Industrial control system architecture for real-time simulation and process control

A method of controlling a node of a process control system of an industrial process plant, the method comprising:

• communicatively connecting a field device and a virtual node via an I/O switch disposed between the field device and the virtual node so that the field device, the I/O switch, and the virtual node operate in conjunction during run-time operations of the industrial process plant to control an industrial process,
• the field device disposed in a physical environment of the industrial process plant and performing a physical function,
• the I/O switch being a subscriber to first data that is generated by the field device and that has been published, and the I/O switch being a publisher of second data indicative of the first data generated by the field device,
• the virtual node disposed in a virtual environment of the industrial process plant, and the virtual node being a subscriber to the second data corresponding to the field device and published by the I/O switch,
• the virtual node and the field device included in a first control loop of a plurality of control loops of the process control system operating to control the industrial process,
• each control loop of one or more control loops of the plurality of control loops including a respective field device disposed in the physical environment of the industrial process plant and a respective at least one other process control device disposed in the virtual environment of the industrial process plant,
• each control loop of the one or more control loops utilizing the I/O switch in lieu of any physical I/O device, and
• the first control loop included in the one or more control loops;
• and
• during the run-time operations of the industrial process plant:
• receiving, by the virtual node, the second data corresponding to the field device and published by the I/O switch;
• operating, by utilizing a component behavior module of the virtual node, on the second data, thereby generating a control signal based on the second data;
• and
• causing an indication of the control signal to be transmitted to a recipient node of the process control system, thereby modifying a behavior of the recipient node.