A hierarchical high integrity system is disclosed. The system may include one or more operator input interfaces configured to receive one or more operator commands from an operator. The system may further include a hierarchy of a plurality of functional layers configured to perform one or more functions in response to the one or more operator commands. The hierarchy of the plurality of functional layers may include one or more upper functional layers and one or more lower functional layers. The one or more upper functional layers may configured to provide a greater level of automation than the one or more lower functional layers. Each functional layer may include a plurality of applications; an arbitrator configured to dynamically select the appropriate input source; an application selector configured to dynamically select an application; and a default safe fallback module configured to selectively provide a substantially safe operation for each functional layer.

A sputter-ion-pump system includes a sputter ion pump and an electronic drive. The electronic drive supplies a voltage across the ion pump to establish, in cooperation with a magnetic field, a Penning trap within the ion pump. A current sensor measures the Penning-trap current across the Penning trap. The Penning trap is used as an indication of pressure within the ion pump or a vacuum chamber including or in fluid communication with the ion pump. The pressure information can be used to determine flow rates, e.g., due to a load, outgassing, and/or leakage from an ambient.

A paint production system produced from pigment pastes and vehicles without prior adjustment. The system includes a volumetric dosing module endowed with automatic volumetric calibrators, at least one continuous processing module that includes a rotary mechanism that moves at least one tank between a mixing station, a continuous adjustment station integrated into a filling station, a cleaning station jointly with a manifold cleaning solvent mist generator and a control center that sends commands to be executed in the volumetric dosing module and continuous processing module units from a set of instructions in a computer program.

A service unit is provided as well as a method for controlling a service unit performing various service activities at one workstation on a textile machine having several workstations, in which case the service activities and movement orders to be carried out by the service unit are prioritized by a controller unit. In order to provide a method for controlling a service unit performing various service activities and movement orders as well as a service unit with a controller device for carrying out movement orders and service orders, which enable adjustment and maintenance work to be carried out quickly on the service unit, there is provision for avoidance maneuvers and parking orders to be carried out with the highest priority and manually set service activities and movement orders to be carried out with high priority.

The present disclosure is directed to systems, methods and devices for facilitating object-based industrial automation control. An automation control library comprised of a plurality of objects may be maintained in association with one or more industrial automation applications. Code defining the execution of an industrial automation process may be received. A plurality of objects in the object library for implementing the industrial automation control process may be identified. The plurality of identified objects may be matched to one or more hardware components based on one or more operational requirements included in the code, and available hardware resources for performing the automation control process.

The present disclosure is directed to systems, methods and devices for facilitating object-based industrial automation control. An automation control library comprised of a plurality of objects may be maintained in association with one or more industrial automation applications. Code defining the execution of an industrial automation process may be received. A plurality of objects in the object library for implementing the industrial automation control process may be identified. The plurality of identified objects may be matched to one or more hardware components based on one or more operational requirements included in the code, and available hardware resources for performing the automation control process.

An automation system includes function-providing components which offer functions, function-using components which access the functions, and at least one intermediary component. The function-providing components are configured to register with the intermediary component. The function-using components are configured to register with the intermediary component. When the function-using components require access to a specific function, they request from the at least one intermediary component a function-providing component that offers the specific function, wherein, if such a function-providing component is registered with the at least one intermediary component, the at least one intermediary component enables access to the specific function for the function-using component.

A field control system includes: a control component for exchanging electric signals with at least one field device; and a processing component for processing electric signals exchanged between the at least one field device and the control component. The processing component and the control component are electro-conductively and mechanically connected or connectable. In a connected state, the electric signals are exchangeable between the at least one field device and a control system connected to the field control system by the processing component and the control component.

A system for dispersing a chemical in a surface water body includes an aerator device, having an injector positioned at a bottom of the surface water body; and a holding tank to store the chemical adjacent to the surface water body; and a metering pump connected to the holding tank, the metering pump having a computing device to program the metering pump; the metering pump is programed to inject an amount of the chemical to the injector at a rate; and the injector disperses the chemical throughout the surface water body.

A distributed control system for use in an assembly line grow pod includes a master controller and a hardware controller device. The master controller includes a first processor and a first memory for storing a first set of instructions that dictates plant growing operations and a second set of instructions that dictates a plurality of distributed control functions. The hardware controller device is coupled to the master controller via a plug-in network interface. The hardware controller device includes a second processor and a second memory for storing a third set of instructions that dictate a selected control function of the plurality of distributed control functions. Upon the plug-in connection, the master controller identifies an address of the hardware controller device and sends a set of parameters defining a plurality of tasks relating to the selected control function.