A head module for a modular control device includes redundant channel units, each including a processing unit and multiple failure revelation units. The head module includes a bus disconnection unit configured to shut down a communication bus. The failure revelation units are configured to monitor a state of the channel units. The processing units are configured to continuously stimulate the failure revelation units. At least one of the processing units is coupled to signal wires of the communication bus to provide a communication link to one or more peripheral modules of the modular control device. The failure revelation units are further configured to control, based on the stimulation and the monitoring, the bus disconnection unit.

A technique for providing a redundant network connection for an industry automation apparatus is provided. In one aspect of the present disclosure, a network controller is provided that is configured to control a redundant connection of the industry automation apparatus via a communication network to another apparatus. The industry automation apparatus has a first radio interface and a second radio interface. The communication network comprises two or more functionally equivalent network entities grouped in a first entity set and a second network entity set disjoint to the first network entity set, wherein the first network entity set and the first radio interface are associated with a first redundancy group and wherein the second network entity set and the second radio interface are associated with a second redundancy group.

A technique for providing a redundant network connection for an industry automation apparatus is provided. In one aspect of the present disclosure, a network controller is provided that is configured to control a redundant connection of the industry automation apparatus via a communication network to another apparatus. The industry automation apparatus has a first radio interface and a second radio interface. The communication network comprises two or more functionally equivalent network entities grouped in a first entity set and a second network entity set disjoint to the first network entity set, wherein the first network entity set and the first radio interface are associated with a first redundancy group and wherein the second network entity set and the second radio interface are associated with a second redundancy group. The network controller is configured to connect the first radio interface, in response to determining that the first radio interface belongs to the first redundancy group, via the first network entity set to the other apparatus. Moreover, the network controller is configured to connect the second radio interface, in response to determining that the second radio interface belongs to the second redundancy group, via the second network entity set and in parallel to the first radio interface to the other apparatus.