COUPLING OF SAFE FIELDBUS SYSTEMS

Generally, a means for coupling widely differing fieldbus or network systems to their own respective safety mechanisms is provided, in such a way as to ensure the transmission of safety data between at least two bus/network systems with different safety mechanisms.A method and an apparatus are provided for coupling at least two (field)bus/network systems to respectively different safety mechanisms, in particular respective proprietary safety mechanisms, with safety data which is to be transmitted between the different system-based safety mechanisms being processed additionally using a safe data structure which is defined but is system-independent.