Patent ID: 7925811

Claim:
A modular system consisting of individual modules which can be mounted side by side in-line, comprising a head module having at least one connection for an external bus signal on an external bus, at least one pneumatic supply connection, an electric supply connection and a functional module connecting face and an expansion module connecting face, the head module further having a serial bus interface for an internal serial bus, an electric supply interface, a multipole interface, a pneumatic supply interface and a bus extending connection which is branched off from said serial bus interface; said serial bus interface, said electric supply interface, said multipole interface and said pneumatic supply interface each having a corresponding connector located on said functional module connecting face and said bus extending connection having a connector located on said expansion module connecting face; and at least one functional module having an internal serial bus line, electric supply lines, electric multipole lines and a pneumatic supply line which are each passed through from one side to an opposite side and which are each connected to a corresponding interface of the head module; the head module converting serial bus signals into multipole signals and outputting these signals at the multipole interface; the functional module selectively branching at least one of the multipole lines and, with a signal carried thereon, executing a pneumatic or an electric or both a pneumatic and an electric function.