Bus Coupling Unit (BCU)
The BCU is
available as an EIB standard product or the functionality may be integrated
directly in the product. As it is shown on Fig.1 the BCU is composed of:
1.
A transceiver: a module which provides:
-
Bus
coupling of the device by sending data signals onto the medium and decoding
received signals.
-
Optional
a DC power conversion for the BCU, for the receiver and transmitter function,
for output signal generation.
2. A
communication controller.
3. A
microprocessor which
provides:
-
Necessary
communication features
-
Optimal
application routing
-
Physical
External Interface (PEI) support
-
Operating
system
-
Space
for a program
The Line Coupler (LC)
The Line Coupler is a system component for
Twisted Pair. It uses the same basic functions as the repeater, but it connects
the line to which it belongs to the main line. The line coupler ensures data
packets routing and buffering with overflow management going from a line to the
main line and vice versa. The power feeding of the LC comes from the line it
belongs to. The LC provides galvanic separation.
The Repeater
The repeater as well is a Twisted Pair system
component. Its function is to regenerate the electrical network signals and to
separate the bus access. The repeater makes it possible to connect electrical
segments together and create large extended lines without back feeding effects
from one electrical segment to the other. By use of repeaters more than 64
devices per line can physically be connected and more than 1000m overall wire
length is allowed.
EIB
Bus devices are generally built up from two parts: the Bus Coupling Unit and
the application module.
The
Bus Coupling Unit is a decentralized bus manager in each device and provides
electrical features as well as data coupling to the Bus, in order to allow the
separation of application hardware and software from the Bus communication
system.
From
the installation point of view the EIB Bus devices can be divided into 4
groups:
- Rail-mounted
EIB Bus devices (for applications like load switching, analog input,
binary input, IR-decoder) for controlling of appliances such as brightness
sensors, anemometers, humidity sensors, temperature sensors.
- Flush
mounted: where the Bus Coupling Unit is mounted in the wall for monitoring
purposes and the application module snapped onto it outside the wall (like
pushbutton, sensor, IR-decoder, set-point control, display panel).
- Surface
mounted EIB Bus devices: where both the Bus Coupling Unit and the
application module are mounted outside the wall.
- Device
mounted: for incorporation into appliances such as heaters, lamps, etc...