OPC Foundation
The Object Linking and Embedding for Process Control (OPC) Foundation is an industry consortium that creates and maintains standards for open connectivity of industrial automation devices and systems, such as industrial control systems and process control generally. The OPC standards specify the communication of industrial process data, alarms and events, historical data and batch process data between sensors, instruments, controllers, software systems, and notification devices.
The OPC Foundation started in 1994, as a task force comprising five industrial automation vendors (Fisher-Rosemount, Rockwell Software, Opto 22, Intellution, and Intuitive Technology), with the purpose of creating a basic OLE for Process Control specification. OLE is a technology developed by Microsoft Corporation for the MS Windows operating system. The task force released the OPC standard in August 1996. The OPC Foundation was chartered to continue development of interoperability specifications and includes manufacturers and users of devices instruments, controllers, software and enterprise systems.
The OPC Foundation cooperates with other organizations, such as MTConnect, who share similar missions.
Read more about OPC Foundation: OPC Standards and Specification Groups
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