ABSTRACT
Prior to MTConnect, the onus was on software developers to have to write an adapter for each and every piece of manufacturing equipment on the shop floor that the customer was trying to collect data from. MTConnect takes the burden from the application developer and moves it where it should be-closer to the device itself. MTConnect is an open and royalty-free standard for manufacturing that is used for connecting manufacturing equipment with applications by using proven Internet protocols. The key part of an MTConnect translation-dependent device is that the adapter is typically speaking to an Application Programming Interface (API) to send queries to that device, translating that information into Simple Hierarchical Data Representation (SHDR), and then sending it to the MTConnect agent. MTConnect is making possible the dreams and desires of generations of manufacturers, machine tool builders, and manufacturing equipment providers who all want to see the same goal of different devices having a common connection on the plant floor.
