New Wonderware Support For Smart Networks Using Echelon Technology Introduced
San Jose, CA - Echelon Corporation, a leading provider of networking technology that is used to manage and reduce energy consumption, and Munich Software recently announced the integration of Echelon's new i.LON SmartServer into the Wonderware Application Server, a component of the newly released Wonderware System Platform 3.0 software. Munich Software has developed an interface that enables the two industry leading control automation products to easily work together and significantly reduce the time and cost to deploy smart networks for automation and energy management applications.
System Platform 3.0 software from Wonderware, a business unit of Invensys, provides a single platform for all the SCADA, supervisory HMI, and production and performance management needs of industrial automation personnel. It provides a common integrated industrial application services platform that runs on top of virtually any existing IT and business system. Echelon's i.LON SmartServer is used as a remote access gateway and system controller to monitor and manage a control system or individual products. When the two products are integrated, SCADA and supervisory applications created with Wonderware software can be enhanced with data from the control network, enabling energy savings, increased safety, and reduced operations costs. The i.LON SmartServer can also serve as an IP interface to LonWorks networks, ModBus digital I/O devices, pulse meters, M-Bus equipment, and legacy control systems.
"We are pleased to support Echelon's new i.LON SmartServer and LonWorks control networks. Energy management is important in every industry and the pairing of Echelon's leading control products and our easy-to-use supervisory HMI software solutions will simplify energy management for end-users," said Rashesh Mody, vice president HMI/SCADA Business Group, Wonderware. "It has never been so easy to create robust, quickly deployed, control networks for improved efficiency and productivity in markets such as facilities management, building automation, retail and convenience stores, and quick service restaurants."
"Control networks have historically been complex to install and integrate, making them difficult and time consuming for most end-users. By providing outstanding integration between two of the industry leading products, we expect to see a marked increase in the adoption of the solution in the industrial and process control sectors," said Michael Hädrich, founder of Munich Software.
Echelon's i.LON SmartServer is commonly used in commercial, retail and industrial facility management and monitored streetlight systems and can act as a complete network management solution that can install, configure, and manage networks through a powerful web interface. The integration developed by Munich Software features i.LON SmartServer application objects enabling direct configuration of the i.LON SmartServer in the Wonderware supervisory system. It also provides real time data access of any client through the open industry standard OPC.
The MSP i.LON Smart Server A2 integration package from Munich Software significantly optimizes the development process of supervisory applications for use with the i.LON SmartServer. It supports installation and remote deployment, and enables users to leverage the wide range of features of the Wonderware System Platform 3.0 software, and has an industrial services oriented architecture that provides a common object model for application development, software and device connectivity, information and data management as well as system management and extensibility services. The i.LON Smart Server A2 integration package will be available in the first quarter of 2008.
According to Anders Axelsson, Echelon's senior vice president of sales and marketing, "We are pleased to work with Munich Software and Wonderware to further expand LonWorks networks and energy management in the control networking market. Wonderware's expertise in the supervisory software market and the position of the i.LON in the energy management market are a powerful combination. We believe building owners, facility managers, industrial plant operators, retails chains, and city personnel will all find the solution cost effective, easy to use and quick to install."
SOURCE: Echelon Corporation