Implementation of JFPC (Java for Process Control) under Linux - a mechanism to access industrial I/Os in a JAVA/Linux environment

Using JAVA for process control requires the access to I/O-Hardware. This problem is addressed in several ongoing standardisation efforts for Real Time Java. A spin-off of these standardisation efforts is the Siemens product JFPC (Java for Process Control), which is based on the ideas of OPC (OLE for Process Control). It is available under the proprietary RT kernel RMOS and under Windows NT. Based on a contract with Siemens, ZEL - the central electronics facility of Forschungszentrum Juelich - has implemented JFPC under Linux. Additionally, several JFPC providers, e.g for accessing industrial components via PROFIBUS DP have been implemented.