Patent ID: 7486999

Claim:
A system for permitting interoperability between safety and non-safety devices in a block-oriented open control system comprising: a first device comprising a memory, which includes at least one safety component, the safety component including a safety resource block and a safety function block, the safety resource block configured to uniquely identify a safety resource in the first device and the safety function block configured to process parameters associated with the safety resource to produce an output message, the safety component configured to store at least one safety parameter, the safety component configured to lock to prevent a change to the safety parameter while the safety component is online, the safety component further configured to utilize a virtual communication relationship for communication with a second component and to communicate using an extended safety protocol including maintain an expected sequence number and check a received sequence number against the expected sequence number; and a processor, operably connected to the memory, wherein the processor executes the safety component based on a system schedule; a second device including a non-safety component; a first medium attachment unit, coupled for communication to the safety component, the first medium attachment unit configured to translate an input message from a transmission medium to the safety component and the output message from the safety function block to the transmission medium using an extended safety protocol; and a second medium attachment unit, coupled for communication to the non-safety component, the second medium attachment unit configured to translate messages between the transmission medium and the non-safety component without an extended safety protocol.