Safety-Related and Non-Safety-Related Communication

Communication on contact-based safety relays is very limited. Simply displaying fault conditions can sometimes prove difficult. Switching to electronic versions already makes communication somewhat easier: LEDs flash, sometimes with varying frequencies, to distinguish between specific malfunctions. LCD displays indicate errors and/or operating states in plain text. Configurable safety relays offer a whole new set of options: Fieldbus modules can be used to connect them to almost any fieldbus; they can even exchange safety-related data via special interconnection modules. This enables data to be exchanged with non-safety-related fieldbus subscribers, in order to share diagnostic data or transfer control commands to the configurable safety relay, for example.

The ability to transfer data safely via special interconnection modules opens up new horizons: If several machines are working together in a network, for example, safety requirements will demand that safety signals are exchanged between the control systems. Previously this could only be achieved by exchanging digital signals. This is a laborious process and is extremely inefficient due to the high cost for each piece of information transmitted. If interconnection modules are used to replace the previous hard-wired solution; the
amount of wiring is reduced, while the amount of information data, including safety technology data, is  increased.