Architecture-independent process control

A process control system for operating a process plant, comprising:

• a plurality of process control devices disposed within the process plant;
• and
• a controller communicatively connected to the plurality of process control devices and having at least one control module implemented by the controller as a software module of a process control system, the control module having an input to receive input process control data and an output to communicate output process control data,
• wherein the input of the control module is associated with a first signal object to receive process control data, wherein the first signal object is implemented as a data object within the process control system and wherein the first signal object has a path specifying a data source and a variable providing data obtained from the data source,
• wherein the controller is configured to verify proper functioning of the control module by:
• assigning a test path to the first signal object, wherein the test path is associated with test data indicative of different operating conditions of the process plant,
• executing the control module using the test data to simulate operation of the control module,
• receiving output process control data from the control module,
• recording the received output process control data, and
• verifying proper functioning of the control module using the recorded output process control data,
• wherein the controller is configured to receive information indicating at least a portion of an I/O architecture of the process plant,
• wherein the first signal object has an assigned first path specifying an output of a process control device of the plurality of process control devices as the path of the first signal object after proper functioning of the control module is verified and after the information indicating the at least a portion of the I/O architecture of the process plant is received,
• wherein the first signal object receives output data from the process control device via one or more protocols, extracts process control data from the received output data, and provides the process control data to the control module in a standard format regardless of the one or more protocols of the received output data, and
• wherein the control module receives process control data associated with the process control device from the first signal object.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions for implementing a process control system to operate a process plant that, when executed by one or more processors of a process control system, cause the process control system to:

• receive a selection of a control module associated with a control process, wherein the control module is implemented as a software module within the process control system and has at least one input configured to receive process control data;
• associate a first signal object with the at least one input of the control module, wherein the first signal object is implemented as a data object within the process control system and wherein the first signal object has a path specifying a data source and a variable providing data obtained from the data source;
• assign a test path to the first signal object, wherein the test path is associated with test data indicative of different operating conditions of the process plant;
• execute the control module using the test data to simulate operation of the control module;
• receive output process control data from the control module;
• record the received output process control data;
• verify proper functioning of the control module using the recorded output process control data;
• receive information indicating at least a portion of an I/O architecture of the process plant;
• and
• assign a first path to the first signal object as the path, wherein the first path specifies an output of a process control device of the process plant and wherein the first path is assigned to the first signal object after proper functioning of the control module is verified and after the information indicating the at least a portion of the I/O architecture of the process plant is received,
• wherein the first signal object receives output data from the process control device via one or more protocols, extracts process control data representing a subset of data received from the process control device from the received output data, and provides the process control data to the control module in a standard format regardless of the one or more protocols of the received output data, and
• wherein the control module receives the process control data associated with the process control device from the variable of the first signal object.