Patent ID: 8467196

Claim:
A modular Fieldbus segment protector for mounting between a Fieldbus trunk and Fieldbus spurs connected to the Fieldbus trunk, in which the Fieldbus segment protector comprises a support means provided with trunk connection means for connecting to a Fieldbus trunk, a trunk connection bus and a plurality of spur outlets for connecting to Fieldbus spurs, in which the support means comprises a plurality of separate backplanes each carrying a trunk connection bus and one spur outlet, in which the trunk connection means comprises connectors adapted to connect each of the plurality of backplanes to said Fieldbus trunk, said connectors connecting one backplane to another such that said trunk connection bus runs through said backplanes, and so any number of backplanes are daisy-chainable together, in which one or more of the plurality of backplanes carry an autonomous and self-contained fault isolation means removably mounted thereon, in each case between the trunk connection bus and the particular spur outlet of that backplane, such that the fault isolation means are removable from the backplanes, are movable about between the backplanes, are applied to the spur outlets thereof as required, and can isolate separate spurs of the Fieldbus segment without affecting other spurs.