A communications arrangement for a distributed process control system operable to control an industrial process where different types of data must be communicated between a number of control drops or stations in varying timing priorities includes a first communication channel on which at least two of the control drops are connected. A second communication channel, independent of the first communication channel, accommodates the communication of a type of data that is not as critical in terms of timing as that which is communicated over the first communication channel. All of the control drops are connected to the second communication channel. A control processor, located at each of the control drops, determines the distribution of the types of data between the two communication channels according to a predetermined timing priority.