The invention relates to a method for accessing a field device in order to simplify and/or improve web access to a field device. The field device is connected to a field bus designed for an Industrial Ethernet protocol or ProfiNET, and the method comprises transmitting a request from a web browser to a web server implemented in the field device, processing the received request in the field device by using a protocol stack of the Industrial Ethernet protocol, the protocol stack being stored in the field device, and transmitting response information from the web server to the web browser. The web server is implemented in the communication chip of the field device and both the communication with the controller and the web server use the same ProfiNET stack. The invention further relates to a field device designed to perform the method, and to a communication chip.

The invention relates to network interface module and a method of changing network configuration parameters on-the-fly within a network device. The network interface module comprises: a processor core arranged to execute a set of threads, the set of threads comprising a port servicing thread arranged to service requests received from a network port of the network interface module; and a task scheduling component arranged to schedule the execution of threads by the processor core. The network interface module is arranged to receive an indication that at least one network configuration parameter for the network port is required to be changed, and upon receipt of such an indication to mask the port servicing thread from being executed by the processor core, and enable the at least one network parameter for the network port to be changed whilst the port servicing thread is masked.

A method of connecting a plurality of first slave units in a distributed control system, a distributed control system and a master control unit. The system comprises a master control unit, a plurality of first slave units. The system further comprises a second slave unit which comprises a first communication port, a second communication port and a third communication port. The method further comprises forming a chain of first slave units from the plurality of first slave units, communicatively connecting the master control unit to the first communication port of the second slave unit, communicatively connecting a first communication port of a front slave unit of said chain of first slave units to the second communication port of the second slave unit and communicatively connecting a second communication port of a rear slave unit of said chain to the third communication port of the second slave unit.

A method for providing galvanic isolation between an input or trunk interface (30) and multiple outputs or spur interfaces (38) for connecting field devices (14) to a trunk (20) of a two-wire (44a, 44b) process control network (10) includes connecting multiple sets of multiple spur interfaces to respective isolating elements (34). Each isolating element (34) connects a respective set of outputs or spur interfaces (38) to the trunk interface (30) and galvanically isolates (40, 42) the respective set of spur interfaces (38) from the trunk interface (30). Field devices (14) attached to different sets of spur interfaces are also galvanically isolated from one another.

A fieldbus coupler for coupling a local fieldbus network utilizing a first fieldbus protocol to a foreign field device or foreign fieldbus network through an interconnecting wired or wireless network transmission line that utilizes a second fieldbus protocol different from the first fieldbus protocol includes a first circuit configured to communicate over the local fieldbus network using the first fieldbus protocol, a second circuit configured to connect the fieldbus coupler with the interconnecting network transmission line and communicate over the interconnecting network transmission line using the second fieldbus protocol, and a third circuit configured to communicate with the first and second circuits and capable of transmitting data to and from the first and second circuits to enable communications between the local fieldbus network via the interconnecting network transmission line.

A computer program and method for data communication in a network having a plurality of network nodes, via which method data packets are to be transferred between communication partners over protected connections, wherein the data packets originate from at least two different sending communication partners, or senders, and wherein the sending frequencies of at least two senders, at which the senders send data packets that are to be transferred over a protected connection, differ from one another, and the sending frequencies and/or variables representing same being taken into account when finding a path for the transfer of the data packets of at least one protected connection.

A subsea communication adapter for providing communication between a first subsea unit including a communication interface operating according to a first communication method and a second subsea unit including a communication interface operating according to a second communication method is provided. The subsea communication adapter includes a first communication interface operating according to the first communication method and a second communication interface operating according to the second communication method. A conversion unit is configured to convert between the first communication method and the second communication method. The conversion includes at least a conversion between a first communication protocol of the first communication method and a second communication protocol of the second communication method.

Embodiments of the disclosure disclose a synchronization method and apparatus on the basis of a field broadband bus architecture of an industrial Internet, where the bus architecture includes a bus controller, at least one bus terminal, and a two-wire bus, and the bus controller and the bus terminal are connected over the two-wire bus to constitute a bus system, the bus system communicating using OFDM technology; and in the method, all the bus terminals refer to the bus controller, and when receiving a signal, and transmitting a signal, they adjust a clock for a received signal, and a signal to be transmitted, adaptively according to the downlink pilot signal so as to synchronize their clocks and symbols with the bus controller, and adjust a transmission time for the signal to be transmitted so that all the devices in the bus system are synchronized.

It is provided to implement a different number of logical slaves in a field device for use in an AS interface network as a function of the assigned address, which slaves may be addressed using the assigned address in the standard or in the expanded addressing mode. Thus, in a field device, it is possible to provide slaves having different profiles, via which different data types may be exchanged. Furthermore, a method is provided, with which a field device having different slaves is able to be addressed in a simple manner while avoiding double addressing.

Embodiments of the disclosure disclose a synchronization method and apparatus on the basis of a field broadband bus architecture of an industrial Internet, where the bus architecture includes a bus controller, at least one bus terminal, and a two-wire bus, and the bus controller and the bus terminal are connected over the two-wire bus to constitute a bus system, the bus system communicating using OFDM technology; and in the method, all the bus terminals refer to the bus controller, and when receiving a signal, and transmitting a signal, they adjust a clock for a received signal, and a signal to be transmitted, adaptively according to the downlink pilot signal so as to synchronize their clocks and symbols with the bus controller, and adjust a transmission time for the signal to be transmitted so that all the devices in the bus system are synchronized.