Unified communications module (UCM)

1. A fault tolerant control system comprising:

a process control system workstation operatively connected to a first network;

a fault tolerant safety controller operatively connected to a second network; and

an interface between the process control workstation and the fault tolerant safety controller, said interface comprising:

a process controller module operatively connected to the first network;

a safety controller module operatively connected to a second network;

a field device system integration module for communicating safety information from the safety controller module to the process controller module; and

a switch configured to selectively connect the safety controller module and the field device system integration module while maintaining a functional and physical separation between the first network and the second network;

wherein the process controller module, the safety controller module, and the field device integration module are co-located on a power interface board.

2. The fault tolerant control system claim 1 , wherein the first network comprises a distributed control system (DCS) network, and wherein the second network comprises a safety instrumented system (SIS) network.

3. The fault tolerant control system of claim 2 , wherein the interface is configured to implement a redundancy approach on the SIS network.

4. The fault tolerant control system of claim 3 , wherein the interface is further configured to adapt the redundancy approach of the SIS network to the DCS network.

5. The fault tolerant control system of claim 2 , wherein the interface is configured to implement a redundancy approach on the DCS network.

6. The fault tolerant control system of claim 2 , wherein the interface is configured for the holistic presentation of information in the DCS network.

7. The fault tolerant control system of claim 6 , wherein the information comprises SIS network information.

8. The fault tolerant control system of claim 6 , wherein the information comprises one or more of the following: sequence of events (SOE) data, SIS time stamped data, system health data, and equipment health data.

9. The fault tolerant control system of claim 1 , wherein the modules comprise a plurality of input/output (I/O) cards operatively connected to the power interface board.

10. The fault tolerant control system of claim 9 , further comprising a chassis for housing the I/O cards and the power interface board.

11. The fault tolerant control system of claim 10 , wherein the chassis further houses a backplane configured to receive the power interface board.

12. The fault tolerant control system of claim 1 , wherein the switch comprises a three-port switch co-located on the power interface board, and wherein the three-port switch is configured to interface the safety controller module and the field device system integration module via a selective connection therebetween.

13. A communications interface for a fault tolerant controller, comprising:

a process controller module operatively connected to a regulatory network;

a safety controller module operatively connected to a safety network;

a field device system integration module for communicating safety information from the safety controller module to the process controller module; and

a three-port switch configured to interface the safety controller module and the field device system integration module via a selective connection therebetween;

wherein the three-port switch isolates communications from the process controller module via the field device system integration module to the safety controller module, and wherein the communications interfaces appears as a control station on the regulatory network.

14. The communications interface of claim 13 , wherein the modules comprise a plurality of input/output (I/O) cards operatively connected to a power interface board.

15. The communications interface of claim 14 , further comprising a chassis for housing the I/O cards and the power interface board.

16. The communications interface of claim 15 , wherein the chassis further houses a backplane configured to receive the power interface board.

17. The communications interface of claim 13 , wherein the three-port switch comprises an Ethernet switch.

18. The communications interface of claim 17 , wherein the selective connection further comprises maintains a functional and physical separation between the regulatory network and the safety network.

19. A fault tolerant controller comprising:

a modified backplane interface;

a main processor operatively connected to the modified backplane interface; and,

a power interface board operatively connected to the modified backplane interface, said power interface board comprising:

a process controller module;

a safety controller module operatively connected to the main processor;

a field device system integration module; and,

a three-port switch operatively connected to the safety controller module and the field device system integration module;

wherein the three-port switch is configured to interface the safety controller module and the field device system integration module via a selective connection therebetween.

20. The fault tolerant controller of claim 19 , further comprising a second power interface board installed in a redundant configuration in the modified backplane interface.

21. The fault tolerant controller of claim 19 , wherein the three-port switch further comprises an Ethernet switch.

22. The fault tolerant control system of claim 19 , wherein the selective connection maintains a functional and physical separation between a first network and a second network.