DIN Rail-based Control and Instrumentation Bus

In contrast to the Automated Test Equipment Mainframe (which, as its name suggests, was designed to allow multiple modules to be brought together to create a larger, interactive and programmable piece of test equipment), this bus more about building control systems out of standalone controllers and I/O modules in a master-slave configuration. The resulting control systems would typically be run autonomously, and be divided along (DIN) rail boundaries.

While this system still use a shared TTL-UART bus to allow controller modules to be queried and reprogrammed via a single USB-to-TTL serial interface, the bulk of the 'peripherals' — be they sensors, drivers or smaller, bare-bones microcontrollers — would likely be connected to the controller via an SPI bus to query, program and synchronise the various modules. To keep costs down, all modules, controllers and I/O boards alike, should be designed to support daisy-chaining.

  • Support a shared inter-module control bus
  • Do so in a way which neither ties up all of the available intra-module SPI or I2C buses, nor makes the system vulnerable to inter-module conflicts or I2C device address contention
  • Ideally do so in a way that is compatible with ATmega 328P-based microcontroller boards (e.g. the Arduino Nano / Mini Pro)
  • Shared power and reset lines, and a backplane that automatically sets the unit IDs based upon slot position
  • A software-level command interface that allows individual modules to be addressed, but which also allows for 'group' or chassis-wide events such as triggers, etc.
  • Ideally uses a command interface / syntax which resembles existing / industry standards


Pin Function Pin Function
1 (top) +12V supply 9 GND
2 10
3 11 TxD
4 +5V supply 12 RxD
5 13 SCL
6 GND 14 SDA
7 15 /RESET
8 16 (Reserved)
Category:
Interface
Entry:
DIN Rail Control and Instrumentation Bus
Make:
Enginuity
Model:
DINBus
Description:
Control and Instrumentation Bus for DIN Rail-based systems
Status:
Working prototype
Release-year:
2020
  • Last modified: 2021-11-22 18:42
  • by Peter