Heating, ventilating and air conditioning HVAC device block

An add-on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) device block comprising:

• a housing;
• an add-on interface arranged on the housing;
• and
• an add-on electronic circuit connected with the add-on interface,
• wherein, the add-on HVAC device block is configured, when attached to a base HVAC device block:
• to connect an external electrical interface with an electronic circuit of the base HVAC device block for transmission of data signal(s) through the add-on electronic circuit, via the add-on interface and an extension interface of the base HVAC device block;
• to provide, using the add-on electronic circuit, HVAC functionality(s) of a second category to the base HVAC device block comprising at least one HVAC functionality not comprised by the HVAC functionality of a first category provided by the electronic circuit of the base HVAC device block:
• by generating signal(s) for controlling an HVAC functional device and/or
• by processing signals generated by the HVAC functional device,
• wherein the HVAC functionality(s) of the first category and the HVAC functionality(s) of the second category comprise generating one or more signals for controlling the HVAC functional device and/or processing signals generated by the HVAC functional device.

A method of operating a base heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) device block comprising:

• an HVAC functional device;
• an extension interface arranged on the housing;
• an external electrical interface arranged on the housing for the transmission of electrical power and data signal(s);
• and
• an electronic circuit connected with the HVAC functional device configured to provide HVAC functionality(s) of a first category,
• wherein:
• the external electrical interface is connected with the electronic circuit and with the extension interface for the transmission of electrical power;
• and
• the extension interface is connected with the external electrical interface for transmission of the data signal(s),
• the method comprising the steps of:
• providing HVAC functionality(s) of the first category using the HVAC functional device by operating the base HVAC device block in a first configuration comprising connecting the external electrical interface with the electronic circuit for transmission of the data signal(s);
• and
• providing HVAC functionality(s) of a second category using the HVAC functional device by operating the base HVAC device block in a second configuration comprising:
• attaching an add-on HVAC device block to the base HVAC device block so that an add-on interface of the add-on HVAC device block is connected with the extension interface of the base HVAC device block for transmission of the electrical power and data signal(s), the add-on HVAC device block comprising an add-on electronic circuit connected with the add-on interface and configured to provide HVAC functionality(s) of thea second category;
• comprising at least one HVAC functionality not comprised by the HVAC functionality of the first category;
• and
• connecting the external electrical interface with the electronic circuit for the transmission of data signal(s) through the add-on electronic circuit of the add-on HVAC device block, via the extension interface and the add-on interface,
• wherein the HVAC functionality(s) of the first category and the HVAC functionality(s) of the second category comprise generating one or more signals for controlling the HVAC functional device and/or processing signals generated by the HVAC functional device.