
5-1
5.1 Interoperating Components
In distributed automation systems, automation devices like sensors, actuators, and controllers are
connected through an industrial communication system (Figure 5.1). Automation systems of the past
were freely congurable, allowing the system to be adapted specically to one given installation.
Although this could already be done in soware (and not by connecting wires directly), it was still
necessary that every system had to be programmed individually, which resulted in a unique and
nonreusable installation. Costs for integrating multiple industries, maintenance, and extensions of
existing systems