Understanding OPC: Basic Overview

Colin Winchester VP Operations

Nathan Pocock Chief Architect &
Developer

Content is Copyright Software Toolbox, 2008 No re-use or copying without written permission
 Understanding OPC:
Basic Overview
Agenda – 60 Minutes
 Original problem – How to share data
 Original solutions
 OPC Solution
 Open and Industrial
 Client/Server Architecture - COM
 PC to PC connections – DCOM
 What can you do with OPC Now
 Answers to some common questions
 Future Direction
 Questions & Answers
Content is Copyright Software Toolbox, 2008 No re-use or copying without written permission
 Original Problem:
How to share data?
1) How to share data from 2) How to share data
equipment like between programs and
PLC’s? PC’s?

Software Software
Application Application

Software Software
Application Application

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 Connectivity means….

Enterprise Application
Accessing plant-floor data

User Interface
displaying plant-floor data

Transport Layer
Ethernet, RS232, RS485, Radio etc.

PLC / Device
Allen-Bradley, Siemens, GE, Modbus, Automation Direct etc.

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 Original Solution

1) How to share data from equipment like PLC’s?

Inconsistent
Inconsistent
implementations,i.e.
implementations, i.e.
Vendor A HMI / SCADA features
H MI
features / Ssu
C ppor
A
supporte D Adeand
d and
Vendor B reliabilityt
reliability
Modbus DF1 Other Modbus DF1 Other
Driver Driver Driver Driver Driver Driver

Each
Eachvendor
vendorhas
has
imp lemented
imple mentedtheir
their
ownProtocol
own Protocol
driver.
driver.

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 Original Problem

2) How to share data between programs and PC’s?

 Data inaccessible to
Enterprise
other systems System

 Self-customization
limitations, or inability
 Expensive
customizations often HMI/SCADA Other
Application Application
required
 Data sharing via Modbus / DF1 etc. Unsupported

*.CSV import/export

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 First Solution, DDE
 Protocol drivers were no
longer within HMI
 DDE Server contains
HMI / SCADA protocol definition
Application  HMI connected using DDE
Topics
 HMI tells DDE Server “read
DDE
DDEServer
Server this”, “write that”
(Protocol
(ProtocolConverter)
Converter)  DDE Server responsible for
all I/O
 Different HMIs can connect
PLC to a DDE Server
 Some Data sharing
possible

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 DDE, Scalable Solution?
 Different systems can
connect to a DDE
Server
 Accessible over the
Network using NetDDE
 Add more DDE
Servers
 More device support
 Load distribution

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 DDE, Good Solution?
 Performance issues
 Decoupled HMI from  NetDDE reliability
Protocol drivers
 No Standards on tag
 DDE Server market
database
emerged
 No Browsing!
 More “driver”
 No quality
choice
 HMI vendors could information
 No Client control of Poll
focus on their
core product rates
 No timestamp
 Accessible to Any DDE
Application  No security
 Not easy for network
configuration and usage
 Limited number of
client/topic
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or copying without written permission
 A Standard Was Needed!

 Software to Software interface (Problem 2)

 Keep Client/Server model used with DDE
 Better performance needed
 Security needed
 Needed to support more sophisticated data
types (variants and structures etc.)
 Needed to be more scalable
 Internet capable
 A more “future-proof” framework was
needed
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 OPC, the new
Standard
 OPEN Standards based
 The OPC Foundation controls the standards
 Automation Industry Organization
 Not controlled by any one company – managed
by board of directors elected by the membership
 Volunteer effort
 Created 1996 – by 6 founding members
 Companies from all over the globe
 Software Toolbox - a charter member, joining in
the foundation’s first year

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 OPC, the Promise

 Industrial Automation Focus

 Timestamp support
 Quality flags – Ensuring Data Integrity
 Interoperability: Testing & Certification
 Client/Server architecture
 Scalable solution
 Flexible means of data access
 Easy for end-users
 Security using Microsoft standards
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 OPC Solution, Similar
to DDE, but better
 Same client/server
HMI / SCADA
architecture
Application  OPC Server contains
protocol definition
 Tag Database clearly
defined
OPC
OPCServer
Server
(Protocol lConverter)
(Protoco Converter)
 HMI makes OPC calls to tell
the Server saying “read
this”, “write that” and how
often
PLC/other Equipment  Performance gains
 Quality and timestamp
information now accessible
 Easy configuration for the
end-user.
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 OPC Solution
HMI/SCADA
OPC Clients
• Standard software to
software interface
• One connection:
OPC
• Communications
infrastructure
decoupled from the
HMI/SCADA OPC OPC OPC
• Microsoft Security Server A Server B Server C

• Improves
performance
• Flexibility
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• Choices
 What’s in a Tag/Item?

 OPC Server exposes OPC Client

PLC memory
addresses as “Tags” Dev1.Tag1 Dev2.Tag1
 Tags are a friendly 4001 obj1.prop.val

name, that maps to a Dev1.Tag2

4001
Dev2.Tag2
obj2.prop.val
memory register in the
PLC. OPC Server

 Decouples the OPC

Client from the Modbus / DF1 etc. BACNet, Profibus etc.

underlying Device
Protocol and Memory
Register knowledge. PLC specific PLC specific
addresses addresses
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 OPC – Data Access
Capabilities

 Browse computer for available OPC Servers

 Browse the server for available Tags
 Read 1..x Tags in a single call
 Write 1..x Tags in a single call
 Subscribe to Tags and receive updates
when their value(s) change.

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 OPC DA, Data Acquisition
Read
Rea
Redddhe these
thseee1…x …
1… xxx
Rea thes 1…
Tag(s)
TagTa( as)t on
(so one
esee1ime
ne
on time,
 Synchronous I/O Tag(s) time,
an
time
TEL
an gI,L
TddEL wL)ilMMllw
EE twh
waiwhfofenrn
 Blocking call ,I wil ait or
yh
t theuerhave
he sveon
resp t seults
orns
e ee
you
 Good for round-rob n o a p s
results OPC
polling-type i Client

applications
 Asynchronous
I/O
 Faster method, OPC
Server
compared to
Synchronous
 Development requires
different way of
thinking
 Different Locations
 Cache
 Device
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 OPC DA, Data Acquisition

 Subscriptions offer
These
Thesetags
tagshave
have
best optimization changed
changed
values….
 OPC client values…. OPC
Client

requests a
subscription
 OPC Server does
the polling
OPC
Server

 OPC Server sends

change
notifications to the
client
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 OPC Quality Codes

 Specifies if the Tag value is something you

can trust or not.
 16-bit Bitmask of values (low 8 bits):
 0 = Bad (00000000)
 64 = Uncertain (01000000)
 128 = Reserved (10000000)
 192 = Good (1100000)
 High word is reserved for Vendor use.

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 OPC, How does it Work?

OPC Server
•Any OPC Client OPC Group
OPC
•HMI/SCADA
OPC Group OPC Item
•Custom Application
OPC Item OPC Item

 OPC Client connects to an OPC OPC Item OPC Item

Server.
 Client adds a “Group”.
 Client adds “Tags” to Group. Hardware specific networks and
 The poll-rate is set in the Group. protocols
 You can add multiple Groups.

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 Client/Server and OPC DA
Ethernet/IP  The Client
Consumes data
Ethernet Human
Defined as services
Machine
the OPC
 The Server Provides
Interface Client
data services
OPC DA
Modbus RTU Client Side
 COM is the Middle
Man
Microsoft COM
 OPC Servers and
OPC DA Defined as Clients in most cases
Server Side the OPC are separate
Server programs now
Communications  OPC Servers only
Drivers act on commands
from an OPC Client

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 OPC, Dependent upon
COM
 An OPC Client connects to an OPC Server through COM
 An OPC Client connecting to an OPC Server on a different
machine connects through DCOM and must be authenticated.

I wITwantaenltm toot
ocon
nnectnecn n
log t o yyoeou
toam
your
euand
cMy pa user name
t yss
M“fr
L e uwor
t ismd! eer
si A“crf ceedan
i s ed” d
s saCn
”
PC – 1 OPC Client pa
npaYasss
esmwor
sw,eLdoyiss irotd…usia. re on PC – 1 OPC
c h ec k my
odntrol
OPC Client Clientm“*****”
“*y**l*is*”t… I will
COM run-time COM run-time
grant you accesOs!PC
Security Client Security

Provider Provider

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 OPC DA, Scalable Architecture

 A server can
OPC Server
support multiple
OPC Client
OPC Client
Visualization &
OPC Client/ Clients,
Database Logging OPC
Alarming etc.
Server concurrently
OPC Server  Many servers can
exist on the
network
Enterprise
System  Attach OPC
Systems to other
HMI/SCADA
Application
Other
Application
OPC Systems

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 Answers to common
Questions
 Can I use OPC across different Domains?
 Does re-configuring DCOM open security holes
on my computer?
 Does a Tunneller help get OPC data through a
firewall and over the internet?
 How do I know if my PLC/Device is offline?
 Can OPC work on Linux?
 Is OPC DA still valid now OPC UA is coming?
 How much data can an OPC Server transfer?
 Can OPC Servers run as Windows Services?
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 OPC, more than 1 standard

 OPC Data Access (DA)

 OPC Historical Data Access (HDA)
 OPC Alarms & Events (A&E)
 OPC XML Data Access (XMLDA)
 OPC Data Exchange (DX)
 OPC Complex Data
 OPC Commands
 OPC Security
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 OPC Provides Industry-Standard
interOperability Performance & Connectivity

ERP, SAP … Corporate Enterprise

OPC

Manufacturing, Production and Maintenance

OPC
HMI MES SCADA
OPC (DCOM)

OPC(DCOM)
Adv.
OPC(DCOM) Batch
Contro
l PC-Based Control
OPC(DCOM)

PLC Data
Data
PLC Other….
Industrial
IndustrialNetworks
Networks Acquisitio Other….(DB,
(DB,SQL
SQL
Acquisitio
DCS n
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DCS orncopying without written permission
 OPC, Quality Assurance!

 OPC Compliance Testing

 Interoperability Testing
 Annual event
 Vendors attend with source code
 OPC Self-Certification
 Independent Test Lab Certification

Learn more about OPC Certification:

http://www.opcfoundation.org/Certification.aspx
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 Future Direction

 OPC UA
 Single, abstract set of objects
 Backward compatible with all existing OPC
standards
 Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)
 Embeddable, within a PLC/Device
 Security and encryption built-in
 Designed to take plant-floor data to the
Enterprise.

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 What Does OPC UA
Mean for OPC DA?

Asset
Asset Production
Production Inventory
Inventory
Purchasing
Purchasing
Management Control
Cn
o trol Management
Management Management

UA
HMI
HMI
SCADA
SCADA
Visualization
Visualizaation The
The The
The
Automation
Automation Enterprise
Enterprise
paradigm
paradigm paradigm
paradigm
DA, HDA,
A&E Production
Production
Management UA
UADoesn’t
Doesn’tReplace
ManagementSystems
Systems Replace
OPC
OPC DA/HDA/A&E
DA/HDA/A&E
ItItComplements
Complements Them!
Them!
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 Want to learn more?
“Using OPC” Webinars

 Using OPC DA Applications:

www.softwaretoolbox.com/opcdawebinar

 Building OPC Applications in

Visual Studio.NET
www.softwaretoolbox.com/opcvsne
twebinar

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 More Information

… get through to an expert!

Visit www.softwaretoolbox.com/webinars for future events

Questions: Nathan Pocock:

Email: npocock@softwaretoolbox.com
Tel: +1 (704) 708-6482

Colin Winchester
Email: cwinchester@softwaretoolbox.com
Tel: 704-849-2773 x1327

Technical Support:
Tel: +1 (704) 849-2773
Web: http://support.softwaretoolbox.com
Content is Copyright Software Toolbox, 2008 No re-use or copying without written permission
 Some Terminology

 HMI – Human Machine Interface

 SCADA – Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition
 DDE – Dynamic Data Exchange – a method of software to
software data exchange created in 1988 by Microsoft in
Windows 2.0.
 OPC
 OLE for Process Control (circa 1996)
 Openness, Productivity, Connectivity
 Today, the acronym underlying words is meaningless – OPC a
standardized technology is for open software
connectivity in industrial automation
 COM – Component Object Model – circa mid 90’s Microsoft
term for the way Windows software parts talk to each other
under the hood
 DCOM – Distributed COM – same concept but allowing
software parts on different computers to talk to each other
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 More Terminology

 PLC – Programmable Logic Controller – hardware used to control

many industrial processes and machinery
 DCS – Distributed Control System – used for same purposes as a
PLC, but highly optimized for process control, i.e. chemicals, oil/gas,
food/beverage, pharmaceutical
 RTU – Remote Terminal Unit – traditionally proprietary hardware –
today PLCs can be used for RTU’s – any device put in a remote
location that controls and/or gathers data for collection at a central
host – usually a SCADA system
 Protocol – as set of defined instructions or commands used to
exchange data with a device over a serial or Ethernet connection
 Register – a memory location in a PLC or DCS. To some a register
is a 16 bit word of data. Often used generically to refer to a memory
location in any type of device you are exchanging data with
 Tag, or Item – a single unit of data – can be digital or analog values,
in some cases can even be arrays of digital or analog values

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