Woodhead Software & Electronics (WSE), a designer and manufacturer of industrial communication products for the automation world announced a cooperative effort with Wonderware, the world's leading supplier of industrial automation and information software to enhance the integration of their product.  As part of the effort, Wonderware will host WSE data servers on their Factory Suite I/O Server CD to be released in September 2004.  The Woodhead DAS servers are the first servers to be created by a third party to support the next-generation installations built on Invensys ArchestrA™ technology.

 

The DAServers (Data Access Servers) are designed to provide simultaneous connectivity between plant floor devices and modern DDE, SuiteLink™ and/or OPC based client applications running under Microsoft Windows® 2000 / XP Professional. 

 

The servers, based on the applicom® range of intelligent network interface cards, will allow Wonderware customers to connect with and obtain data from more than 30 different types of controllers or their related industrial communications protocols such as Ethernet TCP/IP, Profibus, serial, and Modbus Plus.  This enhanced communication with the biggest names in industrial automation including Allen-Bradley, Siemens, GE Fanuc, Mitsubishi, Omron, Schneider (Modicon/Télémécanique) and many others will enable a significantly greater market reach for Invensys products and greater flexibility for Wonderware customers.

 

Customers receiving a Factory Suite A2 Device Integration Products CD from Wonderware will now be able to install and run the integrated Woodhead DAS servers directly, assessing features and capabilities of the products in an evaluation mode.  Where additional communications hardware is required, Wonderware distributors will be enabled to directly bundle applicom^® branded intelligent network cards.  To see a datasheet on these new offerings, click here.