Process control software

This paper examines the nature of the software which is necessary so that a real-time computer may be used to control industrial processes. The general nature of a process control software system is discussed, and several methods for implementing such a system are examined. This paper is divided into several sections. First, the general structure of process control software systems is examined, and the programming problems associated with developing such a system are discussed. Then several tools for doing this programming are discussed, including problem-oriented languages, "fill-in-the-blank programming systems," procedural programming languages, and the operating systems which are used to tie the different portions of a process control system together. This paper closes with a dicussion of future trends in process control software, and recent activities in developing software standards. It will be assumed that the reader is generally familiar with software with at least a passable knowledge of FORTRAN programming.