Patent ID: 8751616

Claim:
A system, comprising: a programmable logic controller (PLC) network communications interface stored at a non-PLC information device, the PLC network communications interface adapted to hierarchically present, to the non-PLC information device, a PLC network as a namespace shell extension of an operating system of the non-PLC information device such that the non-PLC information device interprets the PLC network as a namespace shell extension of the operating system of the non-PLC information device, wherein the PLC network is one of a Profibus network and a Point to Point Interface PLC network; and a PLC network user interface stored at the non-PLC information device, the PLC network user interface adapted to render, to a user of the non-PLC information device, the PLC network as a node of a network to which the non-PLC information device is connected, wherein the PLC network user interface is further adapted to initiate a search of at least one of files and the contents of files within one or more of the PLC network, PLC, PLC memory device, and PLC memory device files, in response to search parameter values entered through the PLC network interface.