Assembly control with authentication of control system

A method comprising:

• attaching a plurality of attached modular components to an embedded processing system, the attached modular components each being provided with a nameplate including at least part and serial number data;
• the embedded processing system receiving the nameplate information from each of the attached modular components and comparing the received nameplate information with stored nameplate information for the particular attached component;
• communicating with the attached modular component if the received nameplate information matches the stored nameplate information and identifying a fault if the received nameplate information conflicts with the stored nameplate information;
• and
• wherein once a fault is identified, the processing circuitry is operable to receive the nameplate information from each of the plurality of attached modular components again, and compare the received nameplate information with stored nameplate information for the particular attached modular component, and if a fault is again identified, repeating these steps for a predetermined number of times, with the control algorithm not being updated to report to all of the other of plurality of attached modular component until the fault has been identified for the predetermined number of times.

An assembly comprising:

• a plurality of effectors and sensors and an embedded processing system;
• the embedded processing system having:
• processing circuitry;
• a memory system;
• a plurality of attached modular components, the attached modular components each being provided with an encrypted nameplate including at least part and serial number data;
• the processing circuitry being operable to receive the nameplate information from each of the attached modular components and compare the received nameplate information with stored nameplate information for the particular attached modular component;
• the processing circuitry being operable to communicate with the attached modular component if the received nameplate information matches the stored nameplate information and identify a fault if the received nameplate information conflicts with the stored nameplate information;
• and
• wherein once a fault is identified, the processing circuitry is operable to receive the nameplate information from each of the plurality of attached modular components again, and compare the received nameplate information with stored nameplate information for the particular attached modular component, and if a fault is again identified, repeating these steps for a predetermined number of times, with the control algorithm not being updated to report to all of the other of plurality of attached modular component until the fault has been identified for the predetermined number of times.