Peripheral module for an automation apparatus

摘要

A switching regulator has a clocked step-up converter with constant-current sink to serve as means to output electrical energy from the module. A signaling contact (14) functions as digital input of the electrical energy. The switching regulator (30) has a processing functionality for recognizing the status of the sensor connected to the signaling contact from a voltage which is required in operating mode for driving a current via the signaling contact. The regulator also recognizes the status of the sensor from the exceeding of predetermined voltage threshold values. An independent claim is included for the method of operating an input-output module.