A control unit and method for operating an industrial automation system communication network that includes a plurality of communication devices, wherein a plurality of control units redundant with respect to each other controls functions of a plurality of associated communication devices, where the communication devices transmit communication-specific input variables to all associated redundant control units, output variables (produced by the control units redundant with respect to each other are checked for deviations from each other, and where if there are deviations, then a switchover is made to reserve control units or control units having output variables that deviate with respect to a majority of control units redundant to each other are deactivated.

Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a field device including a network bridge, the network bridge to convert first data received at a first Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio of the network bridge, over a BLE network, from a second BLE radio of a remote device, and formatted according to a BLE communication protocol, into second data formatted according to an industrial communication protocol.

Systems and methods for distributed controls via edge devices are provided. The system includes a coordinating device and a plurality of distributed controllers. The coordinating device is configured to determine a current state, assign tasks for performing control specified by a control application to the plurality of distributed controllers, and broadcast a plurality of parameters. The plurality of distributed controllers are configured to perform the control specified by the control application. Each distributed controller is configured to receive a respective task, perform a respective control operation, and control an edge device using a control signal generated from the control operation.

Systems and methods for distributed controls via edge devices are provided. The system includes a coordinating device and a plurality of distributed controllers. The coordinating device is configured to determine a current state, assign tasks for performing control specified by a control application to the plurality of distributed controllers, and broadcast a plurality of parameters. The plurality of distributed controllers are configured to perform the control specified by the control application. Each distributed controller is configured to receive a respective task, perform a respective control operation, and control an edge device using a control signal generated from the control operation.

A process control system for controlling a process including a plurality of sub-processes, the process control system including a plurality of control modules each associated with one of the plurality of sub-processes. At least one of the plurality of control modules includes a model, a communicator, and a controller. The model includes a sub-process model defining a relationship between variables of the associated sub-process, and an inter-sub-process model defining a relationship between a variable of another sub-process and at least one of the variables of the associated sub-process. The communicator communicates with control module associated with the another sub-process to determine an updated value for the variable of the another sub-process. The controller uses the model and the updated value to determine a control signal for adjusting a manipulated variable of the associated sub-process. The process control method is also provided that is performed by the process control system.

A method can include receiving scheduled tasks associated with subsystems of a wellsite system wherein the scheduled tasks are associated with achievement of desired states of the wellsite system; transmitting task information for at least a portion of the scheduled tasks to computing devices associated with the subsystems; receiving state information via the wellsite system; assessing the state information with respect to one or more of the desired states; based at least in part on the assessing, scheduling a task; and transmitting task information for the task to one or more of the computing devices associated with the subsystems.

A system for securely communicating information in a building management system (BMS) includes a plurality of HVAC devices communicably coupled via a network each HVAC device storing a copy of an HVAC data chain that includes a plurality of blocks linked sequentially. The plurality of HVAC devices includes a first HVAC device including a processing circuit configured to generate a first block comprising device data and send the block to at least a portion of the plurality of HVAC devices. The processing circuit is configured to receive a second block from one of the plurality of HVAC devices and solve the second block. The processing circuit is further configured to add the solved block to the HVAC data chain of the first HVAC device as the newest block and send the solved block to each of the plurality of HVAC devices.

A distributed control system may include a main processing unit, a distributed control module, and a controllable component. The distributed control module may be configured to receive a nominal command reference from the main processing unit, determine a series of cumulating command references based at least in part on the nominal command reference; and output a series of cumulating control commands to the controllable component. The series of cumulating control commands may be based at least in part on the series of cumulating command references.

A method operates a safety control in an automation network having a master subscriber which carries out the safety control, at least one first slave subscriber which is assigned a first safety integrity level, and at least one second slave subscriber which is assigned a second safety integrity level. The first safety integrity level and the second safety integrity level differ from each other. A first safety code determination method is assigned to the first slave subscriber and a second safety code determination method is assigned to the second slave subscriber. The first safety code determination method and the second safety code determination method differ from each other. The master subscriber and the first slave subscriber use the first safety code determination method for interchanging a safety data block. The master subscriber and the second slave subscriber use the second safety code determination method for interchanging a safety data block.

A control unit and method for operating an industrial automation system communication network that includes a plurality of communication devices, wherein a plurality of control units redundant with respect to each other controls functions of a plurality of associated communication devices, where the communication devices transmit communication-specific input variables to all associated redundant control units, output variables (produced by the control units redundant with respect to each other are checked for deviations from each other, and where if there are deviations, then a switchover is made to reserve control units or control units having output variables that deviate with respect to a majority of control units redundant to each other are deactivated.