Dynamic unit selection in a process control system

A process control system for use in controlling a process having multiple unit classes, each of which includes one or more units, the process control system comprising:

• a controller;
• a memory;
• a control routine written to perform multiple unit procedures, each using an unspecified unit;
• and
• a dynamic unit selection routine that selects a particular unit as the unspecified unit for at least one of the multiple unit procedures during operation of the control routine.

A control component for use in a process control system having a processor that controls a process using one or more units in each of a multiplicity of unit classes, the control component comprising:

• a computer-readable memory;
• a control procedure written to perform a unit procedure of the process using an unspecified unit within one of the unit classes;
• and
• a dynamic unit selection procedure that selects a particular unit as the unspecified unit during operation of the control procedure;
• wherein said control procedure and said dynamic unit selection procedure are stored on the computer-readable memory and are adapted to be executed by the processor so that the control procedure performs the unit procedure of the process using the particular unit selected by the dynamic unit selection procedure after the dynamic unit selection procedure selects the particular unit.