Flexible backplane for system operations

An industrial system comprising:

• a machine;
• and
• a control and safety system coupled to the machine and configured to operate the machine, the control and safety system comprising:
• an electronic backplane comprising:
• a first input/output (I/O) bus,
• a second I/O bus electrically isolated from the first I/O bus,
• a plurality of I/O connection ports each comprising a first set of pins electrically connected to the first I/O bus, and a second set of pins electrically connected to the second I/O bus, wherein, during operation of the industrial system, only one of the first set of pins or the second set of pins of an I/O connection port is enabled for data communications;
• a plurality of module slots each configured to receive a hardware module and each module slot comprising an I/O connection port,
• a control processor module installed in a first one of the module slots,
• a safety processor module installed in a second one of the module slots,
• a control I/O module installed in a third one of the module slots, and
• a safety I/O module installed in a fourth one of the module slots,
• wherein the control processor module is configured to communicate control data with the control I/O module through the first I/O bus, and
• wherein the safety processor module is configured to communicate safety data with the safety I/O module through the second I/O bus.

An electronic backplane comprising:

• a first input/output (I/O) bus;
• a second I/O bus electrically isolated from the first I/O bus;
• a plurality of I/O connection ports each comprising a first set of pins electrically connected to the first I/O bus, and a second set of pins electrically connected to the second I/O bus, wherein the plurality of I/O connection ports are aligned in a first row along the electronic backplane;
• a first processor slot configured to receive a first processor module and comprising a first one of the I/O connection ports and a first processor connection port having a plurality of pins electrically connected to a first processor bus;
• a second processor slot configured to receive a second processor module and comprising a second one of the I/O connection ports and a second processor connection port having a plurality of pins connected to a second processor bus, that is electrically isolated from the first processor bus, wherein the first processor connection port and the second processor connection port are aligned in a second row;
• a third processor slot configured to receive a third processor module and comprising a third one of the I/O connection ports and a third processor connection port having a plurality of pins electrically connected to the first processor bus enabling data communication through the first processor connection port of the first processor slot;
• a fourth processor slot configured to receive a fourth processor module and comprising a fourth one of the I/O connection ports and a fourth processor connection port having a plurality of pins electrically connected to the second processor bus enabling data communication through the second processor connection port of the second processor slot;
• a power supply slot configured to receive a power supply and comprising a power connection port having at least two pins electrically connected to a power bus and a fifth one of the I/O connection ports;
• and
• a plurality of I/O slots each configured to receive a hardware module and each I/O slot comprising at least one of the I/O connection ports.