A control unit for industrial applications is provided comprising a first compute box having a first microprocessor and being configured to run at least one first operating system. A second compute box may also be provided having a second microprocessor and being configured to run at least one second operating system. The first and second operating systems may be the same or different. The compute boxes may be mechanically coupled together or connected via one or more copper or fiber-optic cables, for example. Additional compute boxes may be added to expand the capabilities of each control unit. An integrated or detachable display may also be added. A control system for controlling a plurality of local input and output drops or devices is also provided. The control system includes a plurality of control units that may be distributed around an industrial installation and capable of data transfer between each control unit.