Bus station with integrated bus monitor function
AssigneeVEGA Grieshaber KG
InventorsThomas Gros, Fridolin Faist
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described is a bus station (e.g., a sensor, an actuator, a gateway) which performs a primary device function and a secondary function (e.g., a bus monitor function). To perform the secondary function, the bus station is equipped with a bus monitor arrangement which allows the bus station to access, to detect and to further process telegram traffic carried on the bus system. Also described is a network equipped with a plurality of such bus stations and a method for carrying out such monitoring with the aid of the bus stations.
Claims24
A bus station performing a primary function and adapted to be coupled to a bus system, comprising:
- at least one bus interface communicating with the bus system;
- and
- a bus monitor arrangement coupled to the bus interface,
- wherein the primary function of the bus station is one of a sensor function and an actuator function, and
- wherein the bus station performs a secondary function different from the primary function using the bus monitor arrangement, the secondary function including at least one of;
- monitoring a communication between the bus station and the bus system via the bus interface and monitoring an internal communication within the bus station.
The bus station according to claim 17, wherein the control unit is a memory programmable controller.
A network, comprising:
- at least one bus system;
- and
- at least one bus station performing a primary function and adapted to be coupled to the bus system,
- wherein the bus station includes at least one bus interface communicating with the bus system and a bus monitor arrangement coupled to the bus interface,
- wherein the primary function of the at least one bus station is one of a sensor function and an actuator function, and
- wherein the bus station performs a secondary function different from the primary function using the bus monitor arrangement which (a) monitors a communication between the bus station and the bus system via the bus interface and (b) monitors the network.
A method for monitoring processes of a bus system, comprising the steps of:
- coupling a bus station to the bus system, wherein the bus station performs a primary function and includes at least one bus interface communicating with the bus system and a bus monitor arrangement coupled to the bus interface, wherein the primary function of the bus station is one of a sensor function and an actuator function, and wherein the bus station performs a secondary function different from the primary function of monitoring using the bus monitor arrangement;
- and
- monitoring a communication between the bus station and the bus system via the bus interface using the bus monitor arrangement.
A method for monitoring processes of a bus system, comprising the steps of:
- coupling a bus station to the bus system, the bus station performing a primary function and including at least one bus interface communicating with the bus system and a bus monitor arrangement coupled to the bus interface, the bus station performing a secondary function of monitoring using the bus monitor arrangement;
- and
- monitoring an internal communication of the bus station using the bus monitor arrangement,
- wherein the primary function of the bus station is one of a sensor function and an actuator function.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.