CC-Link Partner Association announces OPC UA companion specification for “CSP+ for Machine” technology

January 12, 2018 - The CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA), in association with the OPC Foundation, has announced an OPC UA companion specification for the CLPA’s “CSP+ for Machine” technology to ease the implementation of Industry 4.0 type applications.

CSP+ for Machine is an extension of the CLPA’s existing “CSP+” (Control & Communication System Profile) that provides network configuration and maintenance by offering profiles that describe each device on a CC-Link IE or CC-Link network. CSP+ technology has been established for some time and provides drag and drop network configuration from CSP+ files provided by CLPA partner vendors, allowing convenient device libraries to be created. This announcement takes the technology one step further by essentially allowing whole machines to be treated in the same way, meaning that complex systems can now be dealt with as if they are a single device.

The CLPA has already established itself as a technology specialist for Industry 4.0 applications with its CC-Link IE open gigabit Ethernet and CC-Link IE Field Basic, which extends CC-Link IE compatibility to 100Mbit Ethernet devices. CSP+4M continues this trend by simplifying the process of extracting data from factory systems via the industry standard open connectivity of OPC UA. CSP+ for Machine uses XML to provide a variety of information related to the machine. This includes: machine specifications, application software, what data should be acquired and how, and the relationship between machine data and information. Since it is typical for a given manufacturing site to operate a variety of process equipment based on different technologies, this ‘open standards’ based approach means that the current challenges which prevent efficient transparency and better management of processes will soon become a thing of the past.

About CC-Link Partner Association

Founded in 2000, the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) is an international open network organization dedicated to the technical development and promotion of the CC-Link family of open automation networks. The CLPA's key technology is CC-Link IE, an open gigabit Ethernet for automation and a solution for Industry 4.0 applications. Its main activities include the development of CC-Link IE and CC-Link technical specifications, conducting of conformance tests, development support, and promotion of the CC-Link technologies. The CLPA boasts more than 3,000 members.