As products are developed for the batch processing industry based on the ANSI/ISA-S88.01-1995 Batch Control Part 1: Models and Terminology standard (i.e. S88.01) there is an increasing need to exchange data between these products and other systems. Interfaces occur at all levels; with Field Management devices (e.g. monitoring stations, control stations), Process Management systems (e.g. lab systems, batch control systems, loading, unloading, dispensing, weighing systems), and with Business Management systems (e.g. ERP and MES).

Currently most batch systems use their own proprietary interfaces for dissemination and collection of data. There is no capability to augment existing solutions with other capabilities in a plug-n-play environment. This requires the developer to recreate the same infrastructure for their products, as all other vendors have had to develop independently with no interoperability with any other systems. Manufacturers and consumers want to use off the shelf, open solutions from vendors that offer superior value that solves a specific need or problem.

Batch data exchange covers four basic types of information; equipment capabilities, current operating conditions, historical data and recipe contents. Version 1.0 of this specification provides interfaces and a namespace for the exchange of equipment capabilities and current operating conditions. Equipment capabilities correspond to the S88.01 Physical Model. Current operating conditions are described using a Batch List and a Batch Model which combines Batch and Control Recipe information.

Version 2.0 of the batch specification addresses preserving batch end conditions in the OPCBBatchArchiveModel namespace, define batch specific extensions for the OPC Alarm & Event specification, define a batch schedule interface and define a recipe-equipment interface for use in interfacing recipe execution engines with equipment logic.