The FC Lightbus Cards series consists of PCI interface cards that connect an industrial PC and TwinCAT to an optical fiber-based Lightbus network for high-speed automation communication.
The series includes single-channel and dual-channel versions, with the dual-channel design able to operate two separate optical fiber rings while functioning logically like two independent interfaces. Lightbus communication is organized in a ring structure and uses a protocol optimized for speed and simplicity, with a 2.5 Mbit/s transfer rate and hardware-based telegram handling for efficient process data exchange. Each Lightbus channel supports up to eight priority-controlled logical communication channels and can address as many as 255 bus devices with a maximum of 65,280 I/O points per channel. The FC Lightbus Cards series also provides built-in diagnostic capability through dedicated status LEDs and TwinCAT diagnostic functions, helping users identify optical link, CPU, and communication issues more quickly.
