Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1197000
JANUARY 2020 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 31 • OPC-UA: Four months plus at least two paid systems support visits • MTConnect: Four months plus at least two paid systems support visits ______________________ "CFX is limited to large pieces of equipment only." Answer: False CFX was developed to be flexible enough so that it can be implemented on or adapted through version upgrades to apply to any piece of manufacturing equipment. This was dem- onstrated at IPC APEX EXPO 2019 when a ven- dor installed CFX on a soldering iron for the factory demonstration. ______________________ "CFX is an open standard, meaning any equipment vendor, software supplier, or user can influence it." Answer: True As with any other IPC standard, IPC-2591 is an open industry standard. In fact, the Subcom- mittee wants your involvement because com- ments from industry only serve to strengthen the standard. Additionally, there is no cost to participate in the ongoing management of the standard, and your level of participation is up to you. You can be an active participant, attending all the meetings, or you can submit comments on drafts or published releases. The only thing that matters is your involvement. This is counter to other similar standards, such as SEMI ELS—a standard that is devel- oped by a committee, behind closed doors, and once you sign an NDA. ______________________ "SEMI ELS is the IPC SMEMA standard replacement." Answer: False This is a "five Pinocchios" level of false. SMEMA has been part of IPC since 1999 and is the appropriate body to determine what con- stitutes replacement. SMEMA, through IPC, updated the interface standard through IPC-9851 and now further through IPC-HERMES-9852. The Hermes Standard, IPC-HERMES-9852, which was developed by The Hermes Initiative and adopted as a joint standard by IPC, is a full replacement for the SMEMA standard replace- ment and provides significant benefits over the SEMI standard. With IPC-HERMES-9852, data is passed along a shop floor as a digital twin, with clear board statuses communicated to and from each piece of equipment. The SEMI ELS standard uses an archaic approach to board handling, which results in hardware costs and software problems. IPC-HERMES-9852 and IPC CFX, used together, provide a clear cut between vertical and horizontal tasks, making these standards together far more powerful than SEMI ELS. IPC-HERMES-9852 provides full-line coverage, whereas SEMI ELS misses coverage for many parts of a factory line. ______________________ "SECS-GEM is an Industry 4.0 solution." Answer: False SECS-GEM transmits messages in a binary format between devices and a host control sys- tem, or server, which communicates decisions back to the machines. This is why the Subcom- mittee decided this standard was not an Indus- try 4.0 solution when it began work on CFX. CFX is a single-source Industry 4.0 sys- tem because it transmits messages between machines, and between machines and EPR sys- tems, and enables direct interaction between those machines and systems, without having to route through another system. This is the basis for smart factories, the industrial internet of things (IIoT), and Industry 4.0. Additionally, SECS-GEM can be complicated for today's IT teams because its origins date back to the 1980s, whereas CFX is JSON, which just about any IT developer is familiar with. ______________________