10 Mar The Open Group Open Process Automation Forum

Scope:

Open Process Automation™ Standard (O-PAS™) aims to develop a standard of standards for open and modular process automation systems. Once fully defined, it will allow for construction of safe, reliable, secure process automation systems that are scalable from very small to very large, which do not require system shutdown to perform updates and extensions, and which can be applied to existing systems and to new construction. It covers data, software, hardware, and application interoperability.

O-PAS™ is applicable to process automation systems in industries like mining, oil, gas, food, beverage, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, plastics, power generation, and more. Specifically, it begins in the pit with hazard, safety, and asset monitoring, and moves through the comminution process with monitoring, control, and operating of capital equipment.

Role of interoperability in this project:

Interoperability is the basis on which O-PAS™ was founded. Interoperability is defined as the ability of two or more systems or components to exchange information and to use the information that has been exchanged (ISO/IEC/IEEE 24765:2017). It aims to solve the problems associated with vendor lock-in and purchasing constraints due to proprietary system components.

Outcomes:

O-PAS™ Version 1.0 focuses on Interoperability – released 2019

O-PAS™ Version 2.0 focuses on Configuration Portability – projected 2020

O-PAS™ Version 3.0 focuses on Application Portability

Stakeholders:

End users, system integrators, sub-system integrators, industry software/hardware innovators

Status:  Version 1.0 is complete. Versions 2.0 and 3.0 are in progress

Accessibility Model: Membership-based, however the standard is made freely available to end user organizations for internal use. Learn more: https://www.opengroup.org/forum/open-process-automation-forum

Related projects: AMIRA International P1208, ERDi TestLab is testing OPAS