MCS-DCS network originated in February 2010, with the aim of streamlining the Master Control Station and Distributed Control System communications on topside systems through a collective effort between subsea controls vendors, topsides specialists and operating companies. The organization evaluated many protocols and eventually decided on OPC UA as the protocol to use for this streamlining.
OPC UA besides providing a standardized communication protocol also provides a manner of defining an extensible information model.
The network held the first MDIS interoperability (IOP) test in June 2015. This test validated the work completed so far and provided the subsea and DCS vendors a chance to test their implementation of the MDIS standard on their products.
The first version of the standard was published in 2017. MDIS has been refining and adding objects through multiple IOP tests, as well as defining the implementation of these objects, subsequent objects and other aspects of the communication standard (security, priority, redundancy etc)
The MDIS working group has also defined standardized certification testing for the standard to help reduce the overall testing of systems. The standardized tests are executed by the OPC Foundation, which provides a certification logo.
The following is a series of announcements from the MDIS organization
December 2024
General update – MDIS has been deployed on numerous projects from multiple End Users. They have utilized multiple different Subsea vendors and DCS vendors.
Multiple SubSea Vendor (Server side) have been certified
Multiple DCS vendors (Client Side) have been certified
April 2023
API-17F standard published requiring MDIS for MCS-DCS communication
MDIS Announcement 8th December 2021
The OPC Foundation Takes Ownership of the MDIS Sub-Sea Standard
The OPC Foundation (OPCF) is proud to announce that it consolidated and taken over the MCS-DCS Interface Standardization (MDIS) specification ownership. Effective immediately, as with all OPCF Companion Specifications, MDIS is freely available for adoption by all interested parties at no additional cost. The OPCF MDIS working group, co-chaired by Markus Koenig from SubSea, Tim Fortin from Honeywell, and Paul Hunkar from DS Interoperability, now oversees the ongoing maintenance and expansion of the standard. Original MDIS network group members will continue working in the OPCF working group. The OPC Foundation invites all members interested in helping shape the future of the MDIS specification to join the MDIS working group.
For complete details see:
The OPC Foundation Takes Ownership of the MDIS Sub-Sea Standard
MDIS Webinar: 3rd February 2021
Description:
MDIS (Master Control Station / Distributed Control System) Webinar including companies like Equinor, Siemens, OneSubsea
Download 2 pager flyer here
28th MDIS meeting held at OTM’s offices in Great Burgh, Epsom
13th January 2017
MDIS Standard has been published via the OPC Foundation at the following link
The press release regarding the publication can be read on the OTM website at the link below.
https://www.otmconsulting.com/news-detail/mdis-publishes-new-international-industry-standard/
16th December 2016
MDIS article is published in latest addition of the OPC Foundation newsletter
http://opcconnect.opcfoundation.org/
7th December 2016
The 27th MDIS meeting was held in Paris. The MDIS Standard is nearing completion and will be released in early January.
22nd September 2016
Following 2 days of successful testing the MDIS members welcomed representatives from several operating companies to witness the MDIS interface first hand.
MDIS members completing IOP testing – September 2016
19th September 2016
The 26th MDIS meeting and 2nd IOP test began in Houston. The morning consisted of set up, with testing beginning in the afternoon
23rd February 2016
The 25th MDIS meeting is being held in Houston. This will be the final meeting before the IOP test in September 2016, work will focus on finalising the test specification and the MDIS Companion Specification.
9th December 2015
The 24th MDIS meeting was held in London. The decision was made to postpone the next IOP test to September 2016.
22nd September 2015
The 23rd MDIS meeting kicked off in Houston. The meeting will be working towards the next IOP test to be held in February 2016 as well as beginning to work on the MDIS Recommended Practice.
19th August 2015
MDIS featured in Offshore Magazine – Article can be found here
23rd June 2015
OPC Foundation has published an article written by Paul Hunkar on the successful IOP Test in Amsterdam, the article can be accessed via the OPC Foundation website here.
12th June 2015
The MDIS group completed a very successful week of testing in Amsterdam from 8th – 11th June. The testing involved 6 servers and 6 clients all being able to connect together in pairs and talk to one another completing a series of test cases that had been made available before the testing.
May 2015
New MDIS website launched
April 2015.
MDIS members are busy preparing for the first Interoperability Test to be held in Amsterdam in June this year. This will be the first opportunity member companies have to test their equipment with other vendors. The aim of this test is to understand each vendors’ interpretation of the MDIS objects to improve the definitions and provide input for the MDIS recommended practice
