Abstract: A method for operating an automation device having a CPU module for processing a control program and a source module that is connected via a bus and is intended to supply sink modules of the automation device with electrical energy, wherein variables that are available to the automation device and which influence the operation of the automation device are recorded so as to make it possible to relieve the load on the CPU module when preprocessing the influencing variables.

Abstract: At least two redundant analog input units for a measurement current have analog inputs which are connected in parallel and upon which voltage measuring devices directly lie to convert respectively applied voltages into a digital measurement value, wherein in order to detect errors, in particular in order to detect wire breakage, each analog input unit compares its generated measurement value with a threshold and outputs an error message if a measurement value is detected that falls below the threshold, where if the analog input of the analog input unit is in the low-resistance state, then the at least one other analog input unit is additionally caused to assume a current-measuring function and switch the analog input of the analog input unit to a low-resistance state.

Abstract: At least two redundant analog input units for a measurement current have analog inputs which are connected in parallel and upon which voltage measuring devices directly lie to convert respectively applied voltages into a digital measurement value, wherein in order to detect errors, in particular in order to detect wire breakage, each analog input unit compares its generated measurement value with a threshold and outputs an error message if a measurement value is detected that falls below the threshold, where if the analog input of the analog input unit is in the low-resistance state, then the at least one other analog input unit is additionally caused to assume a current-measuring function and switch the analog input of the analog input unit to a low-resistance state.

Abstract: A method is for producing biological material-coated solid-phase fragments. The method first provides a biological material-coated solid-phase support in a fragmented state and the biological material-coated solid-phase fragment adhered to a film. Then, a tensile stress is generated on the film, which is then contacted with a lifting head to pre-detach the biological material-coated solid-phase fragment from the film. The fragment is then taken off from the film. A device for producing the biological material-coated solid-phase fragment includes a tensile-stress unit, a lifting-head unit and a removal unit.

Abstract: A method and redundant control system for an actuator in which two redundant control computers are connected via buses to a respective peripheral station containing an interface module and at least one periphery module, wherein the actuator is connected to mutually decoupled signal outputs of two periphery modules, each forming an output module, of the two peripheral stations, where output values generated by the two redundant control computers for the actuator are transmitted by the interface modules to the output modules, wherein upon detection of a bus fault, the respective interface module transmits a command to all downstream output modules to output substitute values, and where output modules to which the actuator is connected exchange information about receipt of the command via a communication link and implement it only if another output module concerned has also received the command so as to prevent failure modes in redundant operation.

Abstract: An arrangement includes a plurality of peripheral units and with a sensor, each of the plurality of peripheral units being provided with a connection for connecting the sensor to a supply voltage, includes a sensor input for connecting the sensor, and also includes a measuring resistor for acquiring a sensor current that represents a signal state, where a redundant acquisition and evaluation of the sensor current or a redundant operation of the sensor is permitted on the plurality of peripheral units via suitable measures.

Abstract: A peripheral module for connecting Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) field devices provides different HART variables to the input area of its address space for cyclic reading by a CPU unit and continuously updates these HART variables, wherein a communication area for transmitting an individual HART variable is provided in the input and output area of the address space, where the CPU unit writes a command, which specifies the current HART variable to be read, into the output area of the communication area and the peripheral module provides and updates the specified HART variable in the input area of the communication area until a time at which the CPU unit writes a new command, which specifies another HART variable to be read, into the output area in order to make the transmission of all potentially available HART variables possible in a simple manner.

Abstract: The invention relates to a transparent object carrier, which has a marking impressed in the interior, to a diagnostic instrument, preferably a microscope, in combination with a transparent object carrier inserted for diagnostic analysis, and to a method, comprising the steps of providing a transparent object carrier, impressing a marking, which is located in the interior of the carrier, supplying the transparent object carrier with a biological or chemical sample, and, optionally, dividing the transparent object carrier and thereby producing a plurality of smaller transparent object carriers that enclose material from the biological or chemical sample.

Abstract: A method and redundant control system for an actuator in which two redundant control computers are connected via buses to a respective peripheral station containing an interface module and at least one periphery module, wherein the actuator is connected to mutually decoupled signal outputs of two periphery modules, each forming an output module, of the two peripheral stations, where output values generated by the two redundant control computers for the actuator are transmitted by the interface modules to the output modules, wherein upon detection of a bus fault, the respective interface module transmits a command to all downstream output modules to output substitute values, and where output modules to which the actuator is connected exchange information about receipt of the command via a communication link and implement it only if another output module concerned has also received the command so as to prevent failure modes in redundant operation.

Abstract: An arrangement includes a plurality of peripheral units and with a sensor, each of the plurality of peripheral units being provided with a connection for connecting the sensor to a supply voltage, includes a sensor input for connecting the sensor, and also includes a measuring resistor for acquiring a sensor current that represents a signal state, where a redundant acquisition and evaluation of the sensor current or a redundant operation of the sensor is permitted on the plurality of peripheral units via suitable measures.

Abstract: The invention relates to a transparent object carrier, which has a marking impressed in the interior, to a diagnostic instrument, preferably a microscope, in combination with a transparent object carrier inserted for diagnostic analysis, and to a method, comprising the steps of providing a transparent object carrier, impressing a marking, which is located in the interior of the carrier, supplying the transparent object carrier with a biological or chemical sample, and, optionally, dividing the transparent object carrier and thereby producing a plurality of smaller transparent object carriers that enclose material from the biological or chemical sample.

Abstract: An arrangement having a first peripheral device and a second peripheral device that each include basic modules that are provided with process connections and that accommodate electronic modules, where a redundancy adapter unit is provided for redundantly connecting a field device to one of the basic modules of each of the two peripheral devices such that the redundancy connection of assemblies, which are arranged in spatially separate peripheral devices, is suitable simplified.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for microscopically examining patient samples consisting of tissue or cells. Especially in the field of tumor diagnostics, typically the entire samples or selected sections thereof that are of special interest for test purposes are initially placed on substrate supports one by one or in groups. Said substrate supports are then placed individually or together with other substrate supports in holders in which the substrate supports are subjected to a defined sequence of process steps. According to the invention, the substrate supports that contain the patient samples are securely immobilized in the holders and can be rearranged differently for subsequent laboratory operations. For each laboratory operation, the patient samples thus form combined groups that are processed in parallel or are moved jointly.

Abstract: An arrangement having a first peripheral device and a second peripheral device that each include basic modules that are provided with process connections and that accommodate electronic modules, where a redundancy adapter unit is provided for redundantly connecting a field device to one of the basic modules of each of the two peripheral devices such that the redundancy connection of assemblies, which are arranged in spatially separate peripheral devices, is suitable simplified.

Abstract: A method for operating an automation device having a CPU module for processing a control program and a source module that is connected via a bus and is intended to supply sink modules of the automation device with electrical energy, wherein variables that are available to the automation device and which influence the operation of the automation device are recorded so as to make it possible to relieve the load on the CPU module when preprocessing the influencing variables.

Abstract: An assembly for a modular automation device includes a sensor, which is arranged in a housing capsule of the assembly, for detecting the temperature (Tdet) of the feed air in the housing capsule, where feed air flows through air-inlet openings in the housing capsule, across components, and finally through air-outlet openings in the housing capsule, and includes a monitoring unit for evaluating the temperature (Tdet) that is detected by the sensor such that the feed-air temperature can be determined more accurately by using suitable measures.