Extending it's open control
component range, MOST, MTL Open System Technologies, announces
its OEM control platform - targeted at control companies
who want to port their control or SoftPLC software onto
a real process platform. MTL has spent several years working
with some of the largest names in the control world including
Emerson (DeltaV), Honeywell (TPS Field I/O), GE (Open
Process) and Siemens Moore (Procidia), providing various
hardware products that form some of the best know DCS
platforms on the market. To make this process even easier
for OEM customers, MOST have developed an open controller
to work with the industry recognised MTL8000 I/O platform
that permits easy integration of any control software.The
OEM controller has a simple Application Programmer Interface
(API) which reduces software “porting” time.
By using this Controller, the OEM can transform his Control
Software into a true Process Controller, instantly obtaining
the benefits of the MOST product with no extra software
development. These added benefits include:
- sophisticated hot-standby Controller Redundancy
with true “Bumpless” transfer a fully
featured Ethernet LAN redundancy that is transparent
to the application and protocols based on FF593 from
Foundation Fieldbus a fully integrated Process I/O
platform incorporating diagnostics and featuring harsh
and hazardous area use
- and an in-built HART® capability for real-time
data and Asset Management tools.
This simple-to-use API technique allowed Control Master
in the United States to produce a complete beta control
system within four month time frame and a product-to-market
within six months at a fraction of the cost and time required
to develop a new proprietary controller platform.This
revolutionary approach is based on the industry trend
where hardware is no longer a major differentiator in
the process control world as product life cycles decrease
whilst functionality continually increases. Control manufacturers
are struggling to keep ahead of their competitors whilst
keeping their product costs down. End Users on the other
hand are demanding greater software capability, domain
knowledge and plant optimisation from their control suppliers.MOST
offers the control companies the ability to short cut
hardware engineering time by years by offering a field
proven IO platform and a state of the art rugged controller,
aimed specifically at the process market. This allows
their R&D team to concentrate on the core issues that
truly differentiate themselves in the market place. In
effect, MOST acts like an extension to the R&D team.The
MOST business model is to be the leading open component
supplier to the process industry and in this way does
not offer any competition to the control companies that
select MOST as their technology partner. |
