Safety apparatus having a configurable safety controller

A safety apparatus having a configurable safety controller (10) and a configuration means, wherein the safety controller (10) has at least one input (18) for the connection of a sensor (20a-c), at least one output (22) for the connection of an actuator (24a-b), as well as a control unit (14) which is configured to carry out a control program which generates a control signal at the outputs (22) in dependence on input signals at the inputs (18) by means of logic rules, wherein the logic rules are settable by means of the configuration means, wherein in the configuration means a number code can be generated representing the logic rules and wherein the safety controller (10) includes an interface (30) for the input of the number code and wherein the control unit (14) is configured to carry out a control program with the logic rules represented by the number code, wherein first bit blocks are provided in the number code with a logic block (36), second bit blocks are provided in the number code having a connection table for a logic block (36), and third bit blocks are also provided in the number code which code the type of input (38) of a logic block (36).

A method for configuring a safety controller (10) which, by means of a control program, generates a control signal with reference to logic rules at at least one output (22) for actuators (24a-b) in dependence on input signals of sensors (20a-c) at at least one input (22) for sensors (20a-c), wherein during the configuration the logic rules of the control program are set, wherein the logic rules are set in that logic rules are initially selected in a configuration means and are transformed into a number code representing the logic rules, subsequently the number code is input into the safety controller (10) via an interface (30) and then a control program having the logic rules represented by the number code is carried out by the safety controller (10) wherein the configuration of the control unit permits the generation of a number code and programming of the safety controller through the input of the number code to take place separate from one another both in space and time, and wherein first bit blocks are provided in the number code with a logic block (36) and other bit blocks are provided in the number code having a connection table for a logic block (36).