Systems and methods of implementing distributed controller connections within industrial systems

A method of providing distributed controller connections within industrial systems, the method comprising:

• providing a plurality of industrial controllers for an industrial system, wherein the plurality of industrial controllers are configured to perform coprocessing for an industrial process of the industrial system;
• establishing, with an Ethernet cable, a direct Ethernet interconnect between a first industrial controller of the plurality of industrial controllers and a second industrial controller of the plurality of industrial controllers;
• executing, with the first industrial controller and the second industrial controller, the industrial process of the industrial system;
• and
• while executing the industrial process with the first industrial controller and the second industrial controller, maintaining cache-coherency across the plurality of industrial controllers in accordance with a packetized cache-coherency protocol.

A system for connecting distributed controllers within industrial systems, the system comprising:

• an Ethernet physical media configured to facilitate a packetized cache-coherency protocol across a plurality of industrial controllers of an industrial system;
• an industrial personal computer (“PC”) included in the plurality of industrial controllers, the IPC configured to control at least a first portion of an industrial process of the industrial system;
• and
• a programmable logic controller (“PLC”) included in the plurality of industrial controllers, the PLC directly connected to the PLC with the Ethernet physical media and configured to control at least a second portion of the industrial process of the industrial system.