A multidrop system configured to be installed within a motor control center (MCC) of an industrial automation system includes a trunkline. The trunkline includes multiple multidrop make and break devices connected through a trunkline cable. Each of the multidrop make and break device includes a first network component, and a second network component. The first network component is configured to form a first subnet over the trunkline. The second network component is configured to couple a MCC withdrawable unit and form a second subnet over a branchline that connects one or more nodes within the MCC withdrawable unit. The multidrop make and break device is configured to couple the MCC withdrawable unit to, and decouple the MCC withdrawable unit from, the second network component without disrupting the first subnet.

An electrical connection enclosure (100) is supplied with electrical power by power supply cables (102) and supply at least one electrical load (104). The enclosure comprises a power supply column (106) and at least one connection column (110). Each connection column comprises at least one monitoring-and-control unit (138) connected to an electrical load, electrically protected by a protection unit (140) and configured to allow the connection and potentially the driving and/or the surveillance of an electrical load. The electrical enclosure is controlled by an industrial computer (130). Each connection column comprises a communication module (134) which centralizes operating information originating from the monitoring-and-control units of that connection column, transmits this operating information to the industrial computer, receives commands originating from the industrial computer and transmits these commands to the monitoring-and-control units of that connection column. At least one communication module comprises a power supply board delivering at least one auxiliary voltage to each connection column

A functional module (200) for an electrical connection enclosure comprises one or more monitoring-and-control units (138), a protection unit (140) common to all the monitoring-and-control units (138), supplying electrical power to all the monitoring-and-control units and electrically protecting all the monitoring-and-control units, a segment of computer bus (204) connecting all of the monitoring-and-control units to an industrial computer, just as many external connection modules (208) and input-output modules (206) as monitoring-and-control units, and a support structure. The height of the monitoring-and-control units can be equal to 1U, 2U, 3U, 4U, 5U or 6U, “U” designating a unit height corresponding to a base height of a monitoring-and-control units, and the functional module has a main height (H4) equal to 6U and can accommodate any technically permissible combination of monitoring-and-control units, depending on the height of these control units

An electrical connection enclosure (100) is supplied with electrical power by power supply cables (102) and supply at least one electrical load (104). The enclosure comprises a power supply column (106) and at least one connection column (110). Each connection column comprises at least one monitoring-and-control unit (138) connected to an electrical load, electrically protected by a protection unit (140) and configured to allow the connection and potentially the driving and/or the surveillance of an electrical load. The electrical enclosure is controlled by an industrial computer (130). Each connection column comprises a communication module (134) which centralizes operating information originating from the monitoring-and-control units of that connection column, transmits this operating information to the industrial computer, receives commands originating from the industrial computer and transmits these commands to the monitoring-and-control units of that connection column. At least one communication module comprises a power supply board delivering at least one auxiliary voltage to each connection column

Systems and methods for establishing a direct communication between modular electronic devices comprise a connector assembly implemented in a first modular device and having a connector that is implemented in a housing. The housing holding the connector may use a spring to mate with a receptacle of a second modular device, e.g., a module in a chassis in a data center, to establish a releasable direct connection without utilizing a backplane.

Controller for an industrial automation system, having a main module (1) with a housing, which can be fitted onto a DIN rail by means of a base (10), and with at least two printed circuit boards (20) which can be arranged in the housing, one of these printed circuit boards (20) being a backplane bus printed circuit board (21) and one being a main printed circuit board (23), wherein the main printed circuit board (23) is assigned a heat sink (50) for the cooling of components and wherein the backplane bus printed circuit board (21) provides a backplane bus, wherein the heat sink (50) is arranged in the housing, is attached to the base (10) and supports at least one of the printed circuit boards (20).

Systems and methods for establishing a direct communication between modular electronic devices comprise a connector assembly implemented in a first modular device and having a connector that is implemented in a housing. The housing holding the connector may use a spring to mate with a receptacle of a second modular device, e.g., a module in a chassis in a data center, to establish a releasable direct connection without utilizing a backplane.

A functional module (200) for an electrical connection enclosure comprises one or more monitoring-and-control units (138), a protection unit (140) common to all the monitoring-and-control units (138), supplying electrical power to all the monitoring-and-control units and electrically protecting all the monitoring-and-control units, a segment of computer bus (204) connecting all of the monitoring-and-control units to an industrial computer, just as many external connection modules (208) and input-output modules (206) as monitoring-and-control units, and a support structure. The height of the monitoring-and-control units can be equal to 1U, 2U, 3U, 4U, 5U or 6U, “U” designating a unit height corresponding to a base height of a monitoring-and-control units, and the functional module has a main height (H4) equal to 6U and can accommodate any technically permissible combination of monitoring-and-control units, depending on the height of these control units.

In a system comprising plural functional modules including a control module, the functional modules being aligned closely one next to another and electrically connected to a bus, an addressing method for the functional modules comprises the steps of: The control module sends a photo addressing command comprising a unique address to its downstream functional module. The downstream functional module records the address as its address and sends a next addressing command to a further downstream functional module and a response signal to the control module. Repeat this step, until no response signal is received.

Methods, devices, and systems for a hardware adapter device are described herein. One device includes housing, a plurality of printed circuit boards (PCBs) housed by the housing, where each of the plurality of PCBs include traces, and a switch to select a bus address corresponding to the hardware adapter device, where the housing receives an input/output (I/O) module such that the traces of the PCBs provide an electrical path from a wiring baseboard to the I/O module.