An output module for an industrial controller provides electrical isolation between each of the output terminals in the module. The output module receives control signals from the industrial controller indicating a desired output state for each of the output terminals and selectively connects power from the output of the electrical isolation to the output terminal. During normal operation, a switching device connects the power to the output terminal responsive to the control signal. A current sensor monitors the current conducted at the output terminal. If the current exceeds a predefined threshold, a current limit circuit clamps the current being output at the terminal. A control circuit may allow the output terminal to ride through a temporary spike in current or disable the output terminal if a fault condition is detected.

An output module for an industrial controller provides electrical isolation between each of the output terminals in the module. The output module receives control signals from the industrial controller indicating a desired output state for each of the output terminals and selectively connects power from the output of the electrical isolation to the output terminal. During normal operation, a switching device connects the power to the output terminal responsive to the control signal. A current sensor monitors the current conducted at the output terminal. If the current exceeds a predefined threshold, a current limit circuit clamps the current being output at the terminal. A control circuit may allow the output terminal to ride through a temporary spike in current or disable the output terminal if a fault condition is detected.

The real time capability is to be improved in a Cloud-based control system for an automation plant. To this end, a redundantly embodied, Cloud-based control system with a plurality of computing resources distributed over a network with control applications running thereon is proposed, which, embodied as a primary and backups, execute a control program almost simultaneously and send corresponding program instructions to the automation plant. Long transmission times of individual computing resources therefore do not have a negative effect on the control of the automation plant.

An output module for an industrial controller provides electrical isolation between each of the output terminals in the module. The output module receives control signals from the industrial controller indicating a desired output state for each of the output terminals and selectively connects power from the output of the electrical isolation to the output terminal. During normal operation, a switching device connects the power to the output terminal responsive to the control signal. A current sensor monitors the current conducted at the output terminal. If the current exceeds a predefined threshold, a current limit circuit clamps the current being output at the terminal. A control circuit may allow the output terminal to ride through a temporary spike in current or disable the output terminal if a fault condition is detected.

In one example, a system for real-time execution in a non-real-time processing system includes a processor and a processor and storage device. The storage device stores instructions that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to identify a processing unit for a single thread real-time execution environment. The instructions also cause the processor to determine that an application is submitted for real-time execution. The instructions additionally cause the processor to assign a shared memory space to the application. Further, the instructions cause the processor to submit real-time instructions received from a real-time control loop of the application to the identified processing unit.

In one example, a system for real-time execution in a non-real-time processing system includes a processor and a processor and storage device. The storage device stores instructions that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to identify a processing unit for a single thread real-time execution environment. The instructions also cause the processor to determine that an application is submitted for real-time execution. The instructions additionally cause the processor to assign a shared memory space to the application. Further, the instructions cause the processor to submit real-time instructions received from a real-time control loop of the application to the identified processing unit.