Peripheral device for a fieldbus system and fieldbus system for signal transmission

Abstract

Peripheral device (1, 11) for a fieldbus system (100), for inputting and / or outputting a signaling signal (S1, S2) via a fieldbus of the fieldbus system (100), wherein the peripheral device (1, 11) comprises at least: a bus interface (8) for connection to the fieldbus, a control device (7) which is provided for receiving function signals (S4) of a function device (5) and forming signaling signals (S1) from the function signals (S4) and / or for receiving signaling signals (S2), forming function signals (S5) from the signaling signals (S2) and outputting the function signals (S5) to a function device (20), and a display device (12) for displaying a bus address (Bn) of the peripheral device (1, 11) in the fieldbus system (100), characterized in that the control device (7) outputs address display signals (S3) to the display device (12) for displaying the bus address (Bn), and the display device (12) is designed to permanently display the bus address (Bn) even without a power supply to the display device (12).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a peripheral device for a fieldbus system, which is designed in particular for the input and / or output of signaling signals, and to a fieldbus system with at least one such peripheral device. State of the art

[0002] Such peripheral devices are used, for example, in detection systems, e.g., smoke or fire alarm systems, as well as in warning systems, e.g., escape route indicators, and can, in particular, be arranged at a fixed location, e.g., distributed throughout a building.

[0003] The peripheral devices can be used, on the one hand, to output alarm signals via the fieldbus system; in particular, they can detect the alarm signals themselves, e.g., as fire detectors or smoke detectors, or they can receive such signals from a connected device and transmit, for example, fire or smoke signals via the fieldbus system, in particular to a central unit.

[0004] On the other hand, the peripheral devices can receive signaling signals from the central unit and output the resulting display signals, particularly as optical and / or acoustic signals; the peripheral devices thus act as signal transmitters. The display signals can, for example, be escape route signals to indicate an escape route.

[0005] WO 2006 / 049 614 A1 shows such peripheral devices; a method and a device for assigning addresses, e.g. bus addresses, to individual peripheral devices are described. It is provided to connect several addressable peripheral devices to a central unit via communication channels, e.g. lines, so that the central unit is connected to the peripheral devices for communication. To address an individual peripheral device, an address element is provided which can be placed on a frame of the peripheral device and thereby electrically connected to the peripheral device, so that an address signal stored on the address element can be automatically transmitted to the peripheral device. The peripheral device can thus be uniquely identified via this address. The address element also has a display device, e.g.with a display that visually shows the address transferred to the peripheral device. Since each address element stores a different address, this prevents the same address from being assigned to different peripheral devices.

[0006] The disadvantage of this solution is that the address element can only visually display the stored address, which it transmits to the corresponding peripheral device. Furthermore, the address on the address element can only be read when the address element or the display device is supplied with power.

[0007] Another addressing device for fire, gas, and burglar alarm systems is described in EP 0 546 401 B1, which provides for the allocation of a working address, e.g. a bus address, to peripheral devices of the alarm system. The allocation is based on unique, fixed location information, so that the location of the peripheral device can be clearly linked to the bus address. The alarm system has a detector section with a sensor for monitoring environmental conditions, with signals from the sensor being evaluated by an evaluation device in the peripheral device and then transmitted via cables to the central unit. In this way, alarm signals can be transmitted from the fixed peripheral device to the central unit via the fieldbus system, with the central unit being able to clearly assign the alarm signals via the bus address.

[0008] The disadvantage of this addressing device is that the bus addresses assigned to the respective peripheral devices can only be read in the central unit. Thus, identification of a peripheral device is only possible if the respective peripheral device is also connected to the central unit and supplied with power.

[0009] A method for assigning a bus address to a peripheral device by a central unit is described, for example, in DE 102 40 832 A1. This method involves addressing the peripheral devices in the fieldbus system based on their individual serial numbers. The central unit queries the serial number of each individual peripheral device and assigns each peripheral device a bus address based on this. Since each peripheral device has a different serial number, duplicate addressing can be avoided.

[0010] In such signaling systems, which are interconnected via a fieldbus system, it is generally difficult to determine the bus address of an individual peripheral device directly at its location, since this address is only available locally in the form of an address signal that can only be read using a special reading device. Another disadvantage is that the bus address can no longer be determined in the event of a power failure or when the peripheral device is removed (i.e., when the peripheral device is de-energized).

[0011] In other systems where the bus address can be set manually, for example, using DIP switches or rotary switches, reading the bus address is very difficult. If the DIP switches are concealed inside the peripheral device, for example, the effort required to read them is very high. Furthermore, such manually operated switches can wear out when operated, for example, with a screwdriver, making it difficult to read the address over time.

[0012] US 8 185 762 B1 discloses a low-power display device capable of receiving display information over a wireless network. US 2006 / 0 095 647 A1 discloses a portable storage unit with human-readable displays containing information about the contents and status of the storage unit. US 2006 / 0 139 003 A1 discloses an energy storage device for providing energy, which provides an indication of the available energy. Disclosure of the invention

[0013] The peripheral device according to the invention has a display device for visually displaying the bus address, wherein the display device is designed such that the display signal can be displayed and read continuously, even without a power supply from the display device. Such a display device is also referred to as persistent. "Permanent" or "persistent" refers to a display over a period of at least one year, in particular several years. In particular, the display device is a persistent liquid crystal display (LCD).

[0014] The fieldbus system is preferably wired, for example, with a bus cable with only two wires, particularly as an LSN bus. The LSN bus (LSN = "Local Security Network") is a fire and intrusion alarm bus system developed by Bosch Sicherheitssysteme GmbH. Alternatively, wireless data connections within the bus system are also possible. Signal transmission occurs primarily between a central unit and the peripheral devices. Signal transmission preferably occurs in both directions. According to the invention, several advantages are achieved:

[0015] The bus address can be read directly on site at the respective peripheral device, even when the device is switched off or de-energized. This means that the peripheral device can be removed, for example, and the bus address can then be read. For example, a fire detector or smoke alarm that is attached to a plug-in location, e.g. a ceiling, can first be removed by a user or operating personnel, e.g. using an auxiliary device such as a long rod, with which, for example, a detector head can be removed from a base and the detector head can then be checked or read by the user using a display device. Since the bus address is stored on the persistent display device, the user can read the bus address. Furthermore, they can access other system-relevant information, e.g.Read out fault messages, measured values of individual sensors, status messages of a device on the display device together with the bus address.

[0016] The control unit of the peripheral device outputs address display signals to the display device, which visually displays these bus display signals accordingly. This visual display can be implemented, for example, as a digital display, e.g., a multi-digit digital display, e.g., with two or more digital digits. In principle, the address display signals can also be coded by the display device; however, such coding is not required.

[0017] Advantageously, the display device shows the bus address Bn as a numerical number, e.g., in a fieldbus system with fewer than 100 peripheral devices, with a value between 00 and 99. Advantageously, a bus address is also assigned to the central unit.

[0018] The display device can be placed in or on the peripheral device in such a way that it is directly visible from the outside. This ensures high accessibility and easy readability, e.g., through a removable display device. Furthermore, an alternating display can be provided, i.e., the display alternates, e.g., between the bus address and the status display.

[0019] Further advantages are achieved through different connections of the display device: The display device can be permanently provided in the peripheral device; if the peripheral device is designed with a housing, the display device can thus be permanently attached to the housing or to a part connected to the housing. However, a design with a display device that can be detached mechanically and in its electrical contact from the other parts of the peripheral device, e.g. with an electrical plug-in contact, is also possible. The persistent display device thus continues to display the bus address even after being separated from the other parts of the peripheral device and can be reversibly plugged back in. Advantageously, in this case, the bus address is also stored as information in an internal memory of the display. This improves readability; a user can detach the display device, e.g.by simply removing it, reading the display unit to determine the bus address, and then reinserting it. The removable or modular display unit can also be removed if it is not required in the fieldbus system and, if necessary, retrofitted later.

[0020] In principle, it is advantageous to address the peripheral devices via the fieldbus system, i.e., from a central unit via the bus line to the respective peripheral devices. This enables dynamic addressing of the peripheral devices in the bus system, which can, for example, lead to new addressing after the entire fieldbus system is switched off and then switched back on again.

[0021] Furthermore, it can also be provided that the respective bus addresses and peripheral devices can be set decentrally or locally on the respective peripheral devices. Thus, the peripheral devices have an address input device via which the user can set the respective bus address. The address input device can, for example, be a user-operated actuation device, e.g., with mechanical actuation such as a rotary switch.

[0022] The peripheral device can be designed to be robust and resistant to environmental influences. The persistent display device cannot be mechanically adjusted by unintentional mechanical action, e.g., when the peripheral device is removed, unlike, for example, mechanically adjustable switches for addressing.

[0023] The display device can be designed as a display module with a persistent storage device; if necessary, the entire display module comprising the display device and the persistent storage device can be removed.

[0024] The display device can also be used to display additional information or status signals, e.g., error messages and other information, so that these can be read by the user after dismantling the display device or a display module. A non-functional peripheral device can thus, for example, also display an error message autonomously, i.e., without a data connection to the central unit. This is also advantageous in the event of a faulty bus communication. For example, the faulty bus communication itself can also be displayed by the peripheral device.

[0025] If the persistent display device is limited in time, e.g., for a period of more than one year, the displayed bus address can be cyclically refreshed via the fieldbus system. Short description of the drawings Fig. 1 shows a fieldbus system according to an embodiment with multiple peripheral devices; Fig. 2 shows a fire detector as an embodiment of the peripheral device; Fig. 3 shows a schematic structure of a peripheral device according to several embodiments; Fig. 4 shows a peripheral device according to a first embodiment; and Fig. 5 shows a peripheral device according to a second embodiment. Description of the embodiments

[0026] Fig. 1 shows a fieldbus system 100, e.g., an LSN fieldbus system, which has a central unit 2 with a bus interface (LSN interface) 21, a plurality of peripheral devices 1, 11, and a bus line 101 with two lines (wires) 102a, 102b. The fieldbus system 100 can, for example, be topologically designed as a ring, so that the dashed lines shown on the right are solid; furthermore, the fieldbus system 100 can also, for example, form two stub lines, so that the dashed lines are not connected. Furthermore, combinations of these are also possible in principle, e.g., a ring with outgoing stub lines. In principle, bus lines 101 with more than two wires (cables) 102a, 102b can also be used.

[0027] The fieldbus system 100 is used to transmit signaling signals S1, S2 between the central unit 2 and the individual peripheral devices 1, 11. The peripheral devices 1 are particularly stationary on-site, e.g., even located at a considerable distance from the central unit 2. The signaling signals S1, S2 are addressed accordingly with a bus address Bn; for this purpose, the peripheral devices 1, 11, and in principle also the central unit 2, for example, have bus addresses Bn, in the embodiment shown as a two-digit bus address, i.e., with Bn=00, 01, 02, ...

[0028] Fig. Figure 3 shows a block diagram of the structure of a peripheral device 1 or 11. The peripheral device 1 or 11 has a control device 7 and a bus interface 8 for connection to the bus; accordingly, the bus interface 8 outputs signal signals S1 via the bus line 101 and receives signal signals S2 addressed to its own bus address Bn. For this purpose, the control device 7 is shown with an addressing device 7.1 and an evaluation device 7.2, which can also be combined accordingly.

[0029] The peripheral devices 1, 11 have a functional device 20, 5 as internal elements or have an interface 15 with which they can be connected as in Fig. 3 are connected to such a functional device 20, 5. The functional devices 5, 20 can generate or output signals; the functional devices can in particular be detectors 5, e.g. smoke detectors or fire detectors, furthermore also motion detectors or burglar alarms, which react, for example, to movement, IR radiation or even, for example, broken glass and output a measurement signal S4 to the control device 7, which evaluates this, preferably in its evaluation device 7.2 using one or more criteria, and depending on this evaluation, optionally generates a signal signal S1 and outputs it via the bus interface 8.

[0030] Furthermore, the peripheral devices 11 can have, as functional devices, or be connected to output devices 20 that output, for example, acoustic or optical output signals S7. Thus, the peripheral device serves as a signal generator 11. The control device 7 can receive signaling signals S2 from the central unit and determine output signals S5 from them and output them to the output device 20, which then outputs the acoustic or optical output signals S7. Such signal detectors 11 can, for example, signal the emergency exit or a direction to the emergency exit in an emergency in buildings.

[0031] In the design of the Fig. 2, the peripheral device 1 is a fire detector, which is conventionally arranged on a ceiling 3 or on a wall in a building and outputs the alarm signals S1 via the bus line 101. The fire detector 1 has, for example, a detector 5, e.g., a smoke detector for detecting smoke, as well as, for example, a signal light 6 for visually indicating an operating state.

[0032] According to the invention, the bus address Bn of each peripheral device 1 and 11 is visually displayed in a display device 12. The display device 12 is designed to be persistent, ie, it continuously displays the bus address Bn even without a power supply.

[0033] The display device 12 can be firmly connected to other parts of the peripheral device 1, in particular a housing 1a; this is the case in the embodiment of the Fig. 4 shown.

[0034] Alternatively, the display device 12 can be removable; for this purpose, the peripheral device 1, 11 has, according to the block diagram of the Fig. 3 has an interface 9 to which the display device 12 can be attached. In particular, the interface 9 can be configured as a plug-in contact to allow electrical contacting of the display device 12.

[0035] The display device 12 is supplied with an address display signal S3 from the addressing device 7.1, so that the display device 12 digitally displays the bus address Bn, e.g., as a two-digit digital number for unique identification in the fieldbus system 100. The respective bus address Bn can thus be dynamically generated by the central unit 2 and is then displayed accordingly on the display device 12 when the respective peripheral device 1, 11 is addressed.

[0036] Fig. 5 shows an embodiment in which a bus address Bn can be actuated via an operating device 18, e.g. with one or more switches that can be mechanically adjusted by the user, e.g. a rotary switch 19 or more rotary switches 19, whereby the bus address Bn of the peripheral device 1 is defined in the fieldbus system 100 and is thus communicated by the control device 7 to the display device 12 as an address display signal S3.

[0037] This allows addressing via the central unit 2, or by the user on site directly at the respective peripheral device 1 or 11.

[0038] Instead of manual operation or addressing, a special programming device can also be used.

[0039] Instead of an address display signal S3, the control device 7 can also output a status display signal S6 to the display device 12 in order to display a status determined by the control device 7, e.g. an error status of the peripheral device 1, 11 or of the entire fieldbus system 100, e.g. also in the event of an interruption of the bus line 101.

[0040] The display device 12 can be as in Fig. 3, it can be connected to a permanent memory device 13, forming a display module 14 that can be removed if necessary. Thus, the control device 7 can also read the bus address Bn from the display module 14.

[0041] The embodiments shown with fixed and removable display device 12 and with or without mechanical switches as well as for outputting the signaling signals S1 or receiving the signaling signals S2 can in principle be combined as desired.

Claims

[1] Peripheral device (1, 11) for a fieldbus system (100), for inputting and / or outputting a signaling signal (S1, S2) via a fieldbus of the fieldbus system (100), wherein the peripheral device (1, 11) comprises at least: a bus interface (8) for connection to the fieldbus, a control device (7) which is provided for receiving function signals (S4) of a function device (5) and forming signaling signals (S1) from the function signals (S4) and / or for receiving signaling signals (S2), forming function signals (S5) from the signaling signals (S2) and outputting the function signals (S5) to a function device (20), and a display device (12) for displaying a bus address (Bn) of the peripheral device (1, 11) in the fieldbus system (100), characterized by , that the control device (7) outputs address display signals (S3) to the display device (12) for displaying the bus address (Bn), and the display device (12) is designed to permanently display the bus address (Bn) even without a power supply to the display device (12). [2] Peripheral device (1, 11) according to claim 1, characterized by that the functional device (5) is arranged in the peripheral device (1) and is designed as a detector (5) which outputs measurement signals (S4) to the control device (7) as function signals (S4), wherein the control device (7) has an evaluation device for evaluating the measurement signals (S4) and forming the signaling signals (S1) from the measurement signals (S4). [3] Peripheral device (1, 11) according to claim 2, characterized by that the detector (5) is selected from the group containing: fire detector, smoke detector, infrared sensor, glass break sensor, motion detector. [4] Peripheral device (11) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the functional device (20) is arranged in the peripheral device (11) and is designed as an output device (20) for outputting optical output signals (S7), wherein the control device (7) forms output signals (S5) from the received message signals (S2) and outputs the output signals (S5) as function signals (S5) to the output device (20). [5] Peripheral device (1, 11) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the peripheral device (1, 11) has an interface (15) for connecting an external functional device (5, 20) and input and / or output of the function signals (S4, S5) via the interface (15). [6] Peripheral device (1, 11) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the control device (7) can also output a status display signal (S6) to the display device (12) to display a status of the peripheral device (1, 11) and / or the fieldbus system (100). [7] Peripheral device (1, 11) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the control device (7) has an addressing device (7.1) for generating the address display signal (S3) and outputting the address display signal (S3) to the display device (12). [8] Peripheral device (1, 11) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that it has a housing (1a) and the display device (12) is firmly connected to the housing (1a). [9] Peripheral device (1, 11) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by that the display device (12) is electrically contacted with the addressing device (7.1) via a mechanically detachable interface (9) and is mechanically reversibly detachable for removing and fitting the display device (12). [10] Peripheral device (1, 11) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the bus address (Bn) can be assigned via the fieldbus and subsequently displayed on the display device (12). [11] Peripheral device (1, 11) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the bus address (Bn) can be entered by an address input unit (18) provided on the peripheral device (1, 11) independently of the fieldbus system (100). [12] Peripheral device (1, 11) according to claim 11, characterized by that the address input unit has an operating device (18) that can be operated manually by a user, e.g. one or more rotary switches (19), for setting the bus address (Bn) and displaying it on the display device (12). [13] Peripheral device (1, 11) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that it further comprises a memory device (13) for storing the bus address (Bn) and outputting the bus address (Bn) to the display device (12). [14] Fieldbus system (100) comprising: one or more peripheral devices (1, 11) according to one of the preceding claims, one or more bus lines (101) and a central unit (2), wherein signaling signals (S1, S2) can be transmitted between the central unit (2) and the peripheral devices (1, 11) and each peripheral device (1, 11) is uniquely identified in the fieldbus system (100) by a bus address (Bn). [15] Fieldbus system (100) according to claim 14, characterized by that the plurality of peripheral devices (1, 11) are connected in series, in particular as an LSN bus system, in particular as a ring bus system and / or field bus system with spur lines.

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