LADS
| Version | 1.0.0 |
|---|---|
| Published | 2023-11-30 |
| Namespace | http://opcfoundation.org/UA/LADS/ |
| Sector | Laboratory and analytical devices |
The laboratory and analytical device model, published in late 2023. Laboratory instruments have historically been the least connected equipment in any regulated plant, and LADS is the standards-based attempt to change that.
Where it sits in the stack
Built on the Device Information Model. A laboratory instrument is a device, and the DI identification layer is what connects it to an asset register.
The types that matter
| Type | What it carries |
|---|---|
(type inventory not confirmed) | We have not verified the type inventory. Browse the released nodeset. |
Using it on a real machine
- Map the DI identification layerInstrument identification is what lets laboratory data join to a sample, a batch and an asset register.
- Treat results as the payloadAn analytical result is the reason the instrument exists. Model the result path, including its uncertainty and method, not just a number.
- Establish the regulatory constraints firstLaboratory data in pharmaceutical and food production is subject to data integrity requirements that constrain how it may be collected, stored and changed. Get that clear before designing.
What it gives you for OEE
Not production equipment, so no direct OEE role. Analytical results are quality data at the batch or sample level rather than the part level, which is a different granularity from a machine reject count - do not mix the two in one quality figure without saying so.
Gotchas
- Data integrity requirements in regulated environments constrain collection, storage and modification. Establish them before designing.
- Result granularity is batch or sample, not part. Mixing granularities produces a quality figure nobody can defend.
- Published late 2023, adoption still early.
Once the machine speaks a companion spec, the OEE mapping is portable across vendors, which is the point at which analytics stops being a per-machine project.
See Jemba →Last verified 7 September 2026 against OPC UA 1.05.07. Version and publication date read from the released nodeset. OPC UA Connect is an educational resource and is not affiliated with the OPC Foundation.