The invention relates to a main module (10) for a command and reporting system (50), which main module comprises a control unit (16) and a device interface (18) for coupling to at least two command and reporting devices (12, 12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 12.n) in a line topology. The main module (10) also has a bus interface (13) for connecting to a superordinate control unit (11), wherein the control unit (16), by means of the device interface (18), is designed to control at least two command and reporting devices (12, 12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 12.n) separately by means of a command signal (20). According to the invention, the command signal (20) is designed for device-address-free delivery at the respective command and reporting device (12, 12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 12.n) and has a target cell (22) and an incrementable counting cell (24) for this purpose. The invention further relates to a method (100) by means of which the device-address-free delivery is implemented. The invention further relates to a computer program product (80) suitable therefor, to a command and reporting system (50) in which the invention is implemented, and to an automation system (60) equipped with a corresponding command and reporting system (50).

The present disclosure relates to a control module circuit having a circuit communication input port, a circuit communication output port, a first controllable unit that has a first controller module, and a second controllable unit having a second controller module. The first controller module has a first communication input port connected with the circuit communication input port and a first communication output port. The second controller module has a second communication input port connected with the first communication output port and a second communication output port connected with the circuit communication output port. The first and second controllable units are adapted to be identified with a permanent identity by way of a transmittable data signal receivable at the communication input port and sequentially received by the first and second controllable units.

Systems and methods are provided for enabling coexistence of Information Technology (IT) systems and Operational Technology (OT) systems, where advanced computing functionality realized by the IT systems can be applied to legacy applications and incumbent hardware technologies resident in the OT systems. A distributed control node (DCN) implemented between the IT and OT systems may comprise a microcontroller system partitioned into two processor clusters. Microservices associated with the IT systems are provisioned to a high performance processor cluster, and legacy applications running bare metal associated with the OT systems are provisioned to a real-time processor cluster. Partitioning of the microcontroller system allows for interoperability between the microservices and the legacy applications.

Disclosed is a positioning system having at least one axis of movement and a serial interface board and method for use therewith. The system includes at least one controller and at least one positioning stage. The at least one positioning stage is in communication with the at least one controller and includes a first positioning stage. The first positioning stage includes a first carriage and a first motor configured to displace the first carriage along a first positioning axis or rotate the first carriage about the first positioning axis. The first positioning stage also includes a first serial interface that is configured to connect to a source of power and receive first-stage sensor signals from one or more stage sensors associated with the first positioning stage. The first serial interface is also configured to communicate at least a portion of the first-stage sensor signals to the at least one controller.

An information transfer mechanism includes processing apparatus and a head-mounted display, and transfers information of the processing apparatus to an operator. The processing apparatus has an information transmitter for transmitting positional information of the processing apparatus, individual identification information of the processing apparatus, and notice information to be notified to the operator. The head-mounted display receives the notice information of the processing apparatus which have entered a visual field thereof and displays the received notice information in overlapping relation to the scene of peripheral processing apparatus.

A technique for enabling reduction in user operations. A program generating apparatus includes a control distribution unit and a communication function adding unit. The control distribution unit allocates respective control blocks of a control model to controllers, based on the control model received by a control model input unit, and setting information and connection information received by a setting information input unit. The communication function adding unit adds, when first and second ones of the control blocks are connected to each other, a communication control block to a connected part between the first and second control blocks, the first and second control blocks being allocated to different ones of the controllers in the allocated control model.

The present disclosure relates to a function connection unit for connecting functional modules. The functional connection unit includes a plurality of functional module terminals configured to connect to the functional modules and to communicate according to a first communication protocol, and a service module that includes a service terminal configured to connect to at least one functional module terminal of the plurality of functional module terminals to communicate according to the first communication protocol. The service module also includes a communication terminal to communicate according to a second communication protocol. The service module is configured to supply parameter data available at the communication terminal according to the second communication protocol to the service terminal according to the first communication protocol. The function connection unit is configured to parameterize at least one functional module based at least in part on the parameter data.

A technique for enabling reduction in user operations. A program generating apparatus includes a control distribution unit and a communication function adding unit. The control distribution unit allocates respective control blocks of a control model to controllers, based on the control model received by a control model input unit, and setting information and connection information received by a setting information input unit. The communication function adding unit adds, when first and second ones of the control blocks are connected to each other, a communication control block to a connected part between the first and second control blocks, the first and second control blocks being allocated to different ones of the controllers in the allocated control model.

A control device includes a communication unit, an acquisition unit, and a calculation unit. The communication unit performs communication with an I/O connection device where an I/O device is connected and an information processing device, via a network. The acquisition unit acquires device information related to the I/O device from at least one of a first storage unit included in the I/O connection device and storing the device information and a second storage unit included in the information processing device and storing the device information. The calculation unit performs control calculation related to the I/O device by using the device information.

A backplane for use in an I/O device includes a first bus configured to communicatively couple each of a plurality of electronic marshalling component (EMC) slots to each of one or more I/O processor module slots. The I/O device also includes a second bus, redundant to the first bus, configured to communicatively couple each of the plurality of EMC slots to each of the one or more I/O processor module slots. For each pair of a one of the plurality of EMC slots and a one of the one or more I/O processor module slots, a first path length of the first bus between the pair is the same as a second path length of the second bus between the pair, such that data transmitted between the pair on the first bus has a same latency as data transmitted between the pair on the second bus.