ISA 2002: OPC Foundation demonstrates OPC Data eXchange

Chicago, IL - OPC Foundation (Scottsdale, AZ) exhibited the first OPC Data eXchange (DX) interoperability demonstration of a working, multi-vendor system using products from 10 of its member companies, including Emerson Process Management, Hertzler Systems Inc., Indusoft, Intellution, Invensys, Kepware Technologies, Progea SRL, Rockwell Software, Siemens Energy & Automation and Wonderware.

By Control Engineering Staff October 23, 2002

Chicago, ILOPC Foundation (Scottsdale, AZ) exhibited the first OPC Data eXchange (DX) interoperability demonstration of a working, multi-vendor system using products from 10 of its member companies, including Emerson Process Management, Hertzler Systems Inc., Indusoft, Intellution, Invensys, Kepware Technologies, Progea SRL, Rockwell Software, Siemens Energy & Automation and Wonderware. Controllers used for the OPC DX demonstration were provided by Rockwell Automation, Emerson Process Management and Siemens.

The foundation’s OPC DX demonstration shows horizontal and vertical interoperability between programmable logic controllers, distributed control systems, and HMI/SCADA systems across an Ethernet network coexisting with Ethernet/IP, ProfiNet and High-Speed Ethernet (HSE) protocol standards from three different fieldbus organizations. The demonstration shows how manufacturers can use OPC DX to achieve seamless exchange of plant information and integration between different fieldbus communication systems running over Ethernet.

The main objective of the OPC DX standard is to deliver horizontal interoperability across an Ethernet network connected to a wide range of industrial fieldbuses and measurement and automation systems. OPC DX leverages the huge installed base of products using the OPC Data Access (DA) industry standard. OPC DA is typically used to provide vertical data integration between measurement devices and controllers on the factory floors and HMI, MES, ERP and supervisory control applications.

OPC DX will deliver peer-to-peer data exchange horizontally and vertically between different Ethernet fieldbuses and automation systems that provide an OPC DX-compliant server. To achieve this seamless integration, the OPC DX specification also defines a new device configuration interface. OPC DX defines a new standard to overcome communication barriers between Ethernet fieldbus networks and deliver true, multi-vendor interoperability.

Control Engineering Daily News Desk
Jim Montague, news editor
jmontague@reedbusiness.com