Process control systems for operating process plants are disclosed herein. The process control systems include control modules that are decoupled from the I/O architecture of the process plants using signal objects or generic shadow blocks. This decoupling is effected by using the signal objects or generic shadow blocks to manage at least part of the communication between the control modules and the field devices. Signal objects may convert between protocols used by control modules and field devices, thus decoupling the control modules from the I/O architecture. Generic shadow blocks may be automatically configured to mimic the operation of field devices within a controller executing the control modules, thus partially decoupling the control modules from the I/O architecture by using the shadow blocks to manage communication between the control modules and the field devices.

A method for interacting master and slave information in real time, comprising: collecting, by N slave control MCUs, sensor signals of sensors respectively connected thereto; feeding back, by the N slave control MCUs, the sensor signals to a master control MCU via a signal transfer panel; and when the sensor signals satisfy a pre-set condition, giving, by the master control MCU, a control instruction to a corresponding slave control MCU according to the pre-set condition, wherein both the sensor signals and the control instruction are transmitted between the master control MCU and the slave control MCUs via the signal transfer panel in an SP signal manner. Also disclosed is a system for interacting master and slave information in real time. The method for interacting master and slave information in real time can reduce the redundant information interaction and improve the communication efficiency.

A computer program product, a device, a functionally secure programmable controller and a method for processing data via coded operations in a number of cycles, wherein an uncoded variable x is coded with a cycle-specific signature D and a variable-specific signature B.sub.x to form a coded variable x.sub.c in accordance with the relationship: x.sub.c=D.Math.x+B.sub.x.

A high availability industrial automation system in disclosed. The system has a primary industrial automation controller, a secondary industrial automation controller, and a communication network connected to the primary industrial automation controller and the secondary industrial automation controller. The primary industrial automation controller includes a processor and a memory configured to store a plurality of instructions, a plurality of automation tasks, input/output (I/O) data, and internal storage data. The processor is operative to execute the plurality of instructions to cross load information from the primary industrial automation controller to the secondary industrial automation controller. The cross loading of information can be less than the maximum amount of communicable information capable of being cross loaded. Also disclosed are methods of communicating over the high availability industrial automation system.

Process control systems for operating process plants are disclosed herein. The process control systems include control modules that are decoupled from the I/O architecture of the process plants using signal objects or generic shadow blocks. This decoupling is effected by using the signal objects or generic shadow blocks to manage at least part of the communication between the control modules and the field devices. Signal objects may convert between protocols used by control modules and field devices, thus decoupling the control modules from the I/O architecture. Generic shadow blocks may be automatically configured to mimic the operation of field devices within a controller executing the control modules, thus partially decoupling the control modules from the I/O architecture by using the shadow blocks to manage communication between the control modules and the field devices.

Provided is a computation device including a communication interface; a first transmission control part for sending a first communication frame at every predetermined cycle via a transmission path; a second transmission control part for sending a second communication frame in response to an arbitrary event request; and a priority management part. Upon receiving an issuance request of a second event request from a second event issuance part, the priority management part waits for completion of sending processing for a second communication frame corresponding to a first event request currently processed by the second transmission control part, and permits issuance of the second event request to the second event issuance part. The second transmission control part suspends processing for a subsequent first event request following the first event request currently processed until completion of processing for the second event request is complete.

Process control systems for operating process plants are disclosed herein. The process control systems include control modules that are decoupled from the I/O architecture of the process plants using signal objects or generic shadow blocks. This decoupling is effected by using the signal objects or generic shadow blocks to manage at least part of the communication between the control modules and the field devices. Signal objects may convert between protocols used by control modules and field devices, thus decoupling the control modules from the I/O architecture. Generic shadow blocks may be automatically configured to mimic the operation of field devices within a controller executing the control modules, thus partially decoupling the control modules from the I/O architecture by using the shadow blocks to manage communication between the control modules and the field devices.

A high availability industrial automation system in disclosed. The system has a primary industrial automation controller, a secondary industrial automation controller, and a communication network connected to the primary industrial automation controller and the secondary industrial automation controller. The primary industrial automation controller includes a processor and a memory configured to store a plurality of instructions, a plurality of automation tasks, input/output (I/O) data, and internal storage data. The processor is operative to execute the plurality of instructions to cross load information from the primary industrial automation controller to the secondary industrial automation controller. The cross loading of information can be less than the maximum amount of communicable information capable of being cross loaded. Also disclosed are methods of communicating over the high availability industrial automation system.

A computer program product, a device, a functionally secure programmable controller and a method for processing data via coded operations in a number of cycles, wherein an uncoded variable x is coded with a cycle-specific signature D and a variable-specific signature B.sub.x to form a coded variable x.sub.c in accordance with the relationship: x.sub.c=D.Math.x+B.sub.x.

Provided is a computation device including a communication interface; a first transmission control part for sending a first communication frame at every predetermined cycle via a transmission path; a second transmission control part for sending a second communication frame in response to an arbitrary event request; and a priority management part. Upon receiving an issuance request of a second event request from a second event issuance part, the priority management part waits for completion of sending processing for a second communication frame corresponding to a first event request currently processed by the second transmission control part, and permits issuance of the second event request to the second event issuance part. The second transmission control part suspends processing for a subsequent first event request following the first event request currently processed until completion of processing for the second event request is complete.