Interconnecting fieldbuses through ATM

Networks for factory automation, often named fieldbuses, have been developed to fulfill real time requirements. However, they can only cover geographical areas such as factory halls or buildings. The paper describes a model for internetworking fieldbuses via ATM networks. A remote bridge is used to span longer distances between fieldbus components in a separated fieldbus. Furthermore, a multiport bridge connecting several independent fieldbuses is investigated. The emphasis is laid on the investigation of quality of service requirements the transport channel provided by the ATM network has to meet. By means of the wide spread fieldbus PROFIBUS the implications for real time applications and the system behavior are considered.