Patent ID: 8239500

Claim:
A graphical extension engine comprising: a configuration tool; a download tool connected to the configuration tool; a host connected to the download tool; and a client connected to the host; and wherein: the host is a function block engine platform comprising a first function block engine; and the client is a configurable wall module comprising at least one second function block engine; and wherein each of the first and second function block engine includes: one or more function block execution modules; a block execution list including references to at least one of the one or more function block execution modules, and public variable references to a function block variable space; an input configuration to configure inputs for use by each function block engine in the function block variable space; an input convert module to execute the input configuration; an output configuration to configure outputs of the function block engine in the function block variable space; an output convert module to execute the output configuration; the first function block engine has a first public variable identification (PVID) system; the second function block engine has a second PVID system; PVID's of signals from the first function block engine to the second function block engine, are converted to PVID's of the second function block engine; and PVID's of signals from the second function block engine to the first function block engine, are converted to PVID's of the first function block engine.