An input/output unit for data acquisition in a field bus system includes a microcontroller that has at least one integrated synchronous serial bus interface and a control device for direct memory access. A signal source for a digital signal is connectable to a digital data input master input, slave output (MISO) of the at least one synchronous serial bus interface. The first synchronous serial interface reads in the digital signal present at the data input MISO at a first clock rate that corresponds to a data transmission rate of the at least one synchronous serial bus interface. The control device for direct memory access forwards the read-in data words to a buffer memory, and periodically fetches the read-in data words from the buffer memory and forwards the read-in data words to a second synchronous serial bus interface or to another bus interface.

Provided is a control device comprising a communication management part and a user application processing part. The user application processing part is for detecting slave devices, which are communication targets of control data having been set using a setting tool, and the slave devices are connected to a filed bus. The communication management part is for managing the communication of the control data in accordance with a control cycle. The communication management part determines the control cycle using a pre-stored propagation delay time for each of the slave devices that are the communication targets of the control data.

Interface module and method for configuring and parameterizing a field bus user, wherein to facilitate a configuration and parameterization of a field bus user logical addresses on the side of an engineering system are transformed with a transformation device into virtual addresses, where whether virtual addresses are present in a received virtual configuration file is recognized in an interface module via a recognition device, a signal is triggered when addresses are present in the received virtual configuration file to ensure the virtual configuration file is adopted and stored in a non-volatile manner in a configuration store within the interface module, and where the virtual addresses are transformed in the interface module via a reverse transformation device back into physically present addresses, whereby for a data exchange of the process data of the module slot, on request by further field bus users, the process data in the module slot is addressed.

An automation system for process automation including at least one automation device which has at least one fieldbus interface for connection to a bus for transmitting process data, an arithmetic unit, a digital data memory and a data interface for transmitting program-flow-related event data; and an analysis device connected to the at least one automation device. The automation device is set up to run one or more computer programs with the aid of the arithmetic unit and to capture program flow events occurring during the running of the at least one computer program and to store them together with current time information as program-flow-related event data in the digital data memory, and wherein the arithmetic unit of the automation device is set up to continuously send the program-flow-related event data stored in the digital data memory to the analysis device connected via the data interface.

Interface module and method for configuring and parameterizing a field bus user, wherein to facilitate a configuration and parameterization of a field bus user logical addresses on the side of an engineering system are transformed with a transformation device into virtual addresses, where whether virtual addresses are present in a received virtual configuration file is recognized in an interface module via a recognition device, a signal is triggered when addresses are present in the received virtual configuration file to ensure the virtual configuration file is adopted and stored in a non-volatile manner in a configuration store within the interface module, and where the virtual addresses are transformed in the interface module via a reverse transformation device back into physically present addresses, whereby for a data exchange of the process data of the module slot, on request by further field bus users, the process data in the module slot is addressed.

A valve control device, which is designed as a valve control head and/or as a valve position regulator head, for controlling a valve drive and/or a fitting. The valve control device includes a control unit for interacting with a functional unit, which is designed as an actuator unit, sensor unit, signal unit and/or communication unit, wherein the control unit has a device driver for interacting with the functional unit, wherein the device driver provides a software interface, which can be addressed by an application program which can be run on the control unit and/or a remote procedure call, in order to effect an interaction with the functional unit.

A network interface controller for a communication network of a substrate processing system includes a data collection module configured to monitor a communication bus to retrieve and store data frames transmitted between components of the substrate processing system. A user interface is configured to receive inputs for configuring extraction of data from the data frames. A data processing module is configured to store, based on a network configuration file, a map correlating data within the data frames to of the components of the substrate processing system, extract data from the data frames in accordance with the inputs received by the user interface and the map, and provide, to the user interface, the data as extracted from the data frames. The user interface is further configured to display the data as extracted from the data frames in accordance with the inputs received by the user interface.

A circuit for coupling a field bus and a local bus. A field bus controller is equipped to send and receive process data over the field bus. A local bus controller is equipped to send and receive the process data over the local bus. A data management unit is connected to the field bus controller and the local bus controller. The data management unit is equipped to transfer the process data between field bus controller and local bus controller. A memory area connected to the data management unit for copying and storing the process data. A processor connected to the data management unit and connected to the memory area. The processor is equipped to set up the data management unit to copy the process data into the memory area and the processor is equipped to read out the process data copied in the memory area.

Provided is a control device comprising a communication management part and a user application processing part. The user application processing part is for detecting slave devices, which are communication targets of control data having been set using a setting tool, and the slave devices are connected to a filed bus. The communication management part is for managing the communication of the control data in accordance with a control cycle. The communication management part determines the control cycle using a pre-stored propagation delay time for each of the slave devices that are the communication targets of the control data.

A safety-oriented automation system in which additional point-to-point-communications links are installed in addition to the field bus so as to increase functional safety in an automation system.