A MAP to data highway implementation using manufacturing message specification

As users migrate to MAP-based factory automation solutions, the problem of communicating with devices on proprietary networks must be addressed. A service for device message passing, Manufacturing Message Specification (MMS), was used to develop an application program. MMS is a tool that resides in the Application Layer of the MAP seven-layer protocol stack. MMS was created to allow user application programs running on a MAP node to communicate with programmable devices such as programmable logic controllers (PLC's), robots and computer numerically controlled machine tools. This thesis addresses the specific problem of connecting a MAP network to Data Highway, Allen-Bradley's proprietary network, using a software gateway. The gateway, which runs on an IBM-PC or compatible, communicates over the MAP network using a Concord MAP interface board, and over the Data Highway proprietary network using an Allen-Bradley interface module. The resultant MMS application program allows a user to operate the PLC-controlled model factory from a node on the MAP network. The details of MAP, MMS and Data Highway are transparent to the user.