Abstract: Aspects of the invention support different products having a host device and a communications device. The host device may interact with the communications device to exchange messages containing data objects over a fieldbus network for transporting messages containing data objects. Read/write requests to the fieldbus data objects may be answered locally in the communications device, or the fieldbus data object may be mapped to host data when host access is required. The communications device stores a profile image associated with a designated host type, so that the communications device may map the data object to host data for the host device and then exchange the host data with the host device. The communications device may subsequently interact with a different host type if a corresponding profile image is downloaded to the memory device.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention generate a website for a product with an embedded processor from a product specification, website template, and webpage definitions. The specification may contain all the properties of the product needed to interact over a network. The page definitions information identifies a subset of the parameters contained in the specification and groups the identified parameters into different webpages, menus and sub-menus. The website may have a common look and feel based on a website template that is applied to different products. Code is generated and inserted in corresponding webpages so that embedded data in can be located and formatted and may be displayed when the website is viewed by a web browser. A website generator may generate the website by creating a HyperText Markup Language file and at least one auxiliary Extensible Markup Language file from which the code may be created.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention support different products having a host device and a communications device. The host device may interact with the communications device to exchange messages containing data objects over a fieldbus network for transporting messages containing data objects. Read/write requests to the fieldbus data objects may be answered locally in the communications device, or the fieldbus data object may be mapped to host data when host access is required. The communications device stores a profile image associated with a designated host type, so that the communications device may map the data object to host data for the host device and then exchange the host data with the host device. The communications device may subsequently interact with a different host type if a corresponding profile image is downloaded to the memory device.

Abstract: A gateway having an input/output scanner is disclosed. The gateway includes a local area network interface, a serial interface, and a processor configured to provide protocol conversion between the local area network interface and the serial interface. Further, an input/output scanner module is operatively connected to the serial interface and configured to poll the slave device.

Abstract: A control system includes an Internet web interface to a network of at least one programmable logic control system running an application program for controlling output devices in response to status of input devices. The Web interface runs Web pages from an Ethernet board coupled directly to the PLC back plane and includes an HTTP protocol interpreter, a PLC back plane driver, a TCP/IP stack, and an Ethernet board kernel. The Web interface provides access to the PLC back plane by a user at a remote location through the Internet. The interface translates the industry standard Ethernet, TCP/IP and HTTP protocols used on the Internet into data recognizable to the PLC. Using this interface, the user can retrieve all pertinent data regarding the operation of the programmable logic controller system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a communications system in a programmable controller comprising smart modules, a network module connected to a TCP/IP network and an internal communications bus, for example the backplane bus connecting all the modules of the programmable controller with each other. The communications system enables exchanges of information in compliance with the TCP/IP protocol, to be performed on the internal communications bus. Each smart module has its own IP address and a TCP/IP stack. The communications bus includes several separate communications channels providing for simultaneous flow of the frames complying with the TCP/IP protocol together with frames complying with other protocols. The invention also relates to a programmable controller capable of implementing such a communications system.

Abstract: A control system includes an Internet web interface to a network of at least one programmable logic control system running an application program for controlling output devices in response to status of input devices. The Web interface runs Web pages from an Ethernet board coupled directly to the PLC back plane and includes an HTTP protocol interpreter, a PLC back plane driver, a TCP/IP stack, and an Ethernet board kernel. The Web interface provides access to the PLC back plane by a user at a remote location through the Internet. The interface translates the industry standard Ethernet, TCP/IP and HTTP protocols used on the Internet into data recognizable to the PLC. Using this interface, the user can retrieve all pertinent data regarding the operation of the programmable logic controller system.

Abstract: A control system includes an Internet web interface to a network of at least one programmable logic control system running an application program for controlling output devices in response to status of input devices. The Web interface runs Web pages from an Ethernet board coupled directly to the PLC back plane and includes an HTTP protocol interpreter, a PLC back plane driver, a TCP/IP stack, and an Ethernet board kernel. The Web interface provides access to the PLC back plane by a user at a remote location through the Internet. The interface translates the industry standard Ethernet, TCP/IP and HTTP protocols used on the Internet into data recognizable to the PLC. Using this interface, the user can retrieve all pertinent data regarding the operation of the programmable logic controller system.