Wonderware Expands Line of Industrial Touch Panel Computers

Computers, Which Include InTouch Software, Now Offer More Screen Sizes and Fewer Moving Parts

LAKE FOREST, Calif., Sept. 8, 2005 -- Wonderware, an operating unit of Invensys Systems Inc., today announced a new and expanded hardware platform design for its industrial touch panel computers.

The Series B Touch Panel Computers, which come bundled with Wonderware’s InTouch HMI (human-machine interface) software, now offer a larger variety of screen sizes and feature a reduction of the number of moving parts for enhanced reliability. Wonderware’s Touch Panel Computers are designed to replace proprietary operator interface panels.

The computers incorporate a fan-less hardware design that is smaller in size and has been enhanced for faster performance.  The hardware also has been industrialized to operate in harsher conditions.  With greater video bandwidth and larger memory capacities, these bundled touch panel computers are optimized for excellent HMI performance and visualization, and are designed to support industry standards-based ArchestrA technology.

“Series B’s new hardware platform is designed to provide Wonderware customers the highest level of operation and reliability on the factory floor," said Ann Ke, Wonderware’s product marketing manager for Wonderware Industrial Tablets and Touch Panel Computers.  

“The enhanced industrialized design enables these systems to work in the toughest environments and empowers customers to replace proprietary, stand-alone hardware terminals with networked PC-based HMI applications.  Customers can use the same software consistently across all plant and control room devices at an extraordinary value."

Wonderware’s Series B Touch Panels have a modular structure that incorporates a separate monitor and CPU for flexibility and versatility.  The touch panels also are detachable, facilitating easy maintenance via quick connections between the display and the computer.  

Series B offerings include 10-, 12-, 15- and 17-inch displays, which are interchangeable with various CPUs. This interchangeability of parts eliminates the need for customers to maintain extensive spare parts inventories, thereby reducing overall maintenance costs.

Wonderware’s Series B Touch Panel Computers combine ruggedized hardware with the powerful InTouch HMI software to provide a total solution for supervising and managing production processes.

“The convenient bundled package provides Wonderware customers a functional HMI system right out of the box and a single source for both hardware and software support," Ke said.

For added reliability, Wonderware offers an optional solid-state drive running on the Microsoft Windows XP Professional operating system.  The solid-state drive provides the functionality of a hard disk with no moving parts.  It is an ideal, rugged storage solution for mission-critical applications that must operate under extreme environmental conditions.

About Invensys and its Wonderware and ArchestrA Business Units

Visit www.wonderware.com/about_us/news/wwarchestra.asp.

Invensys, Wonderware, ArchestrA, and InTouch are trademarks of Invensys plc, its subsidiaries and affiliated companies. All other brands and product names may be the trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.

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Latest Wonderware DA Server for Allen-Bradley CIP Provides Ultimate Connectivity and Ease of Use

LAKE FOREST, Calif., Sept. 6, 2005 - Wonderware, a business unit of Invensys Systems, Inc., today announced the release of a new version of its ABCIP DA Server. As an advanced multi-protocol device integration server, ABCIP DA Server 3.0 provides configurable read-and-write access from all Wonderware software packages that require real-time plant-floor data to Allen-Bradley programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and control devices.

The new server enables users to expand their existing control systems to incorporate more advanced supervisory HMI (human-machine interface) or production and performance management functions with minimal impact to existing operations.  Version 3.0 extends the ability to connect to ControlLogix and other Logix-family PLCs by fully utilizing Allen-Bradley's ControlLogix gateway functionality.

"The Wonderware ABCIP DA Server removes the dependencies on RSLinx middleware for connectivity to Allen-Bradley PLCs," said Tim Black, Wonderware functional manager for device integration.  "The new Wonderware ABCIP DA Server operates normally with scan-based message handling and manages unsolicited messages.  Therefore, once a PLC has determined that a critical condition exists, it can generate a message and immediately send it to the DA Server without a prior request."

The ABCIP DA Server 3.0 server uses the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) standard to communicate with all of the Allen-Bradley Logix families.  This includes ControlLogix, FlexLogix, Micrologix and CompactLogix.  In addition to direct PLC connections, ABCIP DA Server 3.0 can communicate with other Allen-Bradley networks including DHPlus, DH-485, ControlNet and DeviceNet through network bridge modules.  This enables connectivity to legacy networks that include legacy controllers such as SLC500 and PLC5.  

The ABCIP DA Server works with OPC, Wonderware's SuiteLink protocol and DDE application protocols to communicate with Wonderware and third-party client applications.  The server is OPC 2.05 compliant as determined by OPC Foundation test results.  

The DA Server software also comes with ArchestrA device integration objects that can be used with the Wonderware Industrial Application Server and automatically deployed to remote data servers.  This functionality includes additional diagnostic and communications functions that use the remote deployment capabilities of the ArchestrA integrated development environment.

"We hear our customers loud and clear," Black said.  "They want superior connectivity, diagnostics and performance from Wonderware that connect to Allen-Bradley PLCs, and we have been working toward that goal with every release of the ABCIP DA Server.  This DA Server release offers the ultimate in capabilities by providing customers tools for configuration, operation and full CIP connectivity, as well as the ease of use for which Wonderware is known."

About Invensys and Its Wonderware and ArchestrA Business Units

Visit www.wonderware.com/about_us/news/wwarchestra.asp.

Invensys, Wonderware, ArchestrA and SuiteLink are trademarks of Invensys plc, its subsidiaries and affiliated companies. All other brands and product names may be the trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.