AGGREGATOR APPARATUS FOR STANDARDIZED ACCESS TO A PLURALITY OF NETWORK SEGMENTS OF A FIELD BUS SYSTEM

摘要

A description is given of an aggregator apparatus which is designed to form a plurality of first data connections to a plurality of field access devices, wherein the field access devices are connected to a plurality of different network segments of a field bus system. The aggregator apparatus is designed to form at least one second data connection to at least one host computer. The aggregator apparatus is designed to receive first data traffic from the at least one host computer via at least one of the second data connections and to forward the first data traffic, via at least one of the first data connections, to a field access device of that network segment in which the particular field bus component, to which the first data traffic is directed, is situated. The aggregator apparatus is also designed to receive second data traffic from a field bus component in one of the network segments via at least one of the first data connections and to forward the second data traffic to at least one of the host computers via at least one of the second data connections.