Configuration of slave devices in an industrial network system

Abstract

A method for configuring slave devices in a communication system including a master device and slave devices, wherein the master device and the slave devices are connected in chain via a commission line and in parallel via a field bus line, and wherein each slave device is indexed by an index greater than or equal to 1, the slave device of indexbeing connected to the master device. To enroll the slave device of index k, k being equal to or greater than 1, the master device is able to: send, in broadcast via the field bus line, an address configuration frame containing instructions for address configuration with a defined address of index k for the slave device of index k; send, in broadcast via the field bus line, a request for device information, the request containing the defined address; send, in broadcast via the field bus line after having received a reply containing device information and the defined address, a command for sending a commissioning signal via the commission line to the slave device of index k+1, the command containing the defined address; and store the received device information in an information table, the device information containing an identifier of the slave device of index k and a type of the slave device of index k, wherein the slave devices have a common default address before being enrolled and only a slave device of index k, which has the common default address and detects a commissioning signal on the commission line, accepts the address configuration frame to change the common default address of the slave device of index k to the defined address.