Opto 22 Releases PAC Project 9.0


Industrial Automation Software Suite Supports Controller Redundancy, Numerous User Interface Enhancements, and Improved Reporting, Trending, and Alerts

Temecula, CA - March 29, 2010 - Opto 22, developer and manufacturer of the award-winning SNAP PAC System(tm) family of programmable automation controllers, I/O, and accessories, has released PAC Project 9, a full set of software applications and utilities that provide control programming, HMI development, OPC connectivity, database integration, communication with Allen-Bradley® Logix systems, and support for controller redundancy.

Perhaps the most anticipated and powerful new feature found in PAC Project 9 is its support for redundant controllers communicating over standard Ethernet. Opto 22's SNAP PAC standalone controllers, when used with the SNAP PAC Redundancy Option Kit (SNAP-PAC-ROK), can be configured for synchronous operation, with one controller executing the control program and a second essentially running in parallel, so that if the master controller fails or is knocked offline, the other controller will take command and continue to perform without interruption or restart.

PAC Control-PAC Project's flowchart-based control programming application-includes many new features, such as improved download and debug mode checks. Auto-docking windows, enhanced tool sets within scripting blocks, and greater panning and zooming control allow programmers to create and navigate through their flowcharts more easily. Additionally, the PAC Control Basic command set has been greatly expanded and now includes nearly all the functionality of PAC Control Professional.
Other features found in PAC Control include easier creation of persistent variables during program development, and changes in CPU host task scheduling that improve throughput for multiple user threads.

PAC Project 9.0 also boasts several new enhancements to PAC Display, the HMI development and runtime application that offers unlimited tags and a library of more than 3,000 symbols and graphics. Improved table controls, added flexibility when resizing and repositioning graphics and other screen elements, and support for Windows themes provide new levels of customization and aesthetics. In addition, the searching and navigational tools within the PAC Display HMI environment have been upgraded.

HMI design, alarming, and configuration have been improved as well. Alarm configurations and settings can be saved for easy replication, and authenticated messages can be sent to mail servers, thereby enabling PAC Display to send SMTP-based (email) alerts whenever alarms are triggered. Alarm configurations can be imported or saved and exported as comma-separated files, thus allowing alarm settings and other tabular data to be more easily exported to databases and other PAC Display clients. PAC Display also now supports web windows, so developers can embed web pages in their HMI screens and subsequently collate, and reconcile data from any web page or even view live web cam images within their HMI environment.

PID loop control tuning from within the HMI has been greatly simplified through the addition of a PID button that opens a PID tuning environment within PAC Display. Also, in response to customer requests for greater assistance in debugging, multiple instances of the runtime can now be initiated.

PAC Project 9 Basic is free for download or with purchase of any SNAP PAC controller. It includes control programming and configuration software, an HMI development application, and an EtherNet/IP(tm) communication tool. PAC Project 9.0 Professional is available at a list price of $999 USD and adds an OPC server, an application for exchanging data with enterprise databases, and functionality for upgrading from Opto 22 legacy hardware. PAC Project Professional is required for controller redundancy.

The individual PAC Project Professional software components-PAC Control Professional, PAC Display Professional, OptoOPCServer, and OptoDataLink-are also available separately at a list price of $399 USD each. All PAC Project components, both Basic and Professional, come with free training and free product support.

About PAC Project

The complete list of PAC Project components:

o PAC Control(tm)-an intuitive flowchart and scripting control programming software application for developing control strategies that run on SNAP PAC controllers. Ideal for sequential control, batch and process control, motion control, complex math, conditional branching, string handling, subroutines, PID loop control, and more.

o PAC Display(tm)-a human-machine interface (HMI) development application used to create graphical interfaces that mimic a process. Support for alarm management, recipe handling, operator logging, real-time and historical trending, multimedia, and unlimited tags puts PAC Display on par with competing HMI development applications costing thousands of dollars more per seat.

o PAC Manager(tm)-a configuration and maintenance tool used to set up and inspect controllers and I/O data in real time.

o EtherNet/IP Configurator-a configuration tool for establishing communication between an Allen-Bradley Logix controller and intelligent remote SNAP I/O.

o OptoOPCServer(tm) (included with PAC Project Professional or available separately)-an OLE for Process Control (OPC) 2.0-compliant server used to consolidate and publish SNAP PAC System data to OPC-aware clients, including third-party HMIs such as Wonderware's InTouch®, Intellution's iFix®, and Iconic's Genesis®.

o OptoDataLink(tm) (included with PAC Project Professional or available separately)-connectivity software used to enable bidirectional data transfer between the SNAP PAC System and enterprise databases-such as Microsoft® SQL Server, Microsoft Access, and MySQL-without brokering the data through an HMI.

About Opto 22

Opto 22 develops and manufactures hardware and software for applications involving industrial automation and control, remote monitoring, and data acquisition. Opto 22 products use standard, commercially available networking and computer technologies, and have an established reputation worldwide for ease-of-use, innovation, quality, and reliability. Opto 22 products are used by automation end-users, OEMs, and information technology and operations personnel. The company was founded in 1974 and is privately held in Temecula, California, USA. Opto 22 products are available through a worldwide network of distributors and system integrators. For more information, contact Opto 22 headquarters at +1-951-695-3000 or visit www.opto22.com.

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