A distributed control system featuring the coordination of functionality among peer controller nodes. The controller nodes are luminaires that are capable of controlling the ambient lighting within a building area. Within the control system, there are one or more ambient light sensors for reporting the ambient light level by publishing data packets containing sensor values. The controller luminaire nodes are members of a defined group of nodes that behave according to the same set of rules. Each controller node is capable of generating a control signal in response to detecting the data packets containing a group address to which the controller node is subscribed. In particular, a first controller node generates a first control signal for controlling a lamp if a subscribed-to group address is detected, wherein the control signal is determined by an aggregate function whose input values include the sensor values in the data packets.

In automation-engineering installations, there is a need to exchange process information between different devices. For this, OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) from OPC Foundation has become established as a standard protocol. However, rather than transmit requested OPC-UA subscriptions via the conventional OPC-UA session channel, the invention sets up a separate TSN data communication by means of which that subscription information is transmitted.

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 method of controlling an industrial process run in a plant includes sending field data from the process to a data acquisition module. The data acquisition module converts the field data into Internet protocol (IP) field data. The IP field data is provided to an IP broker having a memory that stores the IP field data arranged in a tree of topics. The IP broker has a stored publisher/subscriber pattern including a plurality of clients including a first client subscribed by a published message to the IP broker that includes at least a selected topic from the tree of topics. Upon receipt of an update of the IP field data including the selected topic, the IP broker publishes the updated IP field data according to the publisher/subscriber pattern over a permanently open IP connection that is received by at least the first client.

A cloud based identity management system that handles a plurality of published events that are published and consumed by microservices provides a dynamic queue that includes one or more active queues and one or more inactive queues. Embodiments create selectors for all of the active queues and the inactive queues and binds subscribers to each active queue. Embodiments dynamically cause at least one of the inactive queues to become one of the active queues when a number of published events increases.

A cloud based identity management system that handles a plurality of published events that are published and consumed by microservices provides a dynamic queue that includes one or more active queues and one or more inactive queues. Embodiments create selectors for all of the active queues and the inactive queues and binds subscribers to each active queue. Embodiments dynamically cause at least one of the inactive queues to become one of the active queues when a number of published events increases.

A controller for controlling wireless command transmission to a robotic device is described. The controller is configured to obtain an action that is to be performed by a robotic device and to determine a quality of control, QoC, level that is associated with the action. The controller is further configured to trigger a setting of at least one transmission parameter for a wireless transmission of a command pertaining to the action. The transmission parameter setting is dependent on the QoC level determined for the action.

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 Multi-Purpose Dynamic Simulation and run-time Control platform includes a virtual process environment coupled to a physical process environment, where components/nodes of the virtual and physical process environments cooperate to dynamically perform run-time process control of an industrial process plant and/or simulations thereof. Virtual components may include virtual run-time nodes and/or simulated nodes. The MPDSC includes an I/O Switch which delivers I/O data between virtual and/or physical nodes, e.g., by using publish/subscribe mechanisms, thereby virtualizing physical I/O process data delivery. Nodes serviced by the I/O Switch may include respective component behavior modules that are unaware as to whether or not they are being utilized on a virtual or physical node. Simulations may be performed in real-time and even in conjunction with run-time operations of the plant, and/or simulations may be manipulated as desired (speed, values, administration, etc.). The platform simultaneously supports simulation and run-time operations and interactions/intersections therebetween.