Universal process control device and method

Claim 1

A method of making a distributed control system configuration in a distributed control system having a data highway connecting at least one program development unit and at least one programmable distributed processing unit, said distributed processing unit providing an integrated control operation for a local or remote portion of a process operation when programmed by said program development unit, said method comprising the steps of: defining, through keyboard entry in an interactive text data entry mode of said program development unit, process points representing data elements that are originated or received by said distributed processing unit, selecting, through keyboard entry from available first, second or third interactive configuration entry modes, selecting through keyboard entry, if in said first interactive configuration entry mode, an individual process control algorithm type and assigning one or more of said defined process points to the arguments of said selected individual process control algorithm on an individual basis, repeating said previous step to form an ordered sequence of said selected process control algorithms, storing said ordered sequence in a first memory buffer, selecting, through digitizer tablet entry, if in said second interactive configuration entry mode, a series of graphic elements forming a first graphic representation of a continuous control loop and assigning one or more of said defined process points and one or more of a set of stored control algorithms to said graphic elements, storing said storing algorithm and process point assignments in a second memory buffer, selecting, through digitizer tablet entry, if in said third interactive configuration entry mode, a series of graphic elements forming a second graphic representation of a sequential control loop and assigning one or more of said defined process points and one or more of a set-of stored special function algorithms to said graphic elements, storing said special function algorithm and process point assignments in a third memory buffer, converting the information in said first, second and third memory buffers to executable code, for use by said distributed processing unit, and transmitting said executable code to said distributed processing unit over said data highway.

Claim 2

A method of making a distributed control system configuration in a distributed control system having a data highway connecting at least one program development unit and at least one programmable distributed processing unit, said distributed processing unit providing an integrated control operation for a local or remote portion of a process operation when programmed by said program development unit, said method comprising the steps of: defining, through keyboard entry in an interactive text data entry mode of said program development unit, process points representing data elements that are originated or received by said distributed processing unit, selecting, through keyboard entry from available first, second or third interactive configuration entry modes, selecting through keyboard entry, if in said first interactive configuration entry mode, an individual process control algorithm type and assigning one or more of said defined process points to the arguments of said selected individual process control algorithm on an individual basis, repeating said previous step to form an ordered sequence of said selected process control algorithms, storing said ordered sequence in a first memory buffer, selecting, through digitizer tablet entry, if in said second interactive configuration entry mode, a series of graphic elements forming a first graphic representation of a continuous control loop and assigning one or more of said defined process points and one or more of a set of stored control algorithms to said graphic elements, storing said storing algorithm and process point assignments in a second memory buffer, selecting, through digitizer tablet entry, if in said third interactive configuration entry mode, a series of graphic elements forming a second graphic representation of a sequential control loop and assigning one or more of said defined process points and one or more of a set-of stored special function algorithms to said graphic elements, storing said special function algorithm and process point assignments in a third memory buffer, converting the information in said first, second and third memory buffers to executable code, for use by said distributed processing unit, and transmitting said executable code to said distributed processing unit over said data highway.