Line/Backbone Coupler

The line-/ backbone coupler N 140/13 provides a data connection between two separate EIB bus lines and also isolates the bus lines from each other in order to enable the independent local operation of a bus line.

The N 140/13 can be used as line coupler, backbone coupler or repeater as well in existing EIB networks as in new KNX EIB networks. It has a filter table with the help of which bus telegrams are either blocked off from one of the two lines or are passed on to another line thus reducing the bus load. The filter table is created by the ETS (EIB Tool Software) automatically on commissioning the system.

As there are no differences in hardware between the line coupler, the backbone coupler and the repeater they were given the same ordering number. After downloading the physical address the function of the coupler is assigned automatically.

The connection to the two bus lines is established: a) to the primary line: via bus connection block, b) to the secondary line: via bus connection block. The power supply of the N 140/13 electronics occurs via the connection to the primary line (different to the N 140 ! ). This makes possible to detect and report a bus voltage failure at the secondary line.

Used as a line coupler, it joins up the lines with the main line to create a function zone; as a backbone coupler, it joins up the function zones with the overriding backbone line. Both types of couplers link primary lines and secondary lines as governed by their filtering tables to only pass on group telegrams if their destination address is recorded in the filtering table.
Used as a repeater the N 140/13 enables the connection of more than 64 bus devices to one bus line. Up to three repeaters can be connected to one bus line (as shown in figure 1) thus enabling the connection of a total of 252 bus devices (additionally to the three repeaters) to one bus line.