Patent ID: 6097303
Filing Date: 2000-08-01
Classification: G05B,H05K

Abstract:
A modular I/O system for field wiring comprising:base means;a plurality of electronics modules mountable in said base means;terminals associated with each electronics module including field terminals mounted on the base means for landing the field wiring:electrical conductors on said base means connected to said electronics modules and said associated terminals;a plug-in switching module associated with at least one of said electronics modules and having switch means connecting with said electrical conductors for effecting selectable connections between said at least one of said electronics modules and said terminals;said at least one electronics module comprises a first electronics module and a second electronics module which is redundant to said first electronics module, transfer means connecting terminals associated with said first electronics module with said second electronics module, and said switching module being associated with said first electronics module selectively switching terminals associated with said first electronics module to which said field wiring is connected to said first electronics module and alternatively to said second, redundant electronics module through said transfer means; andsaid electronics modules comprise a plurality of said first electronics modules, said second electronics module being redundant to each of said plurality of first electronics modules, said transfer means comprising means connecting terminals associated with each of said first electronics modules to said second electronics module, each of said first electronics modules having an associated switching module selectively switching terminals associated with said first electronics module to the associated first electronics module and alternatively to said second electronics module through said transfer means.