Abstract: A distributed control system comprising a control station and a remote input/output device interconnected by a bus, wherein the system is provided with a continuation transmission service which first transmits an urgent output only and then performs cyclic scan transmission; an initialization start transmission service which first performs cyclic scan transmission for input only; an interruption duration measuring feature which measures the period of transmission interruption; and a control feature which activates the continuation transmission service when the result of the measurement is shorter than a predetermined period of time, and which activates the initialization start transmission service when the result of the measurement is longer than the predetermined period of time. Thus, for example, after a power supply failure, the system can rapidly recover and shift to normal process controlling operation without the delays normally experienced by prior control systems.