Control of paint spraying machines and the like

Intelligent data storing apparatus for use in a control system comprising at least one programmable logic controller (PLC) for controlling one or more devices to perform a process, the process having a number of variants, the apparatus comprising:

• receiving means for receiving a data request from said PLC, said data request including (i) a code designating a process variant and (ii) a code indicative of one or more designated devices requiring control in order to implement the process variant;
• database means comprising (i) a database holding operational data elements, and (ii) a database dictionary defining (a) a tree structure relating operational data elements to particular variants of the process and particular devices and (b) a structure of one or more cycles by which each device performs the process, the structure of the each cycle being constant regardless of which process variant is designated;
• the database holding the operational data elements grouped into files corresponding to particular combinations of device, process variant and cycle;
• and
• retrieving means, responsive to said receiving means, for identifying the applicable cycle(s), for retrieving operational data elements from files in the database applicable to the designated device, process variant and cycle(s) using pathnames corresponding to the tree structure specified in the database dictionary and for formatting the retrieved data elements into a block having a predetermined structure for outputting to the PLC.