by Gary Mintchell | Feb 9, 2026 | Automation, Process Control, Software, Standards
The Open Process Automation Forum has been building a standard of standards to promote open and interoperable technology for process automation. PLCOpen has been at the forefront of international standards promulgation as the organization behind IEC 61131. This latter organization has instituted a Working Group to create IEC61131 process automation standard and certifications for application engineers to efficiently deploy PLC, DCS, and open platform controls in process industry applications.
I’ve been following and promoting open and interoperability for decades. This should be a useful step forward.
Bill Lydon sent this explanation of the background and current status of programming standards.
The cost of programming process automation and control continues to grow and is a significant part of project costs. Each supplier having unique function blocks that do not follow a single worldwide standard increases training, application development costs, and project profit risk. PLCopen standardization and modular methodology lowers training time, project development costs, and lowers project cost overruns risk.
This further expands the base of PLCopen standards that enable No-Code/Low-Code industrial automation programming across vendor platforms including industrial computers. This will include incorporation of the function blocks defined in the O-PAS standard into a new PLCopen standard.
The new PLCopen Process Functions standards and certification make it easier for application engineers to deploy PLC, DCS, and open platform controls in process applications.
Working Group Goal
The PLCopen Process Industry Working Group goal is accelerating the convergence of discrete and process control & automation into harmonized PLC, DCS and open platform system architectures to achieve industrial business digitalization.
Today there are a diverse number of ways to program applications for process control and automation. The goal is to develop PLCopen function block standards for process control functions. Function Blocks are encapsulations of variables, parameters and their processing algorithms. Similar standardization has been done with PLCopen standards developed for motion control, safety, fluid power, XML Program Interchange, and OPC UA.
He notes process control applications being done using PLCs. I actually sold a PLC to a chemical plant engineer, who used it to control one of his processes. That was in 1995. So, while unusual, not unheard of.
Today many process control applications are being done using PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) since the capabilities of these devices is far beyond original 1970s relay replacement applications. The emerging use of industrial edge computers with IEC 611 31 runtime software engines is another segment that benefits from the results of the PLCopen Process Industry Working Group.
PLCopen Background
PLCopen has been successful defining IEC 61131 functions and certifications used widely throughout industry worldwide increasing engineering efficiency, quality and empowering a wider number of people in motion control, fluid power, safety, and other functions. The standards define common inputs outputs and behaviors with vendor certifying conformance to accomplish the functions or additional features.
PLCopen Standards
- Logic – The PLCopen basis is provided by the world wide standard IEC 61131, and especially Part 3 – Programming Languages.
- Motion Control – Creating reusable, hardware independent Motion Control applications via IEC 61131-3 and PLCopen Function Blocks including Fluid Power.
- Safety -PLCopen Safety integrates safety functionality into the IEC 61131-3 development environments. Meets IEC 61508 & related standards.
- Communication – PLCopen and OPC Foundation combine their technologies to a platform and manufacturer-independent information and communication architecture.
- XML Exchange – PLCopen added independent XML schemes to IEC 61131-3
Movements including Industry 4.0, Industrial Internet of Things, The Open Process Automation Forum, and Smart Manufacturing are creating a drive for more standards. IEC 61131-3 along with PLCopen extensions and certifications are well established in discrete and hybrid applications and with the addition of OPC Function blocks is already part of the newer Industry 4.0 and Industrial Internet of Things offerings.
Working Group
As part of our ongoing efforts to drive standardization and interoperability in industrial automation PLCopen will start a new workgroup exploring the incorporation of the function blocks we have developed for the O-PAS standard into a new PLCopen standard.
The O-PAS (Open Process Automation Standard) is an open, interoperable, and vendor-neutral standard developed by the Open Process Automation Forum (OPAF) to enable flexible and modular process automation systems. It is designed to replace traditional, proprietary DCS’ with a standards-based, plug-and-play architecture, allowing components from different vendors to work seamlessly together. O-PAS is based on existing industry standards, such as (among others) IEC 61131 & IEC 61499.
Part 6.4 of the O-PAS defines a set of standard function blocks to ensure interoperability, consistency, and comparability across different process automation systems. These FBs provide a reference model with standardized inputs, outputs, and behaviors. By establishing a uniform function block framework, part 6.4 supports modular automation, making it easier to adopt open, vendor-independent control solutions. PLCopen helped creating several pre-defined function blocks for part 6.4 of the O-PAS standard.
In order to standardizing these function blocks within PLCopen we are starting a new workgroup to create a new PLCopen standard for the process automation.
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by Gary Mintchell | Feb 4, 2026 | Open Source, Process Control
Yokogawa is a company I just can’t figure out. A former CEO and I had several friendly and informative interviews many years ago. But their automation business in America collapsed, although they retain the office outside Houston along with the instrumentation office outside Atlanta. A marketing person will occasionally send a release.
Discussion the Open Process Automation group, a colleague suggested Yokogawa as a prime mover. I expressed some doubt. I see Foxboro (Schneider Electric) as the company who stands to gain the most from OPAF. I’m not sure where Yokogawa will go.
But their engineering continues its broad involvement with open systems. This news regards its joining the Open Invention Network.
Yokogawa Electric Corporation announces that it is joining Open Invention Network 2.0 (OIN 2.0) as a community member. OIN 2.0 is being launched on this date by OIN, an open source patent non-aggression community, to promote the protection and adoption of open source software.
The Open Invention Network (OIN) community promotes the use of open source software through a cross-licensing framework that enables mutual use of patents related to the Linux System*1. The over 4,000 companies that currently belong to the OIN community are provided access to approximately three million patents and patent applications through mutual licensing. The newly launched OIN 2.0 expands the scope of patent protection beyond the traditional Linux System to include emerging areas where open source software usage is growing rapidly, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the energy sector. This evolution enables a cross-licensing framework that supports a broader range of technologies.
Yokogawa signed a license agreement with OIN in 2016 with the aim of accelerating product development and reducing the risks associated with patent litigation, thereby establishing a secure environment for developing system products that utilize Linux. Linux technologies are also used in Yokogawa system products in the OpreX Control and Safety System lineup, such as OpreX Collaborative Information Server. By joining OIN 2.0, Yokogawa has further expanded the range of areas in which open source software can be used with confidence. As a result, customers can benefit from having Linux-based applications and system products that enjoy stronger intellectual property protection.
Yokogawa will continue to promote open innovation and intellectual property protection through co-creation with multiple companies and organizations.
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by Gary Mintchell | Feb 4, 2026 | Generative AI, News, Process Control, Security, Software
This news came last week. Just as I was contemplating the business model of cybersecurity firms following another acquisition, this news of a new company launch with a unique take on security. This company will be interesting to watch. The news comes from Amsterdam concerning the launch of a company called Indurex. Naturally they have AI in their product offering and manage to work in an older term—cyber-physical systems.
The quick take: An AI-powered, human-in-the-loop platform that brings together process safety and cybersecurity, turning complex signals into trusted decisions for resilient critical infrastructure.
Indurex, a pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) and cyber-physical systems (CPS) security company, announced on January 27 its official launch to help protect critical infrastructure, smart manufacturing, and connected industrial operations. The company’s mission is to deliver robust, adaptive security solutions that safeguard both the physical and digital worlds as they increasingly converge.
Founded by a team of seasoned experts in operational technology (OT), cybersecurity, and process safety systems, Indurex enters the market at a decisive time. Operators across energy, utilities, and manufacturing sectors face mounting challenges from IT-OT convergence, cyber sabotage, and cascading system failures — putting both process safety and cybersecurity integrity under increasing pressure and exposing essential assets to unprecedented risk. Traditional tools, designed for isolated IT networks or legacy control systems, can no longer assure the level of operational, safety, and cyber integrity required in today’s highly connected industrial environments.
Industrial organisations continue to face a critical gap between process safety and cybersecurity, which are managed in disconnected silos. Existing tools generate high volumes of alerts without sufficient industrial or engineering context, leading to alert fatigue and a limited ability to assess real operational and safety impact. At the same time, a new class of AI-enabled and cyber-physical threats is emerging — capable of exploiting process behaviour, safety dependencies, and human workflows. Detecting and stopping these threats requires AI-native technologies designed for industrial systems, combined with human-in-the-loop intelligence to ensure explainability, trust, and effective decision-making.
Indurex bridges this gap with an AI-native, interoperable platform that unifies engineering context and cybersecurity intelligence — an approach the company defines as Engineering Cyber Intelligence.
This delivers measurable returns across three dimensions:
- Operational Excellence & Safety Integrity: Fewer trips and faster recovery through unified situational awareness and continuous assurance of Safety Integrity Functions (SIF)
- Cyber Resilience: Contextualized detection and response across digital and physical domains, aligned with operational and safety impact
- Cost & Compliance: Automated reporting and defensible evidence of risk, control maturity, and safety integrity across critical systems
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by Gary Mintchell | Nov 20, 2025 | Generative AI, Operator Interface, Process Control
Every day brings more press releases about AI in something. Every one consistently uses the term AI completely undefined. I asked Honeywell if they could explain anything further about their AI. I waited a week. No reply.
Suffice it to say that some sort of AI “transforms” the experience for operators. So, forgetting the AI part, I continue to applaud refining ways to communicate the status of operations to operators (and others).
Honeywell announced a collaboration with TotalEnergies for the ongoing pilot of its AI-assisted Experion Operations Assistant at TotalEnergies’ Port Arthur Refinery in Texas. The initiative aims to support and empower operators to make timely and informed decisions while also providing the opportunity to enhance operational autonomy.
Built on Honeywell’s flagship distributed control system, Experion Operations Assistant is an advanced AI-powered solution designed to transform the way operators monitor plant operations from the control room. By merging operational analytics with real real-time predictive insights, the solution facilitates a more efficient workflow within critical refinery operations. With the integration of this new solution, operators in the control room can forecast potential maintenance events before they happen and minimize risks associated with unsafe operations and production losses.
TotalEnergies has already implemented an initial pilot of Experion Operations Assistant at the Port Arthur site’s Delayed Coking Unit (DCU). Preliminary results show the AI-assisted solution has successfully forecasted five potential events, helping to minimize downtime and reduce emissions from flaring. The predictions were made an average of 12 minutes in advance of an alarm incident, enabling operators to quickly implement corrective actions before an event.
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by Gary Mintchell | Jul 8, 2025 | Asset Performance Management, Process Control
Process automation companies like sending press releases when they get a new project. This news in interesting on two fronts. One, it details the use of drones and robots for monitoring and maintenance. Two, this details Yokogawa and Shell working together on the project.
Yokogawa Electric Corp. announced that it has formalized a long-term agreement with Shell Global Solutions International B.V. (“Shell”) to integrate and further develop technologies for utilizing robots and drones in plant monitoring and maintenance. Under the agreement, Yokogawa will add an advanced machine vision tool called Operator Round by Exception (ORE), developed by Shell, into its own OpreX Robot Management Core. The enhanced software service will be made available by Yokogawa to customers in the energy, chemicals, and other industries.
ORE is a digital solution that uses machine vision and AI analytics to enable robots to autonomously perform a number of tasks in the operator round process, such as reading gauges and checking for leaks and machinery issues. It is the result of a two-year collaborative effort within Shell, which combined machine vision strategy with deep capabilities in the field of integrity management, remote site inspection, and corrosion management.
OpreX Robot Management Core is a key product in Yokogawa’s robot solutions. The software helps customers maintain their facilities in a safer and more efficient manner by integrating the management of various types of robots that perform plant maintenance tasks conventionally carried out by humans. When connected to a plant’s control and safety systems, the data acquired can be used to issue instructions to robots, thus enabling the first step to be taken toward autonomous plant operations. The addition of Shell’s ORE technology will significantly increase the number of use cases available to customers through OpreX Robot Management Core.
Moving forward, Yokogawa robotics operations will deploy at two Shell facilities as a pilot into how robotics and drones can deliver value through efficiencies in plant monitoring and maintenance.
This collaboration is the first key milestone for Yokogawa working alongside Shell in the collaboration space at the Energy Transition Campus Amsterdam, which was created by Shell in 2022 to provide a platform for collaboration between companies, societal organizations, governments, and universities to work on tomorrow’s energy solutions. Shell and Yokogawa have also agreed to collaborate on an aligned R&D roadmap to further develop and enhance the machine vision technology, ensuring continuous innovation and improvement. This collaboration underscores both companies’ commitment to providing cutting-edge solutions to the energy and industrial sectors.
by Gary Mintchell | Jun 11, 2025 | Process Control
Just as I was wondering about anything new in process control, this release about Yokogawa releasing its next-generation CENTUM VP Integrated Production Control System came my way.
They say that this celebrates the 50th anniversary of the announcement of the world’s first distributed control system and 10 generations of the current iteration.
Yokogawa Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6841) announces the unveiling of the next-generation Release 7 concept and the launch of Release 7.01 of the CENTUM VP integrated production control system, a core product in the OpreX Control and Safety System lineup. This is the 10th generation of the CENTUM series, and its release coincides with the 50th anniversary of the announcement of CENTUM as the world’s first*1 distributed control system (DCS), on June 19, 1975.
Yokogawa has based its development of CENTUM VP Release 7 on the concept of enabling autonomous operations. With CENTUM, Yokogawa is helping its customers attain sustainability by improving energy efficiency, accelerating decarbonization, and providing a safe and secure working environment. While maintaining the reliability, stability, continuity, robust security, and comprehensive engineering and service network that have been hallmarks of the CENTUM series since its inception, Yokogawa adds the following three areas:
1. Expanded scope of control and monitoring—By securely aggregating a wide range of data scattered throughout the plant, the status of the entire plant can be monitored, and the scope of automated operation can be expanded, enabling safer and more secure operations.
2. Predictive monitoring through process condition monitoring—By extracting and identifying process-specific events related to operations and predicting deviations from expected values, operators can anticipate changes and take action, helping to achieve more stable operations and improve energy efficiency.
3. Reduction of operator workload—By presenting future scenarios that leverage operator knowledge and know-how, it supports the operator in making accurate decisions. In addition, autonomous control AI*3 can take over from operators to achieve long-term stable operation. This reduces operator workload and mental stress.
Main Features of Release 7.01
1. Enhanced security—This release adopts industry security benchmarks to strengthen the cybersecurity of the components that make up control systems and enhance the overall security level of the system.
2. Expansion of control and monitoring scope with CENTUM—By integrating OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) connectivity, the range of plant equipment and devices that can be controlled and monitored by CENTUM is expanded. In this update, OPC UA client functionality has been added to CENTUM.
3. Enhanced engineering capabilities for large-scale projects—To promote operational optimization by integrating various systems within the plant, a feature has been added that allows the merging and testing of multiple engineering databases related to CENTUM. This enhancement will enable high-quality and efficient engineering, contributing to the rapid startup of new plants and restart of upgraded plants.
