PURPOSE: To increase the reaction speed of an automating device and to minimize data transfer by performing the processing of an input signal at least partially simultaneously with output (read) of an output (input) signal in the preceding (succeeding) cycle. CONSTITUTION: A technical concept as the core is that a step E (read) in the next cycle is immediately executed preliminarily, namely, before the execution of a step A (output) by a controller 9 to utilize the idle time of a processor 6 or the controller 9. Then, the processor 6 can execute a next cycle E' (copy) immediately after the end of a step A' (copy) This is shown by the right broken- line box in the figure. Since the controller 9 can execute the step A in the following cycle during the idle time between steps E and A, the step A' in the following cycle can be directly adjacent to the step E'. This is indicated by the left broken-line box in the figure. COPYRIGHT: (C)1993,JPO