Extend-A-Bus Serie - Exceed the Geographical Limits of CAN-Based Networks
The EXTEND-A-BUS Series can extend DeviceNet up to six kilometers—linking individual DeviceNet subnets together into a single larger network.
Each EXTEND-A-BUS unit creates a DeviceNet subnet and at least two units are needed to link subnets together. The data rate on each subnet can differ from those of other subnets. DeviceNet identifiers or MAC IDs cannot be duplicated on any of the subnets. Each EXTEND-A-BUS pair is best viewed as an extension cord. A unit does not consume a permanent MAC ID, therefore it is transparent to the network.
The backbone side of the EXTEND-A-BUS must adhere to standard ARCNET® cabling rules. Companion AI ARCNET active hubs are available for extending the backbone cabling. Hubs are cascaded to achieve the maximum distance: up to 6 km when using coaxial cabling and ten active hubs or up to 4.8 km when using a fiber optic backbone and two active hubs.