iFIX performs basic functions that enable specific applications to perform their assigned tasks. The two most basic functions are data acquisition and data management. The following figure illustrates the basic functions of iFIX.
iFIX Basic Functions
Data acquisition is the ability to retrieve data from the plant floor and process that data into a usable form. Data can also be written to the plant floor, thereby establishing the critical two-way link required by control software. iFIX uses OPC to request and utilize plant floor data. OPC is a client/server model with a common interface that allows iFIX to communicate with standard objects, methods, and properties. For additional information on OPC, refer to the OLE for Process Control (OPC) section.
iFIX requires no proprietary hardware to acquire data. It communicates directly with I/O devices already in place through a software interface called an I/O driver. In most cases, iFIX can work with the I/O hardware installed in your plant. Even if your plant has I/O devices from different manufacturers on the same network, I/O drivers can access and work with all of them.
We currently offer an extensive catalog of I/O drivers that support best-selling and specialty I/O devices. We also offer the OPC Toolkit, a development tool that allows you to quickly and easily write high performance, reliable OPC enabled I/O servers. Any server written with the toolkit can talk to OLE automation or OPC client applications. The toolkit includes an online training session, online help, and universal OLE Automation interfaces. Servers written with the OPC toolkit are open, reliable and high performing servers that incorporate multi-threading, queue-based messaging, and event-based processing.
Once data is acquired, it is manipulated and channeled according to requests from your application software. This process is known as data management.