I/Gear, Inc. Publishes Comprehensive Listing of Technology Interfaces.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- I/Gear, Inc. today announced a comprehensive listing of technology interfaces to its flagship software platform, I/Gear Data Transport Utility (DTU), further distinguishing DTU as the standard software platform for fully integrated manufacturing.

The ability to move data between dissimilar technologies directly affects a manufacturer's ability to produce products on schedule and with zero defects. An infrastructure that provides device connectivity and controls the flow of data between the myriad of technologies found on the typical plant floor is the proper starting point for all successful software solutions aimed at improving quality and throughput. The need for a data transport infrastructure or "plumbing" is becoming more critical as zero-second changeover between products and the increasing requirement for collecting traceability information from the manufacturing process are no longer optional capabilities.

In this space of providing universal connectivity and business logic to control the flow of data between devices and plant floor software systems, I/Gear, Inc. is the established leader. No other software platform incorporates over twenty-five different interfaces or "DataLinks" within the same software platform and transaction coordinator. All DataLinks are configurable with an intuitive wizard-based set-up with advanced options and user friendly features. Please see below for a comprehensive list of DTU interfaces.

DataLinks In General Release

Cognex(R) Vision Connectivity - provides bi-directional communication with Cognex(R) In-Sight series industrial vision systems.

Ethernet/Serial Device Connectivity - provides bi-directional communication with any open-protocol system or device via Ethernet (TCP, UDP, Telnet and ICMP protocols) or a serial port (RS-232, RS-422, RS485). Integration made easy to devices and systems such as barcode scanners, RFID tags, vision systems, weigh scales, motion controllers, tonnage monitors, torque controllers, industrial displays, barcode label printers, part marking equipment and many more.

File Management - provides access to many different types of files. It can easily read and write data to both text and binary files.

E-Mail Notification - provides access to send and receive messages with Microsoft(R) Exchange(R), Lotus(R) Notes(R), mailEnable(R) and many more via standard e-mail protocols including SMTP, MAPI, POP and IMAP.

I/Gear Andon Connectivity - provides communication with I/Gear Andon displays. These plant floor devices provide a combination of electronic and static signage.

Modbus Device Connectivity - provides bi-directional communication with any Modbus TCP compliant device including Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), AC/DC Drives, Temperature Controllers, Industrial Sensors, Motion Controllers, RFID antennas and many more.

OLEDB (OLE for DataBase) and ODBC (Open DataBase Connectivity) Connectivity - provides bi-directional communication with a number of database systems including SQL Server(R), Sybase(R), DB2(R), MySQL(R), Access(R), Excel(R), BTrieve(R) and dBase(R). Providing complete and secure data management capabilities through formulated queries, stored procedures, and custom SQL statements.

OPC (OLE for Process Control) Connectivity - provides bi-directional communication with local and remote OPC (OLE for Process Control) servers that provide connectivity to Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), Distributed Control Systems (DCS) and Human Machine Interfaces (HMI).

Oracle(R) Connectivity - provides bi-direction communication with Oracle(R) databases via native Oracle(R) objects for optimum performance. Providing complete and secure data management capabilities through formulated queries, stored procedures, and custom SQL statements.

Pager Connectivity - provides access to send alphanumeric pages using Telocator Alphanumeric Protocol (TAP) via a paging service or send numeric pages to a pager directly.

Test Generation - provides access to generate sample data to emulate devices for the purposes of system development and testing. Providing multiple data types and functions for adjustment.

Vorne(R) XL Marquee Connectivity - provides bi-directional communication with Vorne(R) XL-series, data monitoring, full graphic, Ethernet-based electronic displays.

WAGO(R) I/O Connectivity - provides bi-directional communication with WAGO(R) 750 series Ethernet-based I/O devices.

DataLinks In Limited Release

Allen-Bradley PLC Connectivity - provides bi-directional communication with Ethernet-enabled ControlLogix(R) series processors.

Microsoft(R) .net Integration - provides support for execution of any public method or property in a .Net 1.1 or 2.0 assembly.

Lincoln Electric Welder Connectivity - provides bi-directional communication with Lincoln Electric PowerWave(R) series welders.

Printer Connectivity - provides access to any Windows-based printer.

Microsoft Reporting Services(R) Connectivity - provides access to automatically load and print a pre-configured Microsoft Reporting Services(R) report.

Rockwell RSView(R) Connectivity - provides bi-directional communication with the tag database of RSView(R) HMI applications running on a local or remote machine.

IBM WebSphere(R) MQ Connectivity - provides access to send and receive messages with IBM WebSphere(R) MQ Series software.

Web Services Integration - provides bi-directional communication with a Web Service.

Invensys Wonderware Intouch(R) Connectivity -provides bi-directional communication with the tag database of Wonderware Intouch(R) applications running on a local or remote computer.

DataLinks In Development

Voice Annunciation Capability - provides the ability to send voice messages via a TAPI-compliant modem.

Atlas Copco Nut Runner Connectivity - provides bi-directional communication with Atlas Copco PowerFocus(R) 3000 series torque controllers.

SAP Connectivity - provides communication with the SAP ERP system.

File Processing - provides functionality for transferring files to/from remote servers via Windows directory services or FTP, importing/exporting data and purging or archiving files after processing.

XML Formatting - provides the capability of parsing and building XML documents from multiple sources with multiple steps.

About I/Gear, Inc.

Louisville, KY based I/Gear, Inc. develops software products that allow varying customer needs to be met with a common approach to connectivity, data transport, and visibility and management of plant floor information. I/Gear software products are building block platforms that enable the deployment of various manufacturing solutions to include dynamic scheduling, build-to-broadcast, error proofing, visual communication, advanced notification, traceability, and manufacturing intelligence.

About I/Gear DTU Software

DTU is an integration platform that enables the movement of data between various systems and devices based on time or event. This software tool enables the achievement of world class manufacturing with a plant-wide infrastructure of omni-directional data transport. DTU interfaces seamlessly with PLCs, welders, torque guns, databases, spreadsheets, ERP systems, marquees, email servers, pagers, RFID and barcode scanners, HMIs, and many other serial, Ethernet, OLEDB, ODBC and OPC compliant devices and systems. DTU eliminates the need for custom integration software code, and leads to cost savings via increased efficiency relative to solution development, deployment, and support. DTU is a server application and runs as a Windows service. Download a trial version of DTU today.