The invention relates to a method for assuring operation of a wireless module of a process automation field device having the wireless module and at least one function module, wherein the field device is supplied with energy by a two conductor bus, wherein the wireless module is continuously supplied with energy by the two conductor bus, wherein the wireless module is placed in a test mode, in which the wireless module transmits with maximum transmission power and is supplied further by the two conductor bus continuously with energy, and wherein the function module then so adjusts its operation that the maximum energy available to the field device is not exceeded.

A field device includes components to communicate with a control and/or asset management system of a process control system or with other field devices using any of several different communication protocols such as several different internet protocol (IP) protocols. This architecture allows for a single version of a field device to be provided in automation or plant control systems that use any of these communication protocols, thus saving on inventory and product development costs. Moreover, the multi-protocol field device or a system using the multi-protocol field device can manage the asset (read and write parameterized data from and to the asset) using one protocol while at the same time communicating real-time process/factory automation information using a second and different protocol. Moreover, the field device may be able to communicate to other devices including other field devices and host devices using both of these protocols or other protocols for different purposes.

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.

Meeting the safety requirements of automation systems in a more flexible manner, the invention provides a control and data transmission system for controlling safety-critical processes, comprising a plurality of I/O modules connected via a first communication network to a gateway module. The gateway module is connected to a second communication network hierarchically superior to the first communication network and acts as a gateway between the first and the second communication networks. At least one of the I/O modules comprises a diagnosis unit for generating status data relating to the functional state of an input and/or output and/or of a process device. The gateway module and the I/O modules communicate via the first communication network in a safe manner to transfer status data and input and/or output data. The gateway module performs safety processing of the status data and/or of the input and/or output data.

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 process control arrangement (PKA), having a number of fieldbus systems (DP1, PA1, FH), especially different fieldbus systems (DP1, PA1, FH), and having a number of fieldbus interfaces (PAP1, PAP2, PAP3), wherein each of the fieldbus systems (DP1, PA1, FH) is connected to at least one of the fieldbus interfaces (PAP1, PAP2, PAP3), wherein the fieldbus interfaces (PAP1, PAP2, PAP3) serve for communication between the fieldbus systems (DP1, PA1, FH) and a communication plane (ET2) superordinated to the fieldbus systems, only a first of the fieldbus interfaces (PAP1) is directly connected to the superordinated communication plane (ET2), and wherein the fieldbus interfaces (PAP1, PAP2, PAP3) are connected in series with one another beginning with the first of the fieldbus interfaces (PAP1).

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.

The present disclosure includes a master device, a plurality of slave devices performing a communication through Profibus and a configuration tool providing network configuration information of Profibus DP by generating the network configuration information, wherein the configuration tool includes an automatic configuration module configured to request the master device of information relative to the plurality of slave devices in response to an automatic configuration command inputted through a user communication module, to receive the information and provide profiles of relevant types by determining the types of the plurality of slave devices using the received information, and a network configuration information configured to generate the network configuration information in response to the types and profiles determined by the automatic configuration module and to provide the network configuration information to the master device.

A communications network, computer program product and method for transmitting data packets in the communications network comprising synchronized nodes via a predetermined path in the communications network, wherein the synchronized nodes of the predetermined path include a source node, a target node and at least one intermediate node, the synchronized nodes synchronously feed data packets into the predetermined path and each have first and second buffers for respectively buffering high-priority data packets and low-priority data packets, wherein each intermediate node having an empty first buffer at a given point in time, and to which the source node feeds a high-priority data packet into the predetermined path toward the target node, generates a second high-priority data packet and feeds the generated second high-priority data packet into the predetermined path toward the target node so as to ensure high-priority data packets on the predetermined path are not delayed by low-priority data packets.

A system includes a programmable logic controller (PLC); a primary master device; a standby master device; and a plurality of slave devices, wherein the primary master device is configured to communicate with each of the plurality of slave devices, and wherein the PLC is configured to determine that the primary master device is in a failure state, and in response, the PLC is configured to switch from the primary master device to the standby master device such that the standby master device is configured to communicate with each of the plurality of slave devices.