Patent ID: 7664869

Claim:
An interface module for communicating messages with a remote location and to provide access to an at least one intelligent electronic device (IED) operably connected to a communication network, the interface module comprising: a central processing unit; an operating system operating the central processing unit; a network interface for communicating with the communication network; first and second TCP/IP protocol stacks for managing the communication on the network, wherein, in operation, each message is selectively assigned to one of the first and second protocol stacks according to a type of the message; a protocol task for processing the communication according to the protocol stacks, wherein messages assigned to the first protocol stack have a higher priority than messages assigned to the second protocol stack, wherein industrial protocol control messages are assigned to the first protocol stack; a set of application tasks communicating with the protocol task for responding to an incoming message from the communication network and initiating an outgoing message to the communication network; and, an interconnection bus with an interface driver for communicating with the at least one IED.