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 collaborative automation platform and associated method include a fault-tolerant control server hosting one or more virtual controllers, and a fault-tolerant input/output server hosting a virtual input/output system. The collaborative automation platform also includes a master autonomous process interface system connected to the virtual input/output system, via a local area input/output network. The collaborative automation platform also includes a plurality of distributed autonomous process interface systems connected to the master autonomous process interface system, wherein each distributed autonomous process interface system is hardwired to a plurality of field instruments. The collaborative automation platform also includes real-time DDS middleware configured for execution with the fault-tolerant control server, the fault-tolerant input/output server, the master autonomous process interface system, and the plurality of distributed autonomous process interface systems.

A collaborative automation platform and associated method include a fault-tolerant control server hosting one or more virtual controllers, and a fault-tolerant input/output server hosting a virtual input/output system. The collaborative automation platform also includes a master autonomous process interface system connected to the virtual input/output system, via a local area input/output network. The collaborative automation platform also includes a plurality of distributed autonomous process interface systems connected to the master autonomous process interface system, wherein each distributed autonomous process interface system is hardwired to a plurality of field instruments. The collaborative automation platform also includes real-time DDS middleware configured for execution with the fault-tolerant control server, the fault-tolerant input/output server, the master autonomous process interface system, and the plurality of distributed autonomous process interface systems.

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.

Information representing an operating state of each of a plurality of robots, etc. operating under different operation conditions are retrieved and outputted. A retrieval system (1) includes; an acquisition means (24) for acquiring, from a plurality of machines (25) being used under respectively different operation conditions, information representing an operating state of each of the plurality of machines; an accumulation means (13) for accumulating information representing a plurality of operating states thus acquired; and a search means (12) for accepting search criteria for searching the information accumulated in the accumulation means (13), retrieving information representing an operating state agreeing with the search criteria from the accumulation means (13), and outputting a search result.

In the case of a secure communication connection to a communication device connected to the industrial automation system via a non-secure subnetwork, a monitoring unit checks whether a new communication network address assigned to the communication device for a connection to the non-secure subnetwork becomes valid. In the event of a change in a communication network address and in the case of a still existing secure communication connection, the monitoring unit transmits an address change notification via the existing secure communication connection, where upon receiving the address change notification, the set-up of an additional secure communication connection and a changeover from the existing secure communication connection to the additional secure communication connection are initiated.

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.

The present disclosure relates to a system and a method for managing machine tool information for heterogeneous numerical control devices, and more particularly, to a system and a method for managing machine tool information for heterogeneous numerical control devices which may manage data of heterogeneous numerical control devices by a mobile device through a network, such as a wide area Internet or local WiFi, and monitor an operational state of the machine tool.

A process control system for controlling an industrial process implemented at a plant, may include: a network provided in the plant; a network device comprising at least one of a first detector, which is configured to detect a connection state of the network device with the network, and a second detector, which is configured to detect a state of the network device, the network device being configured to output at least one of connection information, which indicates a first detection result detected by the first detector, and device state information, which indicates a second detection result detected by the second detector, to the network.

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.