Kepware Technologies Donates Hardware, Software for Lab Use

A donation of hardware and software from Kepware Technologies will allow students at Pennsylvania College of Technology to be among the few in the country to gain experience on a system that enables the smooth exchange of data between various automated industrial devices and control applications.

The Portland, Maine-based firm recently donated 12 OPC (open process control) stations − with 10 drivers for each station − as well as related software to use in Penn College's industrial process and automation lab.

OPC is a widely accepted industrial communication standard allowing data exchange between devices and control applications from various manufacturers, without any proprietary restrictions. An OPC server can communicate data continuously among PLCs (programmable logic controls) on the shop floor, RTUs (remote terminal units) in the field, HMI (human-machine interface) stations and software applications on desktop PCs.

Kepware specializes in OPC and device-communication technologies for the industrial automation market. The list of companies using Kepware's OPC server technology includes some of the nation's largest − 3M, Boeing, Disney, General Motors, Ford, Kraft Foods Nestle and many others − but Penn College is one of the only locations in the United States where the technology is used in an educational setting.

"Kepware is pleased to be affiliated with a well-respected institution like Penn College," said Fred Loveless, Kepware's technical support manager. "We look forward to their students becoming familiar and fluent with OPC."

Randall L. Moser, a member of Penn College's electronics and computer engineering technology faculty, said that, as the department investigated the possibility of creating a new hands-on lab dedicated to factory automation applications, research led him to focus on OPC.

"The OPC server and device drivers will be a great addition to our technology labs," Moser said. "This software will provide valuable hands-on exposure to automation standards and will allow us to explore real-world networking, data-handling and database applications used in the industrial-plant environment."

Pennsylvania College of Technology is a special mission affiliate of The Pennsylvania State University, committed to applied technology education. With more than 6,500 students enrolled in bachelor-degree, associate-degree and certificate majors, Penn College has the second- highest enrollment in the Penn State system.

For more information about Kepware Technologies, visit on the Web.

For more information about Penn College's electronics and computer engineering technology majors, or any of the more than 100 fields of study at Penn College, call the Admissions Office at (570) 327-4761, or toll-free (800) 367-9222; e-mail or visit online.

For more information about making a donation to Penn College, call the Institutional Advancement Office at (570) 320-8020, or toll-free (866) GIVE-2-PC; e-mail or visit on the Web.