Re: [foxboro] FoxAPI and AIM*API
- From: "Johnson, Alex P (IPS)" <alex.johnson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <foxboro@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:02:43 -0400
Re: We have FoxAPI ver 4.2.6 installed in our AW1003 (P91 WinXP box).
Where can we get the latest version for FoxAPI ? Can it be downloaded ?
Depending on your support contract, you can get the latest from the
Global Client Support website - http://support.ips.invensys.com.
Re: Noted that OPC server from Foxboro utilizes AIM*API - whereas
Matrikon's
OPC server utilizes FoxAPI. Any particular reason why there's 2
different
API in existence?
They meet two different needs. The OM API is a very low level interface
that requires more sophisticated programming skills. FoxAPI is intended
to serve as a simpler interface for developers allowing them to
concentrate on their value added work rather than the API.
Now for some history:
When the I/A Series system was released, a device called the INI-10 was
one of the standard modules. The INI-10 supplied an X.25 interface to
the I/A Series system.
Our gateway group developed and supported a product called Application
Interface Software that ran on HP-UX and VMS OSs. This software could
communicate to the I/A Series using the INI-10. The supplied API was
designed for FORTRAN programs.
A number of applications were developed for the AIS API, e.g., a OSIsoft
PI data collector. When the I/A Series system added support for Sun
workstations (I/A Series 3.0), we decided to support the AIS API on the
Solaris box as well. This resulted in the first on-platform version of
AIS. The software was included on every AW, but it was not started by
default.
A little later, the networked version of AIS became available (AISnet).
This product provided a client API on a variety of non-Foxboro platforms
(Sun, HP, DEC) that talked to a server process that runs in the
50-Series box over an Ethernet network. The transport protocol was
either TCP/IP or DECnet. Eventually, this offering became the basis for
products like Data for Windows. It is AISnet that added the process
an_server to the set of standard AIS processes.
AISnet was a superset of AIS, i.e., it had all of AIS's calls and some
extras. The extras included historian and CSA query calls.
A little more time passed and a Marketing group was assigned to the
Information Technologies business of which the AIS development and
support group are a part. This marketing group decided that AIS was not
a very useful name. They changed things so that we had:
(local) FoxAPI V4.x which was AIS 3.0 with some enhancements
netFoxAPI V4.x which was AISnet
though the names were changed the products were not.
More time passed and a new version of FoxAPI (V5.x) was developed to
support the AIM*AT Suite of products (Historian, OPC DA Server,
DataLink, FoxExplorer, etc.). However, this version caused problems with
existing programs because it required those programs to be re-linked.
The issue was serious enough that V5.x of FoxAPI was withdrawn and later
released as AIM*API.
Still later, the NetFoxAPI client was replaced with a new and more
functional client - netMFC. This new client offers a totally different
API to the client programs.
Thus, we actually have several families of APIs for the I/A Series
system:
Base APIs
OM API
IPC API
Historian API
CSA API
HI API
Others
FoxAPI/netFoxAPI using the FoxAPI client which supports OM, Historian,
and CSA calls.
AIM*API/NetAIM*API using the netMFC client which supports OM, Historian,
and CSA calls.
AIM*API is a superset of FoxAPI though the general scope of support is
similar.
So, to answer your question, there are many APIs to meet the various
client needs for access to I/A Series data. The base APIs are generally
higher performance, but require more work to develop software than the
higher level APIs.
Re: Matrikon claimed that their OPC Server can communicate with Foxboro
systems on Solaris or Windows using either the FoxAPI, or OM (Object
Manager). How this OM is different w/ FoxAPI in terms of data flow.
Anything that I offered would be pure speculation. However, I wonder if
their OM-based OPC DA Server is actually supported on V8.x since it
requires headers and libraries that are not shipped with the system.
I hope this helps.
Regards,
Alex Johnson
Invensys Process Systems
10900 Equity Drive
Houston, TX 77041
+1 713 329 8472 (desk)
+1 713 329 1600 (operator)
+1 713 329 1944 (SSC Fax)
+1 713 329 1700 (Central Fax)
alex.johnson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
From: foxboro-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:foxboro-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Ainuddin Ali
Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2009 9:52 PM
To: foxboro@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [foxboro] FoxAPI and AIM*API
Hi Sir
1. We have FoxAPI ver 4.2.6 installed in our AW1003 (P91 WinXP box).
Where
can we get the latest version for FoxAPI ? Can it be downloaded ?
2. Noted that OPC server from Foxboro utilizes AIM*API - whereas
Matrikon's
OPC server utilizes FoxAPI. Any particular reason why there's 2
different
API in existence?
3. Matrikon claimed that their OPC Server can communicate with Foxboro
systems on Solaris or Windows using either the FoxAPI, or OM (Object
Manager). How this OM is different w/ FoxAPI in terms of data flow.
Regards.
Ainuddin Ali
Operation Dept
Prai Power Plant
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