MTL Open System Technologies (Most), a member of the MTL Instruments Group, has announced the release of its Matrix v.8.2 process control system that features integration with the Wonderware System Platform 3.0 software and enhanced security.

“Our control solutions have always made extensive use of Wonderware software solutions such as InTouch (operator interface (HMI)), Wonderware Historian (formerly known as the IndustrialSQL Server) and InBatch (recipe management). The integration of the System Platform 3.0 offers our customers major benefits - significant reduction in project engineering and deployment costs, easy expansion of existing systems, enhanced production and performance management reporting and integration with enterprise-wide business systems,” said Most VP of marketing Dave Reynolds.
Most’s process control system, Matrix v. 8.2, leverages the Wonderware System Platform 3.0 software to automatically manage and coordinate the development, modification, and deployment of control application components. Each of these components or templates contain all the information necessary for alarming, trending, historisation, and security for process control tasks including PID loops, motor control, I/O interfacing, and diagnostics. Graphical representation of these components is through a set of Wonderware SmartSymbols. This results in greater engineering productivity and lowers system life-cycle costs.
Wonderware System Platform 3.0 software is built on Invensys’ ArchestrA industrial service-oriented architecture (ISOA). This enables plant engineers to easily design, develop, deploy and maintain process control and functional safety systems for a wide variety of applications. In addition, the ArchestrA architecture enables the System Platform 3.0 to offer one platform or toolset that can integrate plant floor systems with enterprise-wide business systems.
Matrix v. 8.2 provides enhanced system security, ensuring that only authorised users can make changes to the system. Security features have expanded beyond secure logons with different access levels for each user to include the following advanced features: a trusted host table ensures that only specified MAC addresses may write data to the controller; the controller can be password protected so that only those that know the password can make certain changes; the controller supports a protected mode where configuration changes cannot be made. A keyswitch can also be used to lock the controller so no other changes can be made. Finally, the data is CRC checked to ensure it was modified by the Workbench and not an outside tool.
Matrix’s enhanced security is complemented by Wonderware software’s extensive security features. The Wonderware System Platform 3.0 model supports security down to the individual data element. System Platform 3.0 software enables every single object and attribute in a network to be locked down, both from a development and run-time point of view. As data travels through the network, information about who made the request, that person’s role, permissions and, in some cases, encrypted password information accompanies the data. This extensive data security in the Wonderware System Platform 3.0 software is designed to enable compliance with FDA 21 CFR Part 11 with proper certification.
Robust system security is just one of the benefits that Matrix provides with its integration of ArchestrA technology. Matrix’s open architecture readily integrates with other hardware and software products, assuring easy connectivity to other systems in your plant. Matrix systems offer high availability solutions with redundant solutions and data loss prevention capability.
Most provides open control technologies, process automation systems, safety shutdown solutions and Scada communications software. Solutions encompass open control hardware and software components, process automation systems (Matrix) including process controllers and robust I/O systems, SIL 2 functional safety systems (SafetyNet) for Process Shut Down (PSD), Emergency Shut Down (ESD) Systems and Burner Management System (BMS) applications and Scada communications software.
“Our solutions are proving themselves across the oil and gas, petrochemical and petroleum refining, food and beverage, pulp and paper, power generation and utilities, metals and mining, water and wastewater, manufacturing, and other industries,” a Most spokesman said.