OPC Foundation and Avnu Collaborate to Advance TSN inIndustrial Automation thru Testing Certification & Interoperability

Collaboration will align testing, certification and integration to support industrial deployments of OPC UA FX and TSN in Industrial Automation

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, September 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Avnu Alliance^® and OPC Foundation^® have signed a collaboration agreement to advance testing, certification and practical integration of OPC UA FX over Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), with the shared goal of enabling testable and certified devices that deliver multi-vendor interoperability in real industrial automation deployments.

The agreement brings together Avnu Alliance’s work in TSN conformance, certification and interoperability programs with OPC Foundation’s leadership in OPC UA FX specifications and testing for secure, reliable industrial communication. Together, the organizations intend to help suppliers, system integrators and end users move toward deployable, interoperable systems built from certified TSN components conforming with the IEEE/IEC 60802 TSN Profile for Industrial Automation.

A key focus of the collaboration is the alignment of TSN testing capabilities and certification with OPC UA FX integration needs. The organizations, which were two of the main contributors to the TIACC (TSN Industrial Automation Conformance Collaboration) will leverage the Common Test Specification for the IEEE/IEC 60802 TSN profile to validate test tools and develop joint certification pathways to ensure conformance and interoperability of switches and end stations. By coordinating conformance requirements, acceptance tests and integration scenarios, Avnu Alliance and OPC Foundation aim to accelerate market readiness for OPC UA FX over 60802-ready TSN networks and give industrial users greater confidence in multi-vendor deployments.

As an early implementation step, Avnu Alliance, OPC Foundation and other industry organizations convened in a two-day industrial-focused plugfest in Stuttgart, Germany, on September 28–29, 2026. Hosted by the University of Stuttgart, the event provided an environment to exercise the collaboration’s objectives by demonstrating interoperability, conformance and integration of industrial applications using TSN, including OPC UA FX over 60802-ready TSN networks. The plugfest was open to all participants with or without devices. Attendees bringing hardware were able to test existing TSN capabilities, new functionalities and fieldbus integration scenarios, while observer participants reviewed test setups, joined technical discussions that helped them plan for future participation.

“This collaboration is intended to help the industrial automation community move from specification development toward practical, multi-vendor device testing, certification and integration with industrial applications,” said Dave Cavalcanti, President of the Avnu Alliance. “By aligning the TSN ecosystem on implementation priorities, testing requirements and capabilities with OPC UA FX integration, we can show a path toward testable, certifiable devices that are ready for real deployment scenarios, which other organizations may also follow.”

Peter Lutz, Director Field Level Communication Initiative at OPC Foundation says: “We look forward to working with members and partners to identify conformance and interoperability needs for integration of TSN in the industrial automation market.”

Such collaborations are essential to move the TSN ecosystem from standards to deployment maturity. By connecting specifications, common test requirements, certification programs and hands-on interoperability activities, Avnu Alliance and OPC Foundation can help reduce integration risk, accelerate product readiness and give industrial users the confidence that TSN-capable devices from multiple vendors will work together predictably in real-world automation systems.

About Avnu Alliance

Avnu Alliance is a community creating an interoperable ecosystem of low-latency, time-synchronized, highly reliable, networked devices using open standards. Avnu creates comprehensive certification programs to ensure interoperability of networked devices. Foundational technology enables deterministic synchronized networking based on IEEE Audio Video Bridging (AVB) / Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) base standards. The Alliance, in conjunction with other complimentary standards bodies and alliances, provides a united network foundation for use in professional AV, automotive, industrial control and consumer segments.

About the OPC Foundation

Since 1996, the OPC Foundation has facilitated the development and adoption of the OPC information exchange standards. As both advocate and custodian of these specifications, the Foundation’s mission is to help industry vendors, end-users, and software developers maintain interoperability in their manufacturing and automation assets. The OPC Foundation is dedicated providing the best specifications, technology, process and certification to achieve multivendor, multiplatform, secure, reliable interoperability for moving data and information from the embedded world to the enterprise cloud. The Foundation serves over 1030 members worldwide in the Industrial Automation, IT, IoT, IIoT, M2M, Industrie 4.0, Building Automation, machine tools, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, and Smart Energy sectors.

For more information about the OPC Foundation, please visit http://www.opcfoundation.org

For more information, contact:
Stefan Hoppe
OPC Foundation
Stefan.Hoppe@opcfoundation.org

For more information about Avnu Alliance, please visit Avnu.org

Kimberly Lewis
Avnu Alliance
Kimlewis@avnualliance.org
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