Patent ID: 7831411

Claim:
An apparatus for troubleshooting an industrial process having a monitor that provides real-time animation of the industrial process and at least one database that stores time-stamped data provided by an industrial control system during real-time operation of the industrial process, the apparatus comprising a monitoring device that has a stored program that causes the monitoring device to: read time-stamped data from a database that is indicative of a real-time performance of the industrial process, wherein the time-stamped data was acquired during a previous performance of the industrial process and wherein the time-stamped data indicates a previous execution of control logic instructions by the industrial control system, at least some of the control logic instructions responding to input signals from a controlled process for producing products indicating a status of the controlled process and at least some of the control logic instructions generating output signals to the controlled process the output signals controlling the controlled process; and generate and display a non-real-time animation of the industrial process from the time-stamped data in a manner that mimics the real-time performance of the industrial process, the animation showing animated execution of a visual representation of the control logic instructions executed by the industrial control system; wherein the stored program further causes the monitoring device to read time-stamped data from another database, and generate and display another non-real-time animation of the industrial process, the second animation showing animated execution of a visual representation of control logic instructions executed by a second industrial control system and wherein the non-real-time animation and the another non-real-time animation are synchronized in time with one another according to the time stamps of the data.