An industrial control system comprising at least one industrial controller and method of transferring data in an industrial controller include use system-specific firmware of the industrial controller to execute at least one system task of a predefined set of system tasks independently from a user-specific industrial control program. The at least one system task is adapted to use in the operating phase while execution of the instructions defined in the user-specific industrial control program the at least one file system service to move data in a first dedicated storage location of the first data storage unit to a second data storage unit formatted for use with a file system, or use the at least one file system service to move data from the second data storage unit to a second dedicated storage location of the first data storage unit.

A method for modifying control software of an automation system having a controller and a plurality of subscribers, where the subscribers are connected to the controller via a data bus and communicate via a data exchange, at least one subscriber is a software subscriber for modifying control software of the controller, and the software subscriber comprises a memory unit on which at least one modification instruction for modifying the control software is stored. The controller sends an individual query message to the software subscriber for querying the modification instruction, the software subscriber sends a response to the controller providing the modification instruction, and the controller verifies whether the modification instruction is compatible with the control software, modifying the control software according if the modification instruction is compatible with the control software, and discarding the modification instruction if not compatible with the control software.

A modular tabletop apparatus, typically used for workpiece storage and handling during robotic manipulation and feeding to a machine, is disclosed. Modules of the apparatus comprise detection interfaces disposed at locations corresponding to module edge locations and arranged in a periodic grid. Alignment of facing detection interfaces along common edges of pairs of adjacent modules permits module controllers to detect neighboring modules, and a main controller to compute the overall size and shape of the tabletop formed by the modules. Connecting arrangements are also disclosed. The connecting arrangements may be placed at the same grid locations as the detection interfaces, advantageously permitting alignment of detection interfaces for any interconnection configuration of modules. Modules may comprise plates with a grid of positioning indentations. The period of the positioning grid can be an integer multiple or integer fraction of that of the interface/connection grid.