Patent ID: 7299310

Claim:
A connection module ( 11 ) for the connection of a sensor, in particular of an optoelectronic sensor ( 25 ), to a fieldbus ( 23 ), comprising: a sensor interface ( 15 , 49 ) for the connection of the connection module to an interface of a sensor; a serial bus interface ( 13 , 47 ) for the connection of the connection module to an interface of a fieldbus; and a gateway circuit ( 27 , 43 ), which is connected to the bus interface and to the sensor interface to convert data received at the bus interface into a data format of a connected sensor and to output them at the sensor interface and to convert data received at the sensor interface into a data format of the fieldbus and to output them at the bus interface, wherein the sensor interface ( 15 , 49 ) of the connection module ( 11 ) is made as a parallel interface with a serial data interface ( 17 ) and with at least one separate switch input/output ( 19 , 21 ) parallel thereto; and at least one I/O circuit ( 29 , 43 ) is integrated into the connection module ( 11 ) and is connected to the bus interface and to the sensor interface to convert switching data serially received at the bus interface into switching signals and to output them at the switch input/output of the sensor interface and to convert switching signals received in parallel at the switch input/output of the sensor interface into switching data and to output them serially at the bus interface.