Product Description:

The 3IF766.9 module from B&R Automation belongs to the System 2005 Controllers series and serves as a communication expansion for a host CPU. By supplying one serial service port and one fieldbus master port, the card lets a controller exchange diagnostics with local tools while coordinating distributed I/O on the plant floor. This combination supports integration of existing point-to-point devices alongside high-speed networked stations in industrial automation cells. It allows the control system to keep a local service connection available while also managing communication with remote field devices.

Port IF1 is intended for direct links. Its connector is a 9-pin male DSUB, and the signaling standard is RS232, allowing connection to common PCs or operator terminals. Data transfer on this channel peaks at 115.2 kbit/s; that is the highest baud rate the module can process for parameter downloads or log retrieval. Cable runs can extend to 900 m when repeaters are inserted, preserving telegram integrity over large production areas. Electronics on the card require only 0.8 W from the 3.3 V backplane rail, while ancillary logic draws 0.5 W from the 5 V rail. Galvanic isolation separates IF1 from the fieldbus port.

Fieldbus duties fall to IF2. Its interface uses a 9-pin female DSUB wired to PROFIBUS conventions, and it functions as a PROFIBUS DP V0/V1 master capable of both cyclic process data exchange and acyclic parameter access. Bus speed can be set as high as 12 Mbit/s, and the design also supports segment lengths up to 1200 m at lower rates while moving 3.5 kB of input and 3.5 kB of output data per scan. A maximum of 125 slave stations may be addressed on the network. With both interfaces active, the card’s total power use remains under 1.3 W, and the isolation barrier helps limit fault propagation between the two networks.