Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A control module arrangement for a compressed air maintenance unit, the control module arrangement being adapted to be assembled in stacked arrangement with several maintenance modules of the maintenance unit in a row one after the other, wherein the control module arrangement has a bus communications means for communicating with the maintenance modules via an internal bus of the maintenance unit, wherein the control module arrangement further comprises a diagnostic means for communicating with an input/output device of the maintenance unit, wherein the input/output device has a connection means for connecting at least one diagnostic sensor separate from the maintenance unit and/or for connecting at least one pneumatic compressed air influencing actuator separate from the maintenance unit, wherein the control module arrangement can control the one or more compressed air influencing actuators via the input/output device and/or the control module arrangement can receive diagnostic messages from the one or more separate diagnostic sensors, and wherein the diagnostic means are constructed for generating diagnostic data for a higher-order diagnostic device for diagnosing at least one function of the compressed air maintenance unit with reference to diagnostic messages of the one or more separate diagnostic sensors and/or with reference to diagnostic messages of the maintenance modules, so that the compressed air maintenance unit forms a diagnostic node, and wherein the control module arrangement further comprises first communications means for communicating with a higher-order control device for controlling and/or monitoring the compressed air maintenance unit and second communications means for communicating with the higher-order diagnostic device, to which the diagnostic data can be output, wherein the arrangement operates the first communications means before the second communications means in order of priority. 2. A control module arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the one or more separate diagnostic sensors and/or the one or more compressed air influencing actuators are allocated to a separate component, supplied with compressed air from the maintenance unit. 3. A control module arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the control module is constructed for controlling the maintenance modules and/or the one or more compressed air influencing actuators separated from the maintenance unit with reference to the diagnostic messages of the one or more separate diagnostic sensors and/or the maintenance modules. 4. A control module arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the one or more compressed air influencing actuators comprises a pneumatic valve and/or a pneumatic regulator. 5. A control module arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprises a magnetic sensor and/or an optical sensor and/or a pressure sensor and/or a temperature sensor and/or a flow rate measurement device and/or an electric measurement contact probe. 6. A control module arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic means communicate with the input/output device via a proprietary connection and/or via the internal bus. 7. A control module arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the input/output device is constructed as a module of the compressed air maintenance unit. 8. A control module arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic means link diagnostic messages of the one or more separate diagnostic sensors and/or the maintenance modules with reference to at least one logic condition to the diagnostic data. 9. A control module arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic means perform data reduction for the formation of the diagnostic data. 10. A control module arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic data have a format that can be viewed through an Internet browser. 11. A control module arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the connection means of the input/output device are constructed for connecting a fluid hose to at least one electrical or optical conductor to the one or more diagnostic sensors and/or to the one or more compressed air influencing actuators. 12. A control module arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising control means, especially a memory programmable control for controlling the maintenance modules. 13. A control module arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first communications means are real-time capable. 14. A control module arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the second communications means have a reception block for predetermined control commands for controlling the compressed air maintenance unit. 15. A control module arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first and/or the second communications means have a bus interface. 16. A control module arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement can be set by its transmission parameters for transmitting diagnostic data. 17. A control module arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a control module, which contains the control means for controlling the maintenance modules, and a diagnostic module, which contains the diagnostic means. 18. A control module arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising an operating device interface for connecting a local operating device and/or visualization device. 19. A control module arrangement for a compressed air maintenance unit, the control module arrangement being adapted to be assembled in stacked arrangement with several maintenance modules of the maintenance unit in a row one after the other, wherein the control module arrangement has a bus communications means for communicating with the maintenance modules via an internal bus of the maintenance unit, wherein the control module arrangement further comprises a diagnostic means for communicating with an input/output device of the maintenance unit, wherein the input/output device has a connection means for connecting at least one diagnostic sensor separate from the maintenance unit and/or for connecting at least one pneumatic compressed air influencing actuator separate from the maintenance unit, wherein the control module arrangement can control the one or more compressed air influencing actuators via the input/output device and/or the control module arrangement can receive diagnostic messages from the one or more separate diagnostic sensors, and wherein the diagnostic means are constructed for generating diagnostic data for a higher-order diagnostic device for diagnosing at least one function of the compressed air maintenance unit with reference to diagnostic messages of the one or more separate diagnostic sensors and/or with reference to diagnostic messages of the maintenance modules, so that the compressed air maintenance unit forms a diagnostic node, and wherein the control module arrangement further comprises first communications means for communicating with a higher-order control device for controlling and/or monitoring the compressed air maintenance unit and second communications means for communicating with the higher-order diagnostic device, to which the diagnostic data can be output, wherein the arrangement transmits fewer diagnostic messages via the first communications means than via the second communications means. 20. A control module arrangement for a compressed air maintenance unit, the control module arrangement being adapted to be assembled in stacked arrangement with several maintenance modules of the maintenance unit in a row one after the other, wherein the control module arrangement has a bus communications means for communicating with the maintenance modules via an internal bus of the maintenance unit, wherein the control module arrangement further comprises a diagnostic means for communicating with an input/output device of the maintenance unit, wherein the input/output device has a connection means for connecting at least one diagnostic sensor separate from the maintenance unit and/or for connecting at least one pneumatic compressed air influencing actuator separate from the maintenance unit, wherein the control module arrangement can control the one or more compressed air influencing actuators via the input/output device and/or the control module arrangement can receive diagnostic messages from the one or more separate diagnostic sensors, and wherein the diagnostic means are constructed for generating diagnostic data for a higher-order diagnostic device for diagnosing at least one function of the compressed air maintenance unit with reference to diagnostic messages of the one or more separate diagnostic sensors and/or with reference to diagnostic messages of the maintenance modules, so that the compressed air maintenance unit forms a diagnostic node, and wherein the control module arrangement further comprises first communications means for communicating with a higher-order control device for controlling and/or monitoring the compressed air maintenance unit and second communications means for communicating with the higher-order diagnostic device, to which the diagnostic data can be output, wherein the second communications means have a greater transmission bandwidth than the first communications means.