Methods and apparatus to bind properties in a process control system

An apparatus to bind a configuration element to a physical device of a distributed-equipment process control system using a property of the configuration element, the apparatus comprising:

• a binding provider to retrieve a plurality of control module identifiers for the property of the configuration element representative of the physical device of the distributed-equipment process control system, the physical device to be separate from the apparatus, wherein the binding provider retrieves the plurality of control module identifiers based on a first binding type selected for the physical device by a user from a plurality of binding types associated with the property, wherein a selection of the first binding type is to exclude first control module identifiers from being user-selectable to control the physical device;
• and
• an element editor to, via a processor:
• during user configuration of the configuration element, filter out the excluded first control module identifiers, and present second control module identifiers corresponding to the first binding type, each of the second control module identifiers being user-selectable via the presentation, and each of the second control module identifiers identifying a respective process useable to control the physical device in the distributed-equipment process control system;
• identify a selection of a first one of the presented second control module identifiers;
• and
• generate a binding reference to bind the configuration element to a process corresponding to the first one of the second control module identifiers, the binding reference to cause the process to control the physical device.

A method to update a binding reference in a process control system, the method comprising:

• retrieving an updated binding reference associated with a graphical configuration element representative of a physical device of a distributed-equipment process control system, the updated binding reference having an updated control module identifier identifying a process control module bound to the graphical configuration element to control the physical device, the updated control module identifier provided to the updated binding reference while the graphical configuration element is not loaded in a graphic editor;
• loading the graphical configuration element and an outdated control module identifier for displaying in the graphic editor, the outdated control module identifier having an outdated binding with the graphical configuration element;
• and
• when preparing to display the graphical configuration element in the graphic editor, replacing the outdated control module identifier with the updated control module identifier of the updated binding reference without user intervention to bind the updated control module identifier with the graphical configuration element.