Online Development Selects Kepware for M2M Gateway Product
Kepware Technologies announced August 25 that it was selected as a
strategic provider of communications for Online Development Inc. and
its development of a new Machine to Machine (M2M) communications
gateway. The gateway will have a form factor for use with an Rockwell
Automationâo[dot accent]s Allen Bradley ControlLogix controller and also as a
standalone solution for use between other third party automation
controllers.
Online Development is a developer of add-on and
private labeled modules for Allen Bradley automation solutions. Its
next generation of intelligent modules is targeted at enabling the
Allen Bradley ControlLogix platform to communicate with other
automation equipment in a high performance and reliable M2M
configuration. A partnership with Kepware is making this possible
through the licensing of Kepware's KEPServerEX and LinkMaster products.
This new product is currently under development and will be available
in the fall.
In addition to licensing Kepware products, Online
Development has joined the "Connected with Kepware" Vendor Protocol
program and has developed specialized backplane communications between
an Allen Bradley ControlLogix processor and its co-processor solution
to enable a reliable and high performance integration. The stand alone
configurations will enable the delivery of Gateway communication
solutions, allowing M2M connectivity between thousands of different
devices via over 100 communications protocols encompassing both Serial
and Ethernet communications. "Kepware offers an exceptional range
of communications options, second to none," explains Ron Monday,
President of Online Development Inc. "This offering will enable
Rockwell Automation ControlLogix users to reliably tie their control
systems to third party solutions. In the stand alone module
configuration, we can support the integration of various protocols
simultaneously, for example, the connectivity of data between GE Fanuc,
Rockwell, Siemens, Mitsubishi, Omron and dozens of other vendor
offerings."
The interesting thing about this, aside from
Kepware continuing to build its considerable communications business,
is the subtle redefinition of the term M2M. I was originally introduced
to the term by Opto 22 and Nokia where it was essentially an RTU type
of application using cellular as the broadband. I began to wonder why
just stop with cellular as the broadband years ago. The original
transcription was Machine to Mobile. Then it became Machine to Machine.
Then theorists posited that the technology could be used by OEMs to
monitor their machines on customers' factory floors either for service
and support or for information related to product development. This
technology enables real-time communication of controller to controller.
In other words, it could be a real-time controller network, according
to Roy Kok, vice president of sales and marketing for Kepware. This
greatly expands the notion of M2M--and its usefulness. This is
especially true where an end user may have machines with controllers
from a variety of suppliers.
3:00:54 PM 
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