Coupler for connecting master station to slave station of communication network and method for operating coupler

Abstract

The invention relates to a coupler for connecting a master station to a slave station of a communication network, wherein the coupler is designed to receive device data from the master station according to a predetermined communication standard and to output the device data to the slave station according to the predetermined communication standard. The coupler is designed to identify a predetermined control command in the device data and to invoke a function stored in the coupler as a function of the identified control command.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a coupler for connecting a master station of a communication network to a slave station, a communication network having the coupler, and / or a method for operating the coupler. Additionally or alternatively, a computer program is provided, which includes instructions that, when the program is executed, cause the coupler to at least partially execute the method. Additionally or alternatively, a computer-readable medium is provided, which includes instructions that, when the instructions are executed, cause the coupler to at least partially execute the method. Background Art

[0002] The following discussion of the prior art should not be construed as an admission that the prior art is generally known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the technical field on which the present disclosure is based.

[0003] EP 3 944 565 A1 relates to a system for establishing a data connection between a master station unit and at least one device unit, wherein the master station unit is coupled to a primary coupler unit and the at least one device unit is coupled to a secondary coupler unit for power transmission and data transmission, respectively. Herein, the primary coupler unit and the secondary coupler unit can be coupled for data transmission. Herein, control signals can be received, and the system has three operating states that can be activated according to the received control signals. Herein, when the first operating state is activated, there is a data-technical connection according to the IO-Link standard between the master station unit and the device unit. When the second operating state is activated, primary coupler identification data is assigned to the primary coupler unit, wherein there is a technical data connection according to the IO-Link standard between the master station unit and the primary coupler unit. When the third operating state is activated, secondary coupler identification data is assigned to the secondary coupler unit, wherein there is a technical data connection according to the IO-Link standard between the master station unit and the secondary coupler unit. The invention also relates to a method for operating the system.

[0004] In automation technology, a communication system known under the trade name IO-Link is used to connect intelligent sensors and actuators to an automation system, the name of which is standardized in the IEC 61131-9 standard as "Single-drop digital communication interface for small sensors and actuators (SDCI)". Herein, this standardization includes not only the electrical connection data, but also the digital communication protocol by means of which the sensors and actuators exchange data with the automation system.

[0005] The IO-Link system includes a so-called IO-Link master and one or more IO-Link devices (i.e., sensors or actuators). The IO-Link master acts as a gateway, i.e., it provides an interface for the upper-level control device (SPS) or host (processor) and controls the communication between the host and the connected IO-Link devices.

[0006] IO-Link devices can be intelligent sensors, actuators, hubs, or, due to the two-way communication, also mechatronic components (such as grippers or power supplies with an IO-Link connection). In terms of IO-Link, intelligent means that the device has identification data (such as type name and serial number) or parameter data (such as sensitivity, switching delay, and / or characteristic curve) that can be read or written via the IO-Link protocol. Therefore, parameter changes can, in some cases, be carried out by the SPS during continuous operation. However, intelligent also means that it can provide detailed diagnostic information.

[0007] To exchange data between the IO-Link device and the SPS or host, the IO-Link data is mapped from the IO-Link master to the fieldbus in use. This is called the IO-Link Mapping to the fieldbus. If the IO-Link master is directly connected to the SPS via a proprietary backplane bus (English: backplane bus), the IO-Link data is mapped to this bus and transmitted to the SPS or from the SPS to the IO-Link master and further transmitted to the IO-Link device. There are already IO-Link mapping specifications for PROFIBUS, PROFINET, INTERBUS, AS-i, EtherCAT, and PowerLink.

[0008] During periodic data exchange, process data is transmitted from and / or to the IO-Link device via the fieldbus or backplane bus. Parameter data must be explicitly requested by the SPS or be sent in a self-tagged manner. For this purpose, the iSDU (indexed service data unit) is defined in the IO-Link specification. By means of an index and a sub-index, parameter values and statuses can be queried in the IO-Link device. These requests (read and write services) are encoded as IO-Link-specific iSDUs in the IO-Link master and transmitted via the IO-Link interface to the IO-Link device. The iSDU indicates whether it is a read request or a write request. The index indicates the parameter whose value is to be read or written.

[0009] Here, the IO-Link standard is based on a point-to-point bus topology, making it impossible to access the coupler connected between the IO-Link master and the IO-Link device traditionally. This coupler transmits information or data packets in a loop between these two IO-Link components. In other words, the coupler is initially transparent and cannot be manipulated by traditional means. Summary of the Invention

[0010] Against this background of the prior art, the object of the present disclosure is to provide a method and / or a device, both of which are suitable for enriching the prior art.

[0011] This object is achieved by the features of the independent claims. The content of the dependent claims and the subclaims has optional improvement solutions of the present disclosure.

[0012] Thus, this object is achieved by a coupler according to the present disclosure for connecting a master station and a slave station of a communication network. The coupler is designed to receive device data from the master station according to a predetermined communication standard (and optionally output the device data to the slave station according to the predetermined communication standard). The coupler is designed to identify a predetermined control instruction in the device data. The coupler is designed to call a function stored in the coupler according to the identified control instruction.

[0013] It is conceivable that the coupler only forwards the received device data to the slave station when the device data does not contain a control instruction. It is also conceivable that the coupler forwards the device data to the slave station regardless of whether the device data contains a control instruction.

[0014] The coupler can be understood as an electronic component for current isolation and optionally for signal isolation protection. Signal isolation can be carried out optically by an optocoupler, but additionally or alternatively, signal isolation can also be carried out in a transformer manner, a capacitive manner, or in a magnetic manner with a magnetic coupler. These signals can be used to transmit data. In other words, the coupler can be used for bidirectional loop transmission of data or signals.

[0015] The slave station can be a field device, such as an actuator and / or a sensor. A field device (abbreviated as FG, English: Field Device (FD)) can be understood as a technical device directly related to the production process in the field of automation technology. In automation technology, "field" refers to the area outside the control cabinet or management center. Therefore, field devices can be actuators (actuators, valves, etc.) and sensors (measurement transducers) in factory and process automation. Field devices can in most cases be connected to the control and management system via a fieldbus or increasingly also via real-time Ethernet. In the control and management system, the data received from the field devices is analyzed, and this data can be used to regulate and / or control the production process and (additionally or alternatively) for further processing. In the scope of further processing, for example, the visualization and display of the production process status (such as the opening / closing of valves, pressure, flow rate, temperature, etc.) can be carried out.

[0016] The master station can be a control device, which is designed to: process the data received from the slave station via the coupler; and / or output data for controlling the operation of the slave station via the coupler; and transmit data for controlling the operation of the coupler to the coupler. These data can be device data that needs to be distinguished from the process data described later. The device data can be used to parameterize the coupler and the slave station. Additionally or alternatively, the master station can be a gateway, which is designed to: obtain data from the control and management system in another communication standard (such as Ethernet) and output these data to the coupler and the slave station in a predetermined communication standard (such as IO-Link); and optionally vice versa, receive data from the coupler and the slave station in the predetermined communication standard and output it to the control and management system in this other communication standard.

[0017] The predetermined communication standard can be IO-Link. The slave station and the coupler can be implemented as IO-Link devices. Therefore, the slave station can be a sensor, an actuator, a hub, and / or a mechatronic component (such as a gripper or a power supply unit with an IO-Link connection). The master station can be implemented as an IO-Link master station. As mentioned at the beginning, IO-Link is a standardized IO technology (IEC 61131-9) for communicating with IO-Link devices (such as sensors and actuators). IO-Link is based on point-to-point communication and is based on a 3-wire IO-Link device connection without additional requirements for the cable material. Therefore, IO-Link is not a fieldbus and is thus independent of fieldbuses. For further details about IO-Link, refer to the content described above.

[0018] Here, the above-mentioned coupler offers a series of advantages. One of these advantages is the possibility of providing, by means of IO-Link communication, special functions that cannot be mapped via the IO-Link standard (such as switching at least one IO-Link device, here the to-be-defined or defined operating mode of the coupler). In addition, the coupler has the advantage that it can be switched to a (password) protected mode. It is conceivable that the predetermined control instructions are not stored in the common IODD (for details on the IODD, see above), and thus control instructions that can be stored, for example, as a string in the device data can be used as a password to enter the protected (operating) mode.

[0019] Possible or alternative improvements to the above-mentioned device are elaborated in detail below.

[0020] The device data can be transmitted in a manner triggered aperiodically by the master station according to a predetermined communication standard.

[0021] More precisely, according to the IO-Link protocol of the IO-Link (communication) standard, three different types or categories of data are exchanged or transmitted, namely process data, device parameters, and so-called events (including three categories: errors, warnings, and notifications). The process data is transmitted periodically. The device parameters or general device data and events are transmitted aperiodically. Here, the IO-Link device or slave only or exclusively sends data when the IO-Link master requests it. The sending of process data is performed periodically for each frame. The device parameter data is explicitly requested by the master station, that is, the transmission of the device data is carried out in a manner triggered by the master station.

[0022] The coupler can be designed to execute the called function such that the coupler changes from the current operating mode to another operating mode due to this function; and optionally changes back again when a predetermined condition is met.

[0023] Therefore, there is no need to additionally set or operate the coupler to control it. Instead, the coupler can be controlled directly using the underlying communication standard by means of the transmitted control instructions and controlled on-site.

[0024] The current operating mode and / or the other operating mode can be: a transmission mode, in which the coupler is designed to output the data received from the master station according to a predetermined communication standard to the slave station according to a predetermined communication standard; a configuration mode, in which the coupler is designed to be parameterized; and / or a protected operating mode, in which the coupler (2) is designed to be parameterized to a higher degree than in the configuration mode.

[0025] For example, it is conceivable that the current operating mode (i.e., the operating mode in which the coupler is when receiving a control instruction) is the transmission mode, and the coupler switches to the configuration mode due to its function.

[0026] In the transmission mode, (optionally bidirectional) data transmission can be performed from the master station to the slave station via the coupler. In the configuration mode, data transmission between the master station and the slave station can be stopped until the parameterization of the coupler has been completed. Then it is conceivable that the coupler automatically switches back to the transmission mode, or alternatively, (additional) predetermined control instructions are output to the coupler such that the coupler switches (back) to the transmission mode.

[0027] For example, additionally or alternatively, it is conceivable that the current operating mode is the transmission mode, and the coupler switches to the protected operating mode due to its function. Subsequently, in the protected operating mode, for example, device settings and / or characteristics of the coupler that can only or exclusively be changed in the protected operating mode can be read and / or changed. Then it is conceivable that the coupler automatically switches back to the transmission mode, or alternatively, (additional) predetermined control instructions are output to the coupler such that the coupler switches (back) to the transmission mode.

[0028] For example, additionally or alternatively, it is conceivable that the current operating mode is the transmission mode, and the coupler switches to the configuration mode due to a function called by a first control instruction. Once the coupler is in the configuration mode, it is conceivable that the coupler switches to the protected operating mode due to a function called by a second control instruction. This can be referred to as a two-step method, where the second control instruction acts as a password to switch from the configuration mode to the protected operating mode.

[0029] The device data can include service data units according to a predetermined communication protocol of a predetermined communication standard (optionally the IO-Link protocol), and the service data unit includes an area in which a plurality of standard parameters can be stored according to the predetermined communication protocol. The control instructions can be stored in this area.

[0030] More precisely, according to the IO-Link protocol of the IO-Link (communication) standard, the parameter data is explicitly requested by the IO-Link master or is sent in a self-labeled manner. For this purpose, service data units, the so-called iSDU (English: indexed service data unit), are defined in the IO-Link specification. Through indexes and sub-indexes, parameter values and statuses can be queried and parameters can be stored in the IO-Link device. These requests (read / write services) are encoded as IO-Link-specific iSDUs in the IO-Link master and are transmitted via the IO-Link interface to the IO-Link device. The iSDU indicates whether it is a read request or a write request. The parameter whose value is to be read or written is indicated by the index. Here, it is proposed to optionally use the iSDU to transmit control instructions from the master to the coupler.

[0031] Via IO-Link, up to 65,536 indexes can be addressed, with each index having a size of up to 232 bytes. The IO-Link specification contains pre-defined indexes (pre-defined parameters). Through these indexes, the IO-Link device can be clearly identified. However, most of the defined indexes are optional, i.e., they can be used but are not required. The advantage of using indexes that have been defined and are mandatorily implemented for transmitting control instructions is that these indexes exist in every IO-Link device (since a specific version).

[0032] In the area of the service data unit where multiple standard parameters can be stored according to a predetermined communication protocol, a first sub-region for application-specific tags, a second sub-region for location tags, and / or a third sub-region for function tags can be set according to the predetermined communication protocol. Control instructions can be stored in at least one of these sub-regions.

[0033] This has the following advantage: These sub-regions have sufficient size to transmit control instructions.

[0034] The coupler can be designed to output information to the master in response to the recognized control instructions.

[0035] It is conceivable to use the above-mentioned events, especially the sub-category "notification", according to the IO-Link protocol for this purpose.

[0036] The coupler can be designed to receive process data from the master according to a predetermined communication standard and output the process data to the slave according to the predetermined communication standard. The process data can be transmitted periodically according to the predetermined communication standard.

[0037] The coupler can be designed to receive additional process data and / or additional device data from the master station according to a predetermined communication standard and output this data to the slave station according to the predetermined communication standard. These additional process data can optionally be transmitted periodically according to the predetermined communication standard. These additional device data can be transmitted in a manner triggered by the master station (optionally with the aid of additional service data units and / or aperiodically) according to the predetermined communication standard.

[0038] The coupler can have an inductive coupler or be designed as such an inductive coupler. An inductive coupler can be understood as a transformer, where the transformer core is separable, i.e., the two parts can be separated from each other. Here, the primary winding is arranged on one part of the core, and the secondary winding is arranged on the other part of the core. In addition to transmitting data, the inductive coupler also allows the transmission of electrical energy from the master station to the slave station.

[0039] The above description can be rephrased and summarized in combination with the specific design solutions described below, where the following description is only an exemplary description and thus does not limit the content of the present disclosure:

[0040] IO-Link standard parameters (parameters that are mandatory in the iSDU area according to the IO-Link specification) can be used to control proprietary device functions. This means that instructions can be sent to the address of the selected standard parameter. Here, these instructions cannot be used to change the content of the parameter, but rather to trigger an action or function. For this purpose, the instruction sets to be used can be predefined. It is conceivable that these instruction sets are not visible externally. Here, the likelihood of access errors occurring in this case is very low because the instructions can be selected so that they do not conflict with standard instructions or standard content. It is also possible to implement password access with the described solution. In addition to triggering an action, there can also be the possibility of returning a response (reply instruction). Here, it can be read in a subsequent iSDU frame or within a given time period (optionally within 10 s after receiving the instruction). This function can be particularly advantageous mainly during development and testing because it allows the manufacturer to perform extended fault diagnosis. Specifically, an instruction line interface can be implemented here that allows instructions to be sent in the above manner and the reply / response to the sent instructions to be read. It can be advantageous to use parameters in the iSDU area that have a corresponding size and have been available in all devices since a specific version. Particularly suitable for this are parameters using so-called application-specific tags, location tags, or function tags. These instructions can be used to change the operating mode of infrastructure components. In addition to transmitting power to the connected device, such infrastructure components (such as inductive couplers) also provide IO-Link communication with the connected device (loop-through transmission between master-coupler-device). In addition to the transmission mode, there can also be an additional operating mode for configuring the coupler itself, namely the so-called configuration mode, because configuration cannot be performed due to the active communication in the transmission mode. With the solution proposed here, it is possible to switch between these two modes by sending an instruction (for example, sending it to the address of an application-specific tag). Then, the coupler can be configured and optionally reset to the transmission mode again subsequently. As another step that can be proposed: when the coupler is in the configuration mode, switch to a protected operating mode or an administrator mode. For this purpose, an additional instruction can be sent to the coupler in the above manner, where the instruction includes a password that is, for example, then sent as a string to the address of an application-specific tag (or other tags among the above tags). This password can include switching the coupler from the configuration mode to the administrator mode, where in the administrator mode, parameters or settings of the coupler that are inaccessible in the configuration mode can be changed and / or read.

[0041] The present disclosure also relates to a communication network. The communication network has a master station, a coupler (optionally the above-mentioned coupler), and a slave station connected to the master station via the coupler. The coupler is designed to receive device data from the master station according to a predetermined communication standard (and optionally output the device data to the slave station according to the predetermined communication standard). The coupler is designed to identify a predetermined control instruction in the device data and call a function stored in the coupler according to the identified control instruction.

[0042] The master station can be designed to generate (optionally in the above-mentioned manner) device data including a predetermined control instruction and output it to the coupler.

[0043] The communication network can have a control and management system, which is connected to the slave station via the master station and the coupler. It is conceivable that the control and management system communicates with the master station according to another predetermined communication standard (such as PROFIBUS, PROFINET, INTERBUS, AS-i, EtherCAT, Ethernet, or PowerLink).

[0044] What has been described above about the coupler also applies analogously to the communication network, and vice versa.

[0045] The present disclosure also relates to a method for operating a coupler (optionally the above-mentioned coupler) to connect the master station of a communication network to a slave station, wherein the method includes receiving device data from the master station into the coupler according to a predetermined communication standard (and optionally outputting the received device data from the coupler to the slave station according to the predetermined communication standard). The method includes: identifying a predetermined control instruction in the device data by means of the coupler; and calling a function stored in the coupler according to the control instruction identified by means of the coupler.

[0046] The method can be a computer-implemented method, that is, one, more, or all steps of the method can be at least partially executed by a computer or a data processing device.

[0047] What has been described above about the coupler and the communication network also applies analogously to the method, and vice versa.

[0048] In addition, a computer program and / or a computer-readable medium are provided, and the computer program and / or the computer-readable medium include instructions that cause the coupler (optionally the above-mentioned coupler) for connecting the master station and the slave station of a communication network to at least partially execute the above method when the coupler executes the program or the instructions.

[0049] The computer program can be the firmware of the coupler. The firmware can be understood as software (permanently) embedded in an electronic device (such as the coupler here) and performing basic functions therein. The firmware can occupy an intermediate position between the hardware of the coupler (i.e., the physical part of the coupler) and the application software (so-called functions) that may exist. The firmware can be stored in the memory of the coupler. The memory can be flash memory, EPROM, EEPROM, or ROM. In addition, the computer program can include the above functions.

[0050] The computer-readable medium can have the above computer program.

[0051] The computer-readable medium can be a computer-readable medium, that is, any digital data storage device, such as a USB flash drive, hard disk, flash memory, CD-ROM, SD card, or SSD card.

[0052] The computer program or instructions do not necessarily have to be stored on such a computer-readable storage medium for use by the coupler, but can also be obtained via the Internet or other external means.

[0053] What has been described above regarding the coupler, communication network, and method also similarly applies to the computer program and / or computer-readable medium, and vice versa.

[0054] It should also be noted that: Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as the ordinary understanding of those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains. If a term has multiple definitions, the definition in this specification shall prevail unless otherwise stated.

[0055] Whenever expressions such as "for example", "such as", "including", etc. are used, they should be construed as being followed by the expression "and not limited to", unless otherwise clearly stated. Similarly, "example", "exemplary", etc. should be understood as non-restrictive or non-exhaustive listings.

[0056] For numerical descriptions, they can be understood as either exhaustive or non-exhaustive, that is: for example, "a slave station" can be understood as "at least one slave station and / or exactly one slave station".

[0057] The term "substantially" allows for deviations that do not have an adverse effect on the intended purpose. Even if the term "substantially" is not explicitly mentioned, descriptive terms should be understood to be modified by the term "substantially".

[0058] The terms "including" and "comprising" and "having" and "including" (and terms expressed in a similar manner) can be used synonymously and have the same meaning.

[0059] Accordingly, unless the context clearly or expressly requires otherwise, words such as "comprising" and "including" in the specification and claims should be understood in an inclusive sense rather than an exclusive or exhaustive sense, that is, in the sense of "including but not limited to". Description of the Drawings

[0060] The following refers to Figure 1 and Figure 2 describe the embodiments.

[0061] Figure 1 schematically shows a communication network according to the present disclosure; and

[0062] Figure 2 schematically shows a flowchart of a method for controlling a communication network. Detailed Description of the Embodiments

[0063] Figure 1 The communication network 10 shown in [reference] has a master station 1, a coupler 2, and a slave station 3 connected to the master station 1 via the coupler 2 and two data lines 4, 5. Between the master station 1 and the slave station 3, two-way (data) communication is performed via the coupler 2 and these two data lines 4, 5 according to the IO-Link standard. Accordingly, the coupler 2 is designed to: receive data from the master station 1 according to the IO-Link standard and transfer it to the slave station 3 according to the IO-Link standard; and receive data from the slave station 3 according to the IO-Link standard and transfer it to the master station 1 according to the IO-Link standard. The data exchange or (data) communication mentioned below all complies with the IO-Link standard. An upper-level control and management system (not shown) can be connected to the master station 1, and the control and management system is used to control and monitor the process in which the slave station 3 implemented as a field device is used.

[0064] In an embodiment of the method for operating the communication network 10 according to the present disclosure, the communication network 10 is operated, and the flowchart of the method is schematically shown in Figure 2 and will be elaborated in detail below.

[0065] In the first step S1 of the method, process data 6 is periodically exchanged between the master station 1 and the slave station 3 via the coupler 2 and the data lines 4, 5. During the first step S1, device data 7 in the form of service data units according to the IO-Link protocol is repeatedly exchanged between the master station 1 and the slave station 3 in a manner non-periodically triggered by the master station 1 to parameterize the slave station 3.

[0066] From the perspective of the master station 1, the process data can be input data and output data. The input data includes the values measured by the slave station 3 (such as temperature, distance, volume, rotational speed, flow rate, etc.), and the output data includes the control data for the slave station 3 (such as rotational speed, pressure or pressure difference, on / off of the lamp, color of the lamp, flashing pattern, output voltage, output current) (for example, for controlling actuators such as motors, valves, signal lights, power supplies by means of the slave station 3).

[0067] The coupler 2 forwards (in principle without change) the device data 7 specified for the slave station 3 or the master station 1, that is, the coupler 2 loop-transmits the device data 7 and the process data 6. Therefore, the coupler 2 is in the transmission mode. However, when the device data 7 contains a predetermined control instruction, the coupler 2 does not loop-transmit the service data unit of the device data.

[0068] To determine this, in a second step S2 that is parallel to or simultaneous with the first step S1 of the method, the coupler 2 checks the service data unit of the device data 7 received from the master station 1 to determine whether the device data contains a predetermined control instruction.

[0069] More precisely, the service data unit of the device data 7 includes an area in which multiple standard parameters can be stored according to the IO-Link protocol, and the master station 1 stores the predetermined control instruction in this area. It is conceivable that the master station 1 stores the predetermined control instruction as a string in a sub-area set for the so-called application-specific tag, the so-called position tag, and / or the so-called function tag. Therefore, the coupler 2 checks these sub-areas to determine whether a predetermined control instruction is contained in one of these sub-areas.

[0070] If the coupler 2 identifies a control instruction in the second step S2, the coupler 2 outputs an information 8 to the master station 1 via the data line 4 in response to the identified control instruction, and the method proceeds to the third step S3. Otherwise, the first step and the second step S1, S2 are continued. This information can relate to the confirmation of the received control instruction and the interruption of the connection or the abort of the loop-transmission of the process data, so that the connection to the master station 1 can be re-established subsequently in the configuration mode (see steps S3 and S4).

[0071] In the third step S3 of the method, the coupler 2 calls the function stored in the coupler 2 according to the control instruction identified in the device data 7. Here, multiple functions can be stored in the coupler 2, and the control instruction is thus designed such that the coupler 2 can unambiguously assign the control instruction to at least one of these functions.

[0072] In the fourth step S4 of the method, the coupler 2 executes the called function. This function can be a function that switches the coupler 2 from the current operating mode to another or other operating modes defined in this function. Here, this can be, for example, a configuration mode in which the coupler 2 can be parameterized by means of the master station 1 and / or a protected operating mode or administrator mode in which the control instruction serves as a password. In the coupler 2, the administrator mode can be activated especially within the configuration mode in order to gain access to additional IO-Link indices that are not available in the configuration mode. This means that: in the administrator mode, the coupler can be parameterized to a higher degree than in the configuration mode. This can be used for extended fault diagnosis or manufacturer parameterization. In order to switch from the configuration mode to the administrator mode, once the coupler 2 is in the configuration mode, the third and fourth steps S3, S4 of the method can be executed repeatedly.

[0073] List of reference numerals

[0074] 1 Master station

[0075] 2 Coupler

[0076] 3 Slave station

[0077] 4 Data line between the master station and the coupler

[0078] 5 Data line between the slave station and the coupler

[0079] 6 Process data

[0080] 7 Device data

[0081] 8 Information in response to the control instruction

[0082] 10 Communication network

[0083] S1 - S4 Method steps

Claims

1. A coupler (2) for connecting a master station (1) of a communication network (10) to a slave station (3), - wherein the coupler (2) is designed to receive device data (7) from the master station (1) according to a predetermined communication standard, Characterized in that, - the coupler (2) is designed to identify a predetermined control instruction in the device data (7), and - call a function stored in the coupler (2) according to the identified control instruction.

2. The coupler (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device data (7) is transmitted in a manner non-periodically triggered by the master station (1) according to the predetermined communication standard.

3. The coupler (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The coupler (2) is designed to execute the called function such that the coupler (2) changes from the current operating mode to another operating mode due to the function.

4. The coupler (2) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The current operating mode and / or the other operating mode include: - A transmission mode, in which the coupler (2) is designed to output data received from the master station (1) according to the predetermined communication standard to the slave station (3) according to the predetermined communication standard; - A configuration mode, in which the coupler (2) is designed to be parameterized; and / or - A protected operating mode, in which the coupler (2) is designed to be parameterized to a higher degree than the configuration mode.

5. The coupler (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, - The device data (7) according to the predetermined communication protocol of the predetermined communication standard includes service data units, the service data units having an area in which a plurality of standard parameters can be stored according to the predetermined communication protocol, and - The control instruction is stored in the area.

6. The coupler (2) according to claim 5, characterized in that, - In the area of the service data unit in which a plurality of standard parameters can be stored according to the predetermined communication protocol, a first sub-area for application-specific tags, a second sub-area for location tags and / or a third sub-area for function tags are provided according to the predetermined communication protocol, and - The control instruction is stored in at least one of the sub-areas.

7. The coupler (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The coupler (2) is designed to output information (8) to the master station (1) in response to the identified control instruction.

8. The coupler (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, - The coupler (2) is designed to receive process data (6) from the master station (1) according to the predetermined communication standard, - wherein the process data (6) is optionally transmitted periodically according to the predetermined communication standard.

9. The coupler (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, - The coupler (2) is designed to receive additional process data (6) and / or additional device data (7) from the slave station (3) according to a predetermined communication standard and output the data to the master station (1) according to the predetermined communication standard, - wherein the additional process data (6) are optionally transmitted periodically according to the predetermined communication standard, and - wherein the additional device data (7) are transmitted according to the predetermined communication standard in a manner optionally triggered by the master station (1) by means of additional service data units and / or aperiodically.

10. The coupler (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The coupler (2) has an inductive coupler (2) or is designed as such an inductive coupler.

11. A communication network (10), comprising: - a master station (1), a coupler (2), and a slave station (3) connected to the master station (1) via the coupler (2), - wherein the coupler (2) is designed to receive device data (7) from the master station (1) according to a predetermined communication standard, characterized in that - the coupler (2) is designed to identify a predetermined control instruction in the device data (7), and - call a function stored in the coupler (2) according to the identified control instruction.

12. The communication network (10) according to claim 11, characterized in that, The master station (1) is designed to generate the device data (7) including the predetermined control instruction and output it to the coupler (2).

13. The communication network (10) according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The communication network (10) has a coupler (2) according to one of claims 2 to 10.

14. A method for operating a coupler (2) to connect a master station (1) of a communication network (10) to a slave station (3), the method comprising: - receiving (S1) device data (7) from the master station (1) into the coupler (2) according to a predetermined communication standard, characterized in that the method comprises: - identifying (S2) a predetermined control instruction in the device data (7) by means of the coupler (2); and - calling (S2) a function stored in the coupler (2) according to the control instruction identified by means of the coupler (2).

15. A computer program and / or computer-readable medium, the computer program and / or computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a coupler (2) for connecting a master station (1) of a communication network (10) to a slave station (3), cause the coupler (2) to perform the method according to claim 14.

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