REMOTE DOWNLOADING AND UPLOADING OF MOTION CONTROL PROGRAM INFORMATION TO AND FROM A MOTION CONTROL I/O MODULE IN A PROGRAMMABLE CONTROLLER

High-level language motion control programs are downloaded and uploaded between a programming terminal and a remotely located I/O module through a peer-to-peer network and a programmable controller system processor. Automatic block transfer between the programmable controller system processor and the I/O module is executed in response to commands from the programming terminal. The programmable controller processor and motion control I/O module are modified to handle two types of block transfers, the first controlled from the user applications program of the programmable controller processor, and the second controlled from the programming terminal.