Automation module with an adapter
An automation module includes a housing that has a front and rear sides, top and lower sides and a left and right sides, wherein a printed circuit board is arranged within the housing parallel between the left and right sides of the housing, the lower and top sides are formed at least as a ventilation grid to enable cooling inside the housing, where a first plug connector is arranged on the printed circuit board proximate to the top side, an adapter is detachably arranged on the top side, where the adapter has a second plug connector and forms an encoding element such that the adapter includes pins arranged such that, during an insertion-withdrawal operation of the second plug connector into the first plug connector, the pins pass through openings in the ventilation grid and an insertion-withdrawal operation of the second plug connector into the first plug connector is therefore possible.
1 . An automation module having a housing, which has a rear side, a front side, a lower side, a top side, a left side and a right side, the automation module comprising:
a first printed circuit board arranged in the housing in parallel between the left side and the right side of the housing, the lower side and the top side being formed at least partially as a ventilation grid to enable convection cooling in an interior of the housing;
a first plug connector arranged on the first printed circuit board in an immediate vicinity of the top side; and
an adapter detachably arranged on the top side, the adapter including a second plug connector and forming an encoding element such that the adapter includes pins which are arranged such that during an insertion-withdrawal operation of the second plug connector into the first plug connector said pins pass through openings in the housing and an insertion-withdrawal operation of the second plug connector into the first plug connector becomes possible.
2 . The automation module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first plug connector is formed on the first printed circuit board as a maintenance and diagnostics interface.
3 . The automation module as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first plug connector is connected to parts of the module which are provided for a safety-relevant use and the adapter forms the encoding element to provide a safety-relevant encoding which provides access to relevant operating structure by contacting both plug connectors.
4 . The automation module as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the adapter includes a collar disposed about the second plug connector with the projecting contact elements, and the collar includes a cutout provided for an encoding with a counterpart.
5 . The automation module as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first plug connector is configured as a socket and the second plug connector includes contact elements which project toward both sides.
6 . The automation module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first plug connector is connected to parts of the module which are provided for a safety-relevant use and the adapter forms the encoding element to provide a safety-relevant encoding which provides access to relevant operating structure by contacting both plug connectors.
7 . The automation module as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the first plug connector is configured as a socket and the second plug connector includes contact elements which project toward both sides.
8 . The automation module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first plug connector is configured as a socket and the second plug connector includes contact elements which project toward both sides.
9 . The automation module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one detachable contact bridge is arranged in the second plug connector and the automation module is configured to identify an inserted contact bridge.
10 . The automation module as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the adapter includes a collar disposed about the second plug connector with the projecting contact elements, and the collar includes a cutout provided for an encoding with a counterpart.
11 . The automation module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pins are configured to fit into the available ventilation grid.
12 . The automation module as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the adapter includes a collar disposed about the second plug connector with the projecting contact elements, and the collar includes a cutout provided for an encoding with a counterpart.
13 . The automation module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pins are configured such that the adapter fits or is blocked in the interior of the housing based on a length of the pins.
14 . The automation module as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the adapter includes a collar disposed about the second plug connector with the projecting contact elements, and the collar includes a cutout provided for an encoding with a counterpart.
15 . The automation module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the adapter includes a light source which indicates to a system operator the adapter is inserted.
16 . The automation module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rear side is configured for detachable attachment to a module carrier.