This book discusses the IEC 61499 reference architecture for distributed and reconfigurable control, and its adoption by industry. The text provides design patterns, application guidelines, and rules for designing distributed control applications based on the IEC 61499 model. Examples from various industrial domains and laboratory environments are introduced and explored. Featuring chapters authored by subject-matter experts from Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Finland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, China, Canada, New Zealand, and the US, the book offers a global overview of IEC 61499 application domains. It also aids in implementing current automation solutions.