What Is OPC UA? (A Simple Definition + Basics Explained)
Open Platform Communications United Architecture
What Exactly Is It?
OPC UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture) is a machine-to-machine communication standard. It is intended to facilitate the secure and reliable interchange of data and commands between industrial equipment and systems. The OPC Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes interoperability in industrial automation, develops and maintains OPC UA.
How Does It Work?
OPC UA is widely utilized across industries, including manufacturing, oil & gas, and utilities, to integrate and automate complex systems. It is a versatile tool for allowing interoperability in industrial environments due to its compatibility with many communication networks and support for a vast array of data kinds and structures.
OPC UA employs a flexible, extensible data model and a secure, scalable, and dependable transport method to facilitate interoperability between devices and systems from various vendors.
The data model permits OPC UA to express a vast array of data kinds and structures, such as industrial process data, device information, and control commands.
OPC UA’s transport mechanism ensures the integrity and secrecy of transferred data through a combination of secure messaging and secure communication channels.
OPC UA is compatible with numerous communication networks, including Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and serial buses, including CAN and RS-232.
What Problems Does It Address?
OPC UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture) is a machine-to-machine communication protocol that addresses interoperability difficulties in industrial environments.
In many industrial systems, it is often necessary for equipment and systems from different manufacturers to function together. However, this can be challenging due to differences in communication protocols and data formats.
OPC UA solves this issue by offering a common communication platform that enables devices and systems from different vendors to securely and reliably communicate data and commands.
Additional issues that OPC UA addresses include the following:
Due to mismatched communication protocols and data formats, the inability to easily combine devices and systems from different vendors.
Lack of security and dependability in inter-device and inter-system connectivity, which can result in data loss or unauthorized access.
Difficulty scaling industrial systems to manage a large number of devices and systems due to the absence of a standardized communication platform.
OPC UA tackles these issues by offering a flexible, extensible data model and a secure, scalable, and reliable transport mechanism to facilitate interoperability between devices and systems from various vendors. It also includes security safeguards to guarantee the integrity and privacy of the sent data. These characteristics make OPC UA a potent tool for integrating and automating complex systems in industrial settings.
Listed below are some examples of products that employ OPC UA:
Industrial and programmable logic controllers (PLCs)
Human-machine interfaces (HMI) and supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA)
Industrial robots and automation equipment
Sensors and field instruments (e.g., temperature, pressure, flow sensors)
These are only a few instances, as OPC UA is utilized by a vast array of products. OPC UA is widely utilized across industries, including manufacturing, oil & gas, and utilities, to integrate and automate complex systems.
Migration between OPC Classic and OPC UA
When transitioning from OPC Classic to OPC UA, device and system compatibility is a crucial factor to consider. OPC UA is intended to be backward compatible with OPC Classic, although this may not always be the case depending on the devices and systems being utilized. It is essential to contact the device and system manufacturers to see if they support OPC UA and if any upgrades or modifications are required.
Another factor to consider is the effect of the migration on client-side apps. OPC UA employs a different data model and transport mechanism than OPC Classic, and hence client applications must be changed to support OPC UA. This may necessitate updating the source code of client applications and retesting them to assure compatibility with OPC UA.
In addition, it is essential to prepare the migration schedule and rollout strategy properly. Depending on the scale and complexity of the industrial system, it may take some time to migrate from OPC Classic to OPC UA. It may be required to implement the migration in phases in order to minimize system disturbance.
Overall, transitioning from OPC Classic to OPC UA can provide substantial benefits; however, the migration must be meticulously planned and executed to ensure a smooth transition and minimize disturbance to the industrial system.
How Can I Obtain It?
Different vendors offer OPC UA products, and you can find a list of them in our goods section.
Download the OPC UA specification and software development kits (SDKs) from the OPC Foundation website (https://www.opcfoundation.org). The specification documents define the OPC UA data model, transport protocols, and security features. The SDKs include the required tools and libraries for implementing OPC UA in devices and systems.
Where Can I Buy it?
OPC UA is not a product that the OPC Foundation sells commercially. Instead, it is a communication standard that device and system manufacturers apply to their products.
Numerous vendors provide OPC UA-compliant products, which can be acquired directly from the suppliers or through authorized resellers. To ensure interoperability with other OPC UA-compliant products, verifying that the products being acquired adhere to the OPC UA standard is essential.
In conclusion, OPC UA is an effective tool for facilitating interoperability and automating complicated systems in industrial settings. It employs a flexible data format and a secure transport mechanism to facilitate the interchange of data and commands over a range of communication networks between devices and systems from different manufacturers.
