Abstract: A configurable distributed control processor card for use in an industrial process control system is described. The configurable distributed control processor card includes configuration determination logic for designating a particular intended distributed control processor card configuration based upon a signal, originating from an external bus, sensed on one or more input pins to the configurable card. The configuration determination logic specifies one of a set of distributed control processor card configurations based upon the sensed signal.A configurable distributed control processor card also includes card configuration logic. Based upon the specified configuration, a control program is selected from a set of control programs associated with the distinct ones of the set of distributed control processor card configurations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing an on-line replacement of an industrial process control processor module via loop-by-loop transfer of control blocks is described. After replacing a backup control processor module in a redundant processor configuration with a first upgrade control processor module, the first upgrade control processor module is placed in a partially operable mode enabling reading of control values from a control data storage. However, the partially operable upgrade control processor module cannot write values to the control data storage. Thereafter, control loops for an industrial control process are transferred, one loop at a time, from a primary control processor to the first upgrade control processor. After each loop is transferred, the capabilities of the first upgrade control processor are expanded to include write access to the control data storage associated with the transferred control loop.