Modular control device with redundant channel units

US12292724B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Pilz GmbH & Co. KG · DE

Inventors

• Udo Muller · Unterschleißheim, DE
• Winfried Gruber · Scharnhauser Park, DE
• Richard Veil · Stuttgart, DE
• Johannes Digel · Scharnhauser Park, DE
• Stephan Raidt · Scharnhauser Park, DE
• Jürgen Riecker · Scharnhauser Park, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 28, 2022
• Grant date: May 6, 2025
• Expiry date: Aug 11, 2043

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G05B2219/15078
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A head module for a modular control device includes redundant channel units, each including a processing unit and multiple failure revelation units. The head module includes a bus disconnection unit configured to shut down a communication bus. The failure revelation units are configured to monitor a state of the channel units. The processing units are configured to continuously stimulate the failure revelation units. At least one of the processing units is coupled to signal wires of the communication bus to provide a communication link to one or more peripheral modules of the modular control device. The failure revelation units are further configured to control, based on the stimulation and the monitoring, the bus disconnection unit.