DriveServer-significantly reduce in engineering expense

Intelligent drives are a main element for modern production systems. They not only fulfil their well known drive tasks, but they also provide complex technology functions. The connection between the drives and to the higher automation layers is done by using a variety of fieldbus systems. The problem is the presentation of the drive to the user (engineering, commissioning, etc.). This must be done by using standardised interfaces, independent from proprietary or fieldbus specific technologies. The DRIVECOM user-group, a consortium of leading drive vendors, is developing a specification called DriveServer, which standardises the communication interface to drives. This specification is based on the OPC (OLE for Process Control) standard. ifak is developing an example DriveServer within these activities, which uses an XML based device description.