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User´s Guide Power Rail Booster Version 12/2005

4 Network Topologies for Contact Rail Systems

4.1 Term Definitions

Contact Rail System

The communication between stationary plant control system and mobile vehicles

takes place over PROFIBUS DP. Signals from the master are amplified by the PRB

and fed into the contact rails. The vehicle picks off the amplified signals with the

collector. The moving PRB then transforms the signals back to the Standard

PROFIBUS signal level.

DP Master Segment

A contact rail system can be connected to the PROFIBUS via one or more than one

PROFIBUS master. The segment of a contact rail system in which data interchange

takes place via a PROFIBUS master is referred to as a “DP master segment”.

Normally, a contact rail system consists of only one DP master segment. If there are

multiple DP master segments, care must be taken to see that no electrical

connection (short circuit) can be established between DP master segments via the

double collector. This can be done using rail sections (see Chapter

4.4 „Rail

sections“).

PRB Segment

As a rule, more than one stationary Power Rail Booster is required to supply a

contact rail system with PROFIBUS signals. The subsegment of a contact rail system

in which data interchange takes place via a PRB is referred to as “PRB segment”. A

PRB segment is thus a subsegment of a DP master segment. It must be ensured that

no electrical connection (short circuit) can be established between two PRB

segments via the double collector. This can be done using rail sections (see Chapter

4.4 „Rail sections“).

Fig. 3: Block diagram of a DP master segment with two PRB segments

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Siemens 6ES7 972-4AA02-0XA0 User Manual

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