Abstract: A distributed control system (DCS) for controlling an industrial process using a plurality of distributed control nodes (DCNs) can include a plurality of Device DCNs, each Device DCN including an I/O interface coupled with a field device for single channel input or output, a plurality of Application DCNs, and one or more Ethernet switches. The plurality of Device DCNs and the plurality of Application DCNs can be adapted to host a software runtime and communicatively coupled via the one or more Ethernet switches. The DCS architecture can include of two types of DCNs; Application DCNs and Device DCNs. The software runtime can be configured to selectively provide control application level communication and function block execution services.

Abstract: A distributed control system (DCS) for controlling an industrial process using a plurality of distributed control nodes (DCNs) can include a plurality of Device DCNs, each Device DCN including an I/O interface coupled with a field device for single channel input or output, a plurality of Application DCNs, and one or more Ethernet switches. The plurality of Device DCNs and the plurality of Application DCNs can be adapted to host a software runtime and communicatively coupled via the one or more Ethernet switches. The DCS architecture can include of two types of DCNs; Application DCNs and Device DCNs. The software runtime can be configured to selectively provide control application level communication and function block execution services.

Abstract: A method for determining whether a current state of a process variable output signal is within acceptable limits includes the following steps: establishing reference data by sampling a plant's process variable output signal when the plant is operating at steady state and analyzing the sampled output signal to derive normalized reference data including an energy content of each of a plurality of frequency components of the sampled output signal. The procedure establishes a current operational data base by sampling a process variable signal when the plant is in operation. The sampled current output signal is analyzed to derive current data including a normalized energy content of each of a plurality of its frequency components. For each common frequency component of the reference data and the current data, the procedure compares their normalized energy contents and issues a non-steady state signal if the comparison indicates that the compared energy contents exceed a predetermined limit.

Abstract: A system controls a plant process which includes manipulated variables (e.g. input states) and control variables (e.g. output states). The system includes sensor circuitry for providing measures of the control variables and a memory for storing a correction time constant and upper and lower limits for at least one control variable. The upper and lower limits are separated by a band of values within which the one control variable is considered to be acceptable. A processor includes data describing a process model which relates costs of manipulated variables to control variables and, upon solution, further provides predicted values for the one control variable. Logic within the processor is responsive to a measured value function of the one control variable being outside the band of values, to determine minimum cost manipulated variables which result in a return of the predicted value of the one control variable to within the acceptable band of values.