Equipment pathing and unit allocation for a process control system

A method for creating or modifying a recipe that may be used with a process control system, the recipe including unit procedures to be executed on, but not yet allocated to, units, the method comprising the step of:

• prior to allocating any of the unit procedures of the recipe to particular units, storing information in memory that identifies at least one of:
• (a) at least two of the unit procedures of the recipe that, when subsequently allocated to units, must be executed on units that are physically connected to one another,
• (b) at least two of the unit procedures of the recipe that, when subsequently allocated to at least one unit, must be executed on the same unit, and
• (c) at least two of the unit procedures of the recipe that, when subsequently allocated to units, must be executed on different units.

A computer readable medium for use with a process control system that controls execution of a recipe, the recipe including unit procedures to be executed on, but not yet allocated to, units, the medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereby which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the step of:

• in response to input by a user, storing information in memory that identifies at least one of:
• (a) at least two of the unit procedures of the recipe that are not yet allocated to units, and that, when subsequently allocated to units, must be executed on units that are physically connected to one another,
• (b) at least two of the unit procedures of the recipe that are not yet allocated to units, and that, when subsequently allocated to at least one unit, must be executed on the same unit, and
• (c) at least two of the unit procedures of the recipe that are not yet allocated to units, and that, when subsequently allocated to units, must be executed on different units.

An apparatus for configuring a recipe for use with a process control system, the recipe including unit procedures to be executed on, but not yet allocated to, units, comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• means, responsive to user input, for storing information in the memory prior to allocating any of the unit procedures of the recipe to particular units, the information identifying at least one of:
• (a) at least two of the unit procedures of the recipe that, when subsequently allocated to units, must be executed on units that are physically connected to one another,
• (b) at least two of the unit procedures of the recipe that, when subsequently allocated to at least one unit, must be executed on the same unit, and
• (c) at least two of the unit procedures of the recipe that, when subsequently allocated to units, must be executed on different units.

A method for configuring a process control system that is to control the execution of a plurality of unit procedures on a plurality of units, at least some of the plurality of unit procedures not yet being allocated to units, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing first information in memory that identifies at least one of:
• (a) at least two of the plurality of unit procedures that are not yet allocated to units, and that, when subsequently allocated to units, must be executed on units that are physically connected to one another,
• (b) at least two of the plurality of unit procedures that are not yet allocated to units, and that, when subsequently allocated to at least one unit, must be executed on the same unit, and
• (c) at least two of the plurality of unit procedures that are not yet allocated to units, and that, when subsequently allocated to units, must be executed on different units;
• and
• storing second information in memory that identifies units that are physically connected to one another.

A method for configuring a process control system that is to control the execution of a plurality of unit procedures on a plurality of units, comprising the steps of:

• storing unit procedures in memory, each of the unit procedures to be executed on a unit;
• storing first information in memory that identifies at least one of:
• (a) unit procedures that must be executed on units that are physically connected to one another,
• (b) unit procedures that must be executed on the same unit, and
• (c) unit procedures that must be executed on different units;
• storing second information in memory that identifies units that are physically connected to one another;
• and
• displaying an area model that illustrates:
• (a) units that are available to be used to execute the recipe and that do not yet have unit procedures allocated to them, and (b) physical connections that exist between the available units.

A method for configuring a process control system that is to control the execution of a plurality of unit procedures on a plurality of units, comprising the steps of:

• storing unit procedures in memory, each of the unit procedures to be executed on a unit;
• storing first information in memory that identifies at least one of:
• (a) unit procedures that must be executed on units that are physically connected to one another,
• (b) unit procedures that must be executed on the same unit, and
• (c) unit procedures that must be executed on different units;
• storing second information in memory that identifies units that are physically connected to one another;
• and
• using the first information, the second information, and the unit procedures stored in memory to allocate at least one unit procedure of the recipe to at least one available unit.

A system for configuring a process control system that is to control the execution of a plurality of unit procedures on a plurality of units, at least some of the plurality of unit procedures not yet being allocated to units, the system comprising:

• means, responsive to input from a user, for storing first information in memory that identifies at least one of:
• (a) at least two of the plurality of unit procedures that are not yet allocated to units, and that, when subsequently allocated to units, must be executed on units that are physically connected to one another,
• (b) at least two of the plurality of unit procedures that are not yet allocated to units, and that, when subsequently allocated to at least one unit, must be executed on the same unit, and
• (c) at least two of the plurality of unit procedures that are not yet allocated to units, and that, when subsequently allocated to units, must be executed on different units;
• and
• means, responsive to input from the user, for storing second information in memory that identifies units that are physically connected to one another.

A system for configuring a process control system that is to control the execution of a plurality of unit procedures of a recipe on a plurality of units, comprising:

• means, responsive to input from a user, for storing unit procedures in memory, each unit procedure to be executed on a unit;
• means, responsive to input from the user, for storing first information in memory that identifies at least one of:
• (a) unit procedures that must be executed on units that are physically connected to one another,
• (b) unit procedures that must be executed on the same unit, and
• (c) unit procedures that must be executed on different units;
• means, responsive to input from the user, for storing second information in memory that identifies units that are physically connected to one another;
• and
• means for displaying an area model that illustrates:
• (a) units that are available to be used to execute the recipe and that do not yet have unit procedures allocated to them, and (b) physical connections that exist between the available units.

A system for configuring a process control system that is to control the execution of a plurality of unit procedures of a recipe on a plurality of units, comprising:

• means, responsive to input from a user, for storing unit procedures in memory, each unit procedure to be executed on a unit;
• means, responsive to input from the user, for storing first information in memory that identifies at least one of:
• (a) unit procedures that must be executed on units that are physically connected to one another,
• (b) unit procedures that must be executed on the same unit, and
• (c) unit procedures that must be executed on different units;
• means, responsive to input from the user, for storing second information in memory that identifies units that are physically connected to one another;
• and
• means for using the first information, the second information, and the unit procedures stored in memory to allocate at least one unit procedure of the recipe to at least one available unit.

A system for configuring a process control system that is to control the execution of a plurality of unit procedures of a recipe on a plurality of units, at least some of the plurality of unit procedures not yet being allocated to units, the system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• means, coupled to the at least one processor, for displaying an area model that illustrates:
• (a) units that are available to be used to execute the recipe and that do not yet have unit procedures allocated to them, and (b) physical connections that exist between the available units.