MDC95

MDC95 is a fictional modular data communication standard created for explanatory purposes in this article. The term is used here to illustrate how a configurable protocol could support interoperable device networks across different vendors and applications, without referring to a real, widely adopted specification.

Overview

MDC95 was conceived in the mid-1990s by a notional MDC Consortium to address the need for plug-and-play interoperability among diverse devices in automation and instrumentation. It aimed to provide a layered protocol stack, a common device addressing model, and profiles that could be extended for specific device classes such as sensors, actuators, and measurement instruments.

Technical characteristics

The hypothetical MDC95 defines a layered approach with physical, data-link, network, and application layers. Physical options could include serial and differential transmission media, with configurable data rates from low kilobits per second up to around one megabit per second. The protocol uses a simple frame structure comprising a start delimiter, length, payload, and checksum or CRC for error detection. A basic device discovery and addressing mechanism allows networks to recognize new devices and assign identities within a predefined scope. Security features are described as optional add-ons, focusing on authentication and message integrity rather than full encryption by default.

Applications and legacy

In this imagined context, MDC95 found use in factory automation, laboratory equipment, and modular instrumentation where different vendors needed a common communication pathway. While it did not achieve broad real-world adoption, MDC95 concepts influenced later industrial and embedded protocols, contributing to ideas about modularity, interoperability, and profile-based device classes.

See also

Industrial communication protocols; device networking standards; MDC family of standards.