The communication master repeats transmission of first information indicating a counter value of a synchronization counter of the communication master to the one or more communication slaves through a network. Each of the one or more communication slaves updates the counter value of the synchronization counter of each of the one or more communication slaves based on the received first information upon receiving the first information from the communication master. The communication master manages a total number of pieces of the first information transmitted for each of the one or more communication slaves, and estimates synchronization accuracy with respect to the communication master for each communication slave based on a number of transmissions of the first information for each communication slave.

An optical measurement device configured for connection to an industrial network, the industrial network functioning to synchronize time between a master device and a slave device, the optical measurement device includes: an interface module configured to receive a synchronization signal transmitted on the industrial network from the master device within a fixed communication cycle; and a measurement unit configured to perform optical measurements in a measurement cycle. The measurement unit synchronizes when a measurement is taken with the communication cycle in accordance with the synchronization signal received by the interface module.

Aspects describe multiple interface support that provides dynamic switching between new and old interface revisions. A first interface application is selected from a set of alternative interface applications for an industrial automation system. Support for each interface application included in the set of alternative interface applications is provided. A second interface application is downloaded and associated with the first interface application. The second interface application is enabled during runtime. If needed, the second interface application can be selectively disabled and an operation resumed with the first interface application.

A method for synchronizing a plurality of simulations executed by respective simulation programs, an associated computer program product and an associated coordination unit, wherein a plurality of simulations executed by respective simulation programs are synchronized, and wherein the following steps are performed by a coordination unit, i.e., determination of respective status messages of the simulation programs for the completed run through a given cycle, where for each simulation an associated cycle is established by a respective sequence via the respective simulation program of logic steps to be executed, and where outputting in each case of a synchronization message to one or more of the simulation programs, if the respective status messages of the plurality of simulations are present, such that each synchronization message triggers a start of a following cycle of the respective simulation program.

A controller performs a control operation associated with a control target. The controller includes a communication interface that electrically connects at least one function unit to the controller through a data transmission path, a writing unit that writes an observation value obtained through the function unit into a database, and a delay obtaining unit that obtains a delay time taken from when a signal indicating an observation value is input into the function unit to when data representing the observation value becomes usable in the controller, and stores information indicating the obtained delay time.

A control system for factory automation includes a first unit and a second unit that exchange data with each other, and a synchronization module that synchronizes a control counter included in the first unit and a control counter included in the second unit using a clock. Each of the units includes an information storage that stores information on conversion for calculating a time from a counter value of the counter of the unit, the information being shared between the units.

A method synchronizes first and second simulation systems, each operating in a free running operation thereby exchanging data to run the simulation systems. The method includes: a) providing the first simulation system (PLCSIM) being enabled to run in cycles at a linear speed determined by repeatably setting a scaling factor (s.sub.n); b) providing the second simulation system (Process Simulate) to run in cycles at different speeds; c) the second simulation system requests at the end of a cycle a virtual time stamp from the first simulation system; d) calculating on the basis of the virtual time stamp a virtual duration time At.sub.nfs and on the basis of the virtual time stamp after completion of the cycle of the second simulation system a virtual duration time At.sub.nss; and e) calculating an update sn+1 for the scaling factor according the most recent scaling factor s.sub.n multiplied by At.sub.nss/At.sub.nfs.

A control system includes plural control devices connected to a network, each of the control devices including a program storage, an operation module, and an arbitration module. The program storage stores a control program including a command to calculate and update a control instruction that is a value related to control of a control target. The operation module operates the control program of the program storage of the control device. The arbitration module disposes plural control programs including a command to calculate and update an identical control instruction in another one of the plural control devices, and arbitrates an operation time between the plural control programs such that updatings of the identical control instruction do not conflict with each other in the plural control programs.

Disclosed is an event input module, wherein the event input module receives time information which is an IRIG-B signal of a predetermined method from an outside time provider, allocates the time information to a detected event and determines event generation information.

A method and system are provided that synchronize one or more appliances to one or more users' schedules. Sensor data may be obtained from a sensor. The sensor data may indicate a state of a first appliance. A user location may be determined. A first characteristic of the first appliance may be obtained. Based upon the user location and the sensor data, a schedule indicating when the user will desire a state change of the first appliance may be determined. A feature of the first appliance may be dynamically modified to cause the first appliance to operate according to the schedule. A notice may be sent to the user that contains information about the first appliance.