ABSTRACT
In the past, typical fieldbus protocols (e.g., Profibus, Interbus-S, FIP (Factory Instrumentation Protocol), P-Net, AS-i (Actuator/Sensor Interface)) have been isolated implementations of certain ideas and functionalities that the inventors thought were best suited to solve a certain problem or do a certain job. This has led to quite effective fieldbuses that do their particular job quite well, but they are optimized for certain layers within the automation pyramid or are limited in their functionality (e.g., strict single master systems running a Master/Slave protocol). This typically results in barriers within the automation architecture that are difficult to penetrate and that require complex gateway devices without being able to fully bridge the gap between the various systems that can be quite different in nature.
