A control arrangement for an operating system has a plurality of control devices, arranged in a sequential order. Each control device shares information, including operational condition and a real-time measurement of at least one control parameter, with at least one control device in an upstream direction and at least one control device in a downstream direction. The control arrangement also has first and second terminal control devices. The first terminal control device is positioned at a beginning of the sequential order and the second terminal control device positioned at an end of the sequential order. The first terminal control device shares information only with control devices in the downstream direction and the second terminal control device shares information only with control devices in the upstream direction. In some applications, each control device that is not a terminal control device shares information with more than one control device in each direction.