Patent ID: 8041840

Claim:
A Web interface module for an industrial control system including a programmable logic controller for executing an industrial control program, the programmable logic controller communicating over a controller network with I/O modules, the I/O modules sending and receiving electrical signals to and from an industrial process, the Web interface module comprising; an Internet interface for connecting to a Web accessing communications medium; a network interface for connecting to the controller network; and a processing unit executing a stored program to communicate directly with at least one I/O module and to pass data between the Web accessing communications medium and the I/O module, the passing of data including the writing of data to the I/O modules defining the electrical signals to be sent by the I/O module to the industrial process and the reading of data from the I/O modules defined by electrical signals received by the I/O modules from the industrial process; whereby communications may be had with the I/O module without intervention of the programmable logic controller.