Manufacturing Data Systems, Inc. (MDSI), the leader in Internet-enabled software CNC and software motion technology, has entered the general motion control market with its WinMotion™ software. WinMotion, built on the same unique core technology that is the foundation of MDSI's groundbreaking OpenCNC® software CNC, underscores MDSI's corporate strategy to provide a common software control technology and a unified development environment across virtually all industries requiring motion.

WinMotion, packaged at a price/performance for the general motion market, includes all the unique features that distinguish MDSI motion products:

• It provides soft motion control, a soft PLC (IEC-61131-3), and data server in a single software application without using any motion control cards or proprietary hardware.


• It provides continuous data from a machine -- including maintenance, production, and quality information, in real time, without specialty hardware -- via patented technology that is integrated within the software motion


• It provides hard real-time performance on Microsoft® Windows NT® with VenturCom RTX® running from a single processor on a standard PC


• It includes an open, published Application Programming Interface (API), which allows users to rapidly integrate third-party technologies such as vision systems, bar code readers, or sensors.

The motion in WinMotion is handled inside a scalable software architecture, with high-speed, accurate, and efficient servo algorithms developed by MDSI. Additional interpolated axes can be added with minimal reduction in performance. In addition, having soft motion and soft PLC already integrated into a single application cuts engineering time and saves money.

"Our ability to provide soft general motion control and soft CNC products plus data access across all machine types illustrates the broad scalability of our foundation motion technology," says James R. Fall, president and CEO, MDSI. "The addition of WinMotion enables MDSI to reach a broad range of markets in industrial automation and satisfy a broader range of applications within our customer base."

WinMotion is designed for automation suppliers who seek a fully integrated and flexible soft motion/soft PLC to develop with their own automation solutions, and for new machine tool builders and production equipment builders who desire the flexibility and cost savings of a hardware-free, all-software motion solution. WinMotion can be used across a full range of general motion applications, including material handling systems, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, printed circuit board manufacturing equipment, packaging machines, test and measurement equipment, and more.