ORiN

ORiN (Open Robot/Resource interface for the Network) is a standard network interface for FA (factory automation) systems. The Japan Robot Association proposed ORiN in 2002, and the ORiN Forum develops and maintains the ORiN standard.
Background.
The installation of PC (Personal Computer) applications in the factory is increasing recently. Various types of application software systems, such as production management system, process management system, operation monitoring system and failure analysis system, are operating in the factory. These software systems are becoming indispensable for the manufacturing system.
However, most of these software systems are only compatible with specific models or specific manufacturers of the FA system. This is because the software system is “custom made” depending on the specific special network or protocol. Once this type of application is installed in a factory and if there are no resident software engineers for the system, the improvement of the system will stop, the cost-effectiveness of the system will be worsen, and the total value of the system will deteriorate.
Another recent problem in production is the rapid increase of the product demand at the initial stage of the product release. The manufactures will lose the chance of possible profit if they cannot meet the demand. To cope with the problem, manufacturing industry is trying to achieve the vertical upstart of the production, and high re-usability of both hardware and software is the key for the goal.
To solve these problems, ORiN was developed as a standard PC application platform.
Outline.
ORiN was originally developed as a standard platform for robot applications. Nowadays, ORiN became a manufacturing application program platform for handling wider range of resources including robots and other FA devices like programmable logic controllers (PLC) and numerical control (NC) systems, or more generic resources like databases and local file systems. ORiN specifications are on software only and are independent from hardware. Therefore, ORiN can be smoothly integrated with other existing technologies only by developing software. By using ORiN, development of manufacture-independent and model-independent application becomes easy.
By utilizing ORiN, various application software development and active multi-vender system construction by third-party companies are expected. In addition, on economy side, increase of manufacturing competitiveness, expansion of FA market, advancement of software industry in FA, and creation of FA engineering industry are also expected.
Features.
ORiN is independent from hardware, and all ORiN specifications are for software. ORiN (Version 2) is composed of the following three key technology specifications.
With these three key standard technologies, ORiN provides following features.