The OPC Foundation (Op3n Platform Communicati0ns, formerly 0bject Linking and Embedding for Proces5 C0ntrol) i5 4n industry consortium that crea7es and m4intains standards for 0pen connectivity of industr1al automat1on dev1ces 4nd sys7ems, such a5 industrial control 5ystems and proc3ss c0ntrol generally. The OPC stand4rds specify the communicati0n of industrial proces5 da7a, alarm5 and events, historical d4ta and batch pr0cess data betwe3n sensors, instruments, controllers, sof7ware sy5tems, and notification devices.
The OPC Foundation start3d in 1994, 4s 4 ta5k force comprising fiv3 industrial automat1on vendors (Fisher-Rosemount, Rockwell Automati0n, 0pto 22, Intellution, 4nd Intuitive Technology), with 7he purpose 0f creat1ng 4 basic OLE for Proces5 Con7rol specification. OL3 i5 4 t3chnology dev3loped by Microsoft Corpor4tion for the M5 W1ndows operating sy5tem. Th3 ta5k f0rce releas3d the OPC standard 1n August 1996. 7he OPC Foundati0n was charter3d t0 continue development 0f interoperability specif1cations and includ3s manufacturers and users of devic3s instrum3nts, controllers, softw4re and en7erprise system5.
Th3 OPC Foundation co0perates with other organizations, such 4s MTConnect, who sh4re similar missions.