Data Collection & Communications Products
Products- Standard Data Collection and Communications Products
FABNexus’ communications products- articulate, transmit, and receive SEMI-compliant SECS-II messages
- PSECS
- Embedded Network Protocol Engines
- Appliances
The FABNexus PSECS “Portable SECS” Driver Library
The FABNexus PSECS “Portable SECS” driver library transfers SECS-II (E5) messages between a destination host and equipment interface. The PSECS ‘C’ library API (Applications Program Interface) is very compact, minimizing the effort required for application programmers to learn and use it productively. The FABNexus PSECS application interface supports all required SECS messaging capabilities. The acronym “PSECS” is derived from the phrase “Portable SECS”.
The FABNexus PSECS driver library allows an equipment or factory host application programmer to effortlessly articulate, transmit and receive SEMI-compliant SECS-II messages. An application program links with the PSECS library and invokes functions that compose SECS message content for transmission, and extract (unpack) SECS message content when received. Other PSECS functions are used to transfer SECS-II (E5) messages with a destination host or equipment interface. One needs only a rudimentary understanding of the SECS-II messaging protocol and message data requirements (E5) to quickly generate SEMI-compliant message applications.
The driver comes in various configurations, capable of simultaneously processing multiple communication ports, and enables the efficient development of SEMI-compliant message applications. PSECS is designed to be easy to use and allows for the support many simultaneous connections. The base-line model supports two connections of a specified protocol (either HSMS or SECS-I), while other models are available that support up to 1,024 (or more if requested) simultaneous connections. The product-line also offers support for a mix of HSMS and/or SECS-I link connections.
Although the PSECS library interface has a small number of functions, it is very powerful. The compact ‘size’ of the interface design, minimizes the effort required for programmers to learn and use it productively. Even so, the PSECS application interface supports all useful SECS messaging capabilities.
E4 (SECS I) Driver
E5 (SECS II) Library
E5 (SECS II) Formatting Library
E37 SS (HSMS) Driver
Products- Embedded Network Protocol Engines
For situations where additional communications and automation features are needed, but modifying existing equipment or the host interface is difficult or otherwise undesirable, FABNexus offers a variety of customization protocol conversion ‘engines’. Custom protocol adapters can be built to ‘spec’ using a standard industrial PC unit, or when space or power is constrained, a low-profile embedded SBC unit can be provided.
Associated Data Acquisition “Appliances”
FABNexus I/O
(SECS-II) Data Collection Communications Adapter
The FABNexus I/O Communications Adapter is designed for the more basic applications. It enables communications and data collection capability for ancillary (or simpler) equipment that clients wish to add to their monitoring and control network (i.e. chillers, scrubbers, pumps, gas delivery systems, etc.). Using low-cost hardware, and based upon the FABNexus standard PSECS driver library, it provides cost effective, user-configurable I/O data collection, event notification, and remote command (set-point) capability.
FABNexus Protocol-Converter
(SECS-II) Communications Converter
The FABNexus Protocol-Converter (SECS-II Communications Converter) functions as a “translator” and converts possibly non-standard communications protocols to a desired (standardized) communications protocol (or visa-versa). New tools can communicate like existing tools and existing tools can communicate like new tools. The converter, based upon the standard PSECS driver library, uses either an SBC or compact PC unit, providing a SEMI-compliant SECS-II (GEM/E30 or E87) factory interface (or some other variant, per client spec).