Automation systems configuration can be divided twofold: centralized or decentralized. The last one has strong roots in distributed systems, which consist of several hosts, connected through a network, working independently, although, seeming to be just one.

In fact, the adaptation of distributed systems in automation industry introduced innumerous advantages. Particularly, the adaptation capacity and reutilization into other distributed systems. The development of distributed systems brought with it a need for appropriated software tool. Based on another standard, IEC61131-3, that was specifically created for programming Programmable logic controllers (PLC's), the IEC61499 standard presents as strong points: interoperability, portability, and configurability. With this standard, automation control applications are built with Function Block (FB) networks, where each FB has a basic function control that belongs to a distributed system.

The tool standardization is recent, and was thought to have common FB for applications in distributed industrial-process measurement control systems (IPMCS). The standard has been developed each FB in a format that may be used in different IPMCS applications.

The work was supported by these concepts and had as case-study basis a gantry system. It was developed at the Automation and control Institute, at Vienna University of Technology, Austria, under an ERASMUS protocol. A gantry system consists of several autonomous axes. Each axis has it own microcontroller to provide the necessary computing power and establish the communication interfaces. A control algorithm is coordinating the movements. Therefore, how it is possible to benefit a system with these characteristics?

This project has the aim of improving the distributed control systems. This kind of systems looks for precise answers in real time. To attain the features, the introduction of interrupts represents a good solution. They present innumerous advantages that can improve and rise qualities as precision and quickness answers of the interrupt call. The occurrence of a disturbance is unpredictable, thus with interrupts the system is capable of attending it only an interrupt has occurred, and do not waste time and features verifying the system. The gantry system is still in development; therefore the enhancement of the existing control algorithm with interrupts is feasible. Insertion of interrupts into control algorithm can be seen as an improvement, considering the robustness attained with it use.