaged, and capable of discontinuing the device power bus when the activation mechanism is disengaged. The adaptable automation control component facilitates functionality of the adaptable automation control component as an input/output module or a power distribution module depending on whether the activation mechanism is engaged or disengaged.