4. Integration of networked control chains

As we saw above, controlling a system means imposing a particular behavior on it to achieve the desired result. In simple terms, this means bringing the process to a particular stable state, while respecting a set of physical constraints such as material resistance, available electrical power, compulsory sequencing, limited capacities, etc. However, if automation once arose from the need to relieve man of his repetitive, tedious and risky tasks, today it is at the origin of its own mutation. Opening up new prospects in the fields of productivity, quality and safety, it has naturally stimulated technological progress (microelectronics, signal processing, mechanics, intelligent sensors, communication networks, etc.), broadened its own fields of application (telecommunications, decentralized factories, automotive, space, etc.), considerably increased the size of the appli-cations to be controlled...