News

Advancing Open Process Automation: ERDi Team Recognised

Published 28/2/2024

·        ERDi team members were acknowledged for their contributions by the Open Process Automation Forum ™ (OPAF).

We are pleased to announce that two members of our ERDi I4.0 TestLab team were among a select group honoured for their efforts in advancing Open Process Automation Standards (OPAS ™) at the recent annual OPA Forum workshops in Orlando, Florida. Leo Provido and John Kirkman received plaques for their contributions to establishing a standards conformance testing capability for OPAS ™ Part 5 – Systems Management at the ERDi TestLab.

An integral aspect of the OPAS ™ approach is realising the transition from closed proprietary control systems to open, interoperable, and secure control systems, facilitated by the OPAS ™ technology conformance verification and certification program. This program enables technology suppliers to have their products certified as compliant with relevant OPAS standards by The Open Group. End Users and Systems Integrators will benefit from being able to identify compliant products through the Open Group's register of certified products when selecting OPAS compliant solutions.

"We couldn't be prouder nor happier for Leo, who has worked diligently and tirelessly over an extended period, to develop a system for testing Distributed Control Nodes (DCNs) for compliance to OPAS Part 5 – Systems Management," said John Kirkman of the ERDi TestLab team. "Currently, over 90% of the tests are automated, reducing testing duration from nearly 80 hours to 8 hours and can test up to 30 devices in parallel" he added.

The ERDi team has already conducted pre-certification testing for 6 DCN suppliers from various countries across Europe, Asia, and North America. In coming months, the ERDi TestLab, plans to launch a self-service test portal where DCN vendors can conduct pre-certification testing of their products and address any issues before submitting products for formal certification testing. Additionally, ERDi plans to incorporate testing for OPAS™ Part 2 – Inbuilt Security (based on IEC 62443 (ISA-99)) and OPAS™ Part 4 – Connectivity Framework (based on IEC 62541 (OPC-UA)) this year, providing DCN suppliers with a comprehensive solution for OPAS conformance verification testing.

To learn more about OPA and the Curtin OPA initiative contact the ERDi team info@erditestlab.com