Device access by means of a generic communication driver

A data transmission system for a data exchange between a field bus system including at least one field device and a device access software installed on a host and with which components of the field bus system may be accessed, the data transmission system comprising:

• a coupler device connected to the field bus system;
• a generic communications driver integrated into the device access software;
• at least one device driver integrated into the device access software;
• and
• a central data transmission route disposed between the generic communications driver and the coupler device and configured to transfer primary data traffic,
• wherein the generic communications driver is configured to exchange data with the at least one device driver and to transmit data received from the at least one device driver to the coupler device as part of the primary data traffic via the central data transmission route and to relay data within the primary data traffic received from the coupler device via the central data transmission route to the at least one device driver for which the data are intended,
• wherein the generic communications driver is further configured to convert the primary data traffic received from the coupler device into a field bus protocol matching the at least one device driver and to relay the converted primary data traffic to the at least one device driver and wherein the generic communications driver includes at least one communications channel for a data exchange with the at least one device driver, and
• wherein the coupler device is configured to convert the primary data traffic received from the generic communications driver via the central data transmission route by the addition of routing information into secondary data traffic and to send the secondary data traffic to the field bus system and to convert data received from the at least one field device into the primary data traffic and to transmit the primary data traffic via the central data transmission route to the generic communications driver.