Module for a data bus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9817783-B2
Application number	US-201514877564-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2015
Priority date	Apr 8, 2013
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A module for a data bus comprises a terminal. The terminal comprises two opposite outer faces, each comprising at least one contact, wherein the two contacts are connected by means of an internal data-bus line for forwarding data through the terminal via said internal data bus. The module further comprises a software-protection unit which is integrated into the terminal and connected to said data-bus line.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A module system for a data bus, comprising
a dongle module, the dongle module having a terminal,
the terminal comprising two opposite outer faces, each comprising at least one contact,
wherein the two contacts are connected by an internal data-bus line for forwarding data through the terminal via said internal data-bus line, and
a software-protection unit integrated into the terminal and connected to said internal data-bus line; and

at least one input/output (I/O) module for the data bus, the I/O module comprising a further terminal comprising two opposite outer faces each comprising at least one contact, wherein the contacts are connected by a further internal data-bus line for forwarding data through the further terminal via the further internal data: bus line, wherein the further terminal furthermore comprises a connecting unit for connecting a bus subscriber and a control for controlling the bus subscriber, said control being connected to said internal data-bus line,
wherein the dongle module and the I/O module are arranged side-by-side so that the respective outer faces of the modules are arranged opposite in such a way that the respective contacts of the opposite outer faces contact each other for forwarding data through the terminals via the respective internal data: bus line.

2. The module system of claim 1 , further comprising a bus-coupling unit for connecting the module system to a bus and a control computer for controlling bus subscribers is formed, wherein the software-protection unit is configured for an authorization check by the control computer.

3. A module system for a data bus, comprising at least a dongle module and at least an input/output (I/O) module,
wherein the dongle module and the I/O module each comprise a terminal which comprises two opposite outer faces, which each comprise at least one contact, wherein the contacts are connected by an internal data-bus line for forwarding data through the terminal via said data bus,
wherein the dongle module comprises a software-protection unit that is integrated into the terminal and connected to said internal data-bus line, said software-protection unit forming a bus subscriber and being configured to be accessed and/or programmed as a bus subscriber via the data bus by data-bus protocols,
wherein the I/O module further comprises a connecting unit for connecting a bus subscriber and a control for controlling the bus subscriber, said control being connected to the internal data-bus line, and
wherein the dongle module and the I/O module are arranged side-by-side, so that the respective outer faces of the modules are arranged opposite in such a way that the respective contacts of the opposite outer faces contact each other for forwarding data through the terminals via the data bus.

4. The module system of claim 3 , wherein the terminal of the dongle module comprises at least one connecting unit for connecting a bus subscriber and a control for controlling the bus subscriber connected to the internal data-bus line.

5. The module system of claim 3 , wherein in the dongle module a communication connection between the control and the software-protection unit is exclusively formed by the internal data-bus line.

6. The module system of claim 3 , wherein a printed circuit board is integrated into the terminal of the dongle module and the software-protection unit is arranged for electrically contacting the printed circuit board.

7. The module system of claim 3 , wherein the terminal of the dongle module comprises a terminal housing accommodating the software-protection unit.

8. The module system of claim 3 , wherein the software-protection unit is cast for protection against manipulation.

9. The module system of claim 3 , wherein the outer faces of the terminal of the dongle module each comprise further contacts, which are each connected to one another by internal voltage connections for providing an internal voltage supply.

10. The module system of claim 3 , wherein a bus coupler for connecting the module system to the data bus is provided.

11. The module system of claim 3 , wherein the modules engage with or on a carrier rail.

Assignees

• Beckhoff Automation Gmbh

Inventors

• Podrouschek Martin
• Papenfort Josef
• Janssen Dirk
• Jost Michael

Classifications

• G06F21/87

  by means of encapsulation, e.g. for integrated circuits · CPC title

• G06F13/107

  Terminal emulation · CPC title

• H04L9/3234

  involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token (network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853) · CPC title

• G06F13/4068 Primary

  Electrical coupling · CPC title

• G05B19/0428

  Safety, monitoring (G05B19/0423 takes precedence) · CPC title