A smart power system is described. In one or more implementations, the smart power system comprises a microcontroller and a power converter electrically connected to the microcontroller and is configured to convert electrical energy from one form to another. The system also includes a switch element electrically connected to the microcontroller and configured to control distribution of the converted electrical energy to an electrical load. A sense element is electrically connected to the electrical load and to the microcontroller and is configured to monitor the converted electrical energy distributed to the electrical load and to furnish a feedback signal based upon the converted electrical energy. The microcontroller is configured to verify and to monitor the power converter, as well as to control and to monitor distribution of the converted electrical energy to the electrical load based upon the feedback signal.

A collaborative automation platform includes a control server connected to a local area control network, and a plurality of distributed autonomous process interface systems. Each distributed autonomous process interface system is configured to receive measurement data from one or more field instruments and forward converted measurement data via an uplink to subscribers. Each distributed autonomous process interface system includes a standalone data distribution system-enabled input/output system and associated hardware for connection to the one or more field instruments. The collaborative automation platform also includes real-time DDS middleware configured to interconnect process control applications of the control server with the plurality of distributed autonomous process interface systems. The collaborative automation platform is configured with circuitry to determine unmeasured process properties required for higher level process control applications, publish changed values of the converted measurement data to the subscribers, and publish the unmeasured process properties to the subscribers.

A collaborative automation platform includes a control server connected to a local area control network, and a plurality of distributed autonomous process interface systems. Each distributed autonomous process interface system is configured to receive measurement data from one or more field instruments and forward converted measurement data via an uplink to subscribers. Each distributed autonomous process interface system includes a standalone data distribution system-enabled input/output system and associated hardware for connection to the one or more field instruments. The collaborative automation platform also includes real-time DDS middleware configured to interconnect process control applications of the control server with the plurality of distributed autonomous process interface systems. The collaborative automation platform is configured with circuitry to determine unmeasured process properties required for higher level process control applications, publish changed values of the converted measurement data to the subscribers, and publish the unmeasured process properties to the subscribers.

A surgical system which may be configured to be a minimally invasive and/or computer assisted surgical system. Operation of the system may be controlled by transmission of a force from a first section to a second section of the system. The first section and the second section may be separated by a partition or a barrier. The first section may be a non-sterile section and the second section may be a sterile section of the surgical system.

A clustered automation platform includes a plurality of distributed autonomous junction boxes connected to a master autonomous junction box, wherein each of the distributed autonomous junction boxes is configured to connect to one or more process measurement and control devices. The clustered automation platform also includes a fault-tolerant local area Ethernet network configured to interconnect the master autonomous junction box with a fault-tolerant input/output system server and a fault-tolerant control server. The clustered automation platform also includes a plurality of virtual local area networks partitioned from the fault-tolerant local area Ethernet network, a plurality of virtual control modules virtualized from the fault-tolerant control server, and a plurality of virtual operation areas virtualized from the fault-tolerant input/output system server. The clustered automation platform also includes real-time DDS middleware configured to interconnect hardware components with virtual components of the clustered automation platform.

A clustered automation platform includes a plurality of distributed autonomous junction boxes connected to a master autonomous junction box, wherein each of the distributed autonomous junction boxes is configured to connect to one or more process measurement and control devices. The clustered automation platform also includes a fault-tolerant local area Ethernet network configured to interconnect the master autonomous junction box with a fault-tolerant input/output system server and a fault-tolerant control server. The clustered automation platform also includes a plurality of virtual local area networks partitioned from the fault-tolerant local area Ethernet network, a plurality of virtual control modules virtualized from the fault-tolerant control server, and a plurality of virtual operation areas virtualized from the fault-tolerant input/output system server. The clustered automation platform also includes real-time DDS middleware configured to interconnect hardware components with virtual components of the clustered automation platform.

Methods and apparatus to design collaborative automation systems based on Data Distribution Service middleware are described, which include a clustered automation platform having one or more control servers connected to a local area control network, and a plurality of self-contained process interface systems configured to receive electrical signals from one or more field instruments and forward resulting data via an uplink to a local area input/output network. The clustered automation platform also includes an input/output processing and inferential modeling server connected to the local area input/output network and configured to process input/output signals of the plurality of self-contained process interface systems. The clustered automation platform also includes real-time data distribution service control middleware configured to interconnect one or more process control applications, the one or more input/output processing and inferential modeling servers, the one or more control servers, the plurality of self-contained process interface systems, and one or more HMIs.

A clustered automation platform includes a plurality of distributed autonomous junction boxes connected to a master autonomous junction box, wherein each of the distributed autonomous junction boxes is configured to connect to one or more process measurement and control devices. The clustered automation platform also includes a fault-tolerant local area Ethernet network configured to interconnect the master autonomous junction box with a fault-tolerant input/output system server and a fault-tolerant control server. The clustered automation platform also includes a plurality of virtual local area networks partitioned from the fault-tolerant local area Ethernet network, a plurality of virtual control modules virtualized from the fault-tolerant control server, and a plurality of virtual operation areas virtualized from the fault-tolerant input/output system server. The clustered automation platform also includes real-time DDS middleware configured to interconnect hardware components with virtual components of the clustered automation platform.

A collaborative automation platform includes a control server connected to a local area control network, and a plurality of distributed autonomous process interface systems. Each distributed autonomous process interface system is configured to receive measurement data from one or more field instruments and forward converted measurement data via an uplink to subscribers. Each distributed autonomous process interface system includes a standalone data distribution system-enabled input/output system and associated hardware for connection to the one or more field instruments. The collaborative automation platform also includes real-time DDS middleware configured to interconnect process control applications of the control server with the plurality of distributed autonomous process interface systems. The collaborative automation platform is configured with circuitry to determine unmeasured process properties required for higher level process control applications, publish changed values of the converted measurement data to the subscribers, and publish the unmeasured process properties to the subscribers.

A collaborative automation platform includes a control server connected to a local area control network, and a plurality of distributed autonomous process interface systems. Each distributed autonomous process interface system is configured to receive measurement data from one or more field instruments and forward converted measurement data via an uplink to subscribers. Each distributed autonomous process interface system includes a standalone data distribution system-enabled input/output system and associated hardware for connection to the one or more field instruments. The collaborative automation platform also includes real-time DDS middleware configured to interconnect process control applications of the control server with the plurality of distributed autonomous process interface systems. The collaborative automation platform is configured with circuitry to determine unmeasured process properties required for higher level process control applications, publish changed values of the converted measurement data to the subscribers, and publish the unmeasured process properties to the subscribers.