US Patent 7944084 Peripheral module and peripheral system for an automation system

There is described a peripheral module which in addition to the connection terminals for the process data supply has connection terminals for the supply of voltage. Furthermore, the peripheral module has a changeover switching device to disconnect the peripheral module from an upstream load group. The peripheral module can assume the function of a supply group or a power module when a supply voltage is applied to the terminals. In a peripheral system made of several peripheral modules the voltage within a load group is supplied via an internal self-constructing voltage bus.