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Opto 22 enhances PAC Project 8.1

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Temecula, CA – October 2, 2007 – The latest version of PAC Project version 8.1 automation software suite includes control programming, HMI development, OPC connectivity, and enterprise database integration.

The new PAC Project 8.1—part of Opto 22’s SNAP PAC System—is unique among PAC-based control systems because it offers an architecture where control functions like analog scaling, digital counting, and PID loop control are distributed to local I/O processors. This architecture simplifies programming, increases control system performance, and reduces single points of failure, while helping control system designers address the needs of modern automation applications. The new functions add to the already extensive list of distributed I/O commands within PAC Control—the control programming component of PAC Project—in an architecture that offers the features and functionality of a traditional Distributed Control System (DCS) at a fraction of the cost and complexity.

New functions for PAC Project 8.1’s PAC Control include:

Frequency measurement—for determining the frequency of digital states and often used to read the speed of rotating machinery, velocity encoders, etc.

Period measurement— for determining how long a digital point remains on or off, which is useful for measuring the period of a slow shaft rotation, for example.

Analog totalization—for sampling and totaling analog input readings at predetermined intervals; frequently used to record flow totals in pipelines.

Digital totalization—for determining the total on-time or off-time of a digital input; commonly used to record machinery on-time for maintenance purposes.

These functions augment existing SNAP PAC System distributed I/O functions such as digital counting, latching, analog clamping, alarming, event reactions, pulse and waveform generation, and analog ramping. Moreover, all of these commands execute at the I/O brain level—off-loading these time-sensitive tasks from the programmable automation controller (PAC) and significantly reducing I/O network traffic.

All control functions are defined, configured, and implemented using intuitive, form-based dialog boxes within PAC Control’s integrated development environment (IDE), and then distributed to corresponding I/O brains automatically during program download.

PAC Project 8.1 also offers significant upgrades to the included HMI development and runtime portion-PAC Display.

A new security feature provides user login and logout for capturing operator actions during runtime (an important consideration for companies that must comply with U.S. FDA 21 CFR Part 11 guidelines).

New runtime features reveal the origins of controller and I/O data, improving development and commissioning of new HMI screens.

New multimedia alarming capabilities associate and play unique sound files with individual alarm notifications and acknowledgements.

Support for 64-bit integer tables allows the exchange of large data arrays with the PAC controller.

PAC Project 8.1 also supports Opto 22’s latest control hardware: new SNAP PAC Serial I/O brains (the SNAP-PAC-SB1 and SNAP-PAC-SB2); a new standalone programmable automation controller (SNAP-PAC-S2); and new 8-channel analog input modules (SNAP-AIV-8, SNAP-AIMA-8, and SNAP-AICTD-8). Details of these recent hardware releases are covered separately.

Also new is support for concurrent serial and Ethernet I/O networking. All PAC Project commands and functions apply equally to SNAP PAC Serial and SNAP PAC Ethernet I/O brains, reducing system design and development time. For example, a single motor control routine or HMI screen can be developed using either serial- or Ethernet-based I/O, eliminating the need to choose a network before application development begins.

PAC Project 8.1’s affordability and multitude of features make the software suite a powerful, easy to use, and economical choice for customers looking to design control, monitoring, data acquisition, and other industrial applications that require discrete control, sequential control, batch and continuous control, motion control, third-party device communications, PID loop control, and more.

PAC Project Basic is free for download or with purchase of any SNAP PAC controller. It includes control programming, configuration, and human-machine interface (HMI) development tools, backed by free training and free product support. PAC Project 8.1 Professional is available at a list price of $999 USD and adds features and functionality for Opto 22 legacy hardware, plus an OPC server and the ability to exchange data with enterprise databases.

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.

About PAC Project
The full roster of PAC Project components:

PAC Control—an intuitive flowchart and scripting control programming software for developing control strategies that run on SNAP PAC controllers, and ideal for sequential control, batch and process control, motion control, complex math, conditional branching, string handling, subroutines, PID loop control, and more.

PAC Display-a Microsoft Windows-based 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.

PAC Manager-a configuration and maintenance tool used to inspect and view control strategy variables and I/O data in real time.

OptoOPCServer (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.

OptoDataLink (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 projects 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.

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Phone Inquiry: 951-695-3000
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