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OPC - OLE For Process Control: Paul C. Shafer Bently Nevada Corp

OPC (OLE for Process Control) is an industrial communications standard that allows for diverse plant floor devices and business software applications to communicate via a common interface. It is based on Microsoft's COM and OLE technologies. OPC uses a client-server model, where hardware vendors develop OPC servers for their devices that provide data to client applications in a standard way. This overcomes prior issues of independent "driver" development and allows for consistent cross-vendor communication and integration of plant information systems.

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140 views20 pages

OPC - OLE For Process Control: Paul C. Shafer Bently Nevada Corp

OPC (OLE for Process Control) is an industrial communications standard that allows for diverse plant floor devices and business software applications to communicate via a common interface. It is based on Microsoft's COM and OLE technologies. OPC uses a client-server model, where hardware vendors develop OPC servers for their devices that provide data to client applications in a standard way. This overcomes prior issues of independent "driver" development and allows for consistent cross-vendor communication and integration of plant information systems.

Uploaded by

sina20795
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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OPC - OLE For Process Control

Paul C. Shafer Bently Nevada Corp.

What OPC is NOT


OPC in and of itself is not an Object Technology Its not an OO Database Not a database...

So whats this guy doing?

What is OPC

A real world application of object technology used to devise a standard communication system to enable industrial plant floor devices and business software applications to communicate via a standard common protocol.

What is OPC (continued)

Industrial communication standard


Base on Microsofts OLE and COM technologies Managed by OPC Foundation (http://www.opcfoundation.org/) provides a common interface for communicating with diverse process-control devices

Communication

Communication and integration of plant information systems:


Many different plant floor devices and process control software applications from many different vendors Business Information and Management software

Information Islands
Business Management Process Management

Plant Floor and Automation Devices

Legacy Solutions

Companies had to independently develop drivers to access data.


Duplication of effort Inconsistencies between drivers Support for hardware feature changes Access conflicts

A Better Way: OPC


The OPC Standard now places the burden on hardware vendors to develop a single OPC driver (server) that is responsible for data collection and distribution for their device(s). Provide data to clients in a standard manor.

Client / Server Relationship

Software developers can now write clients that can communicate with hardware OPC servers using a common, efficient protocol
O P C S e r v e r V e n d o r A

O P C

C lie n t

# 1

O P C S e r v e r V e n d o r B

O P C

C lie n t

# 2

O P C S e r v e r V e n d o r C

O P C

C lie n t

# 3

Technology (TLA Guide)

COM - Component Object Model


Provides objects as reusable, binary components objects expose a set of interfaces that client applications can use to access the objects services. Implementation is encapsulated behind interfaces (allows object to change without requiring client recompilation)

Technology (continued)

COM (continued)
Dynamic interrogation of objects (IUnknown::QueryInterface) Overcomes many of the problems with OO programming by itself, class libraries and Dynamic Link Libraries (DLL). True off-the-shelf components that can be plugged in to your application

Technology (continued)

DCOM - Distributed Component Object Model


remote objects appear to be local

OLE - Object Linking and Embedding


based on COM (e.g. an OLE object implements certain COM interfaces) provides integration among applications

Technology (continued)

OLE Automation
Allows components to easily be used by high level custom programs (e.g. written in VB or VBA) Set of special COM interfaces
automation or ActiveX objects implement these automation interfaces

Automation Controllers
Clients that can integrate those objects

Technology (continued)

ActiveX
Umbrella term that used to be known as OLE controls. Now ActiveX controls.

COM / ActiveX technology is really what allows the plug-in reusable components.

OPC and COM


OPC Specifications contain defined COM interfaces Server and Client Interfaces

Data Access Historical Data Alarms and Events etc.

Implementation and development

OPC Interfaces

Custom Interfaces
COM interfaces Required by all OPC servers Clients written in C++ will typically use the custom interface
more efficient than Automation interface greater flexibility and power (e.g. Automation interfaces limit you to automation compatible types as parameters and return values)

Interfaces

Automation Interfaces
OLE Automation Optional implementation Suited for scripting language clients (e.g. VBA) or automation controllers.
C++ Application OPC Custom I/F OPC Server (In-Proc, Local, Remote, Handler) VB Application OPC Automation I/F

Vendor Specific Logic

Conclusion

No longer information Islands


OPC Servers and Clients allow devices, control software and business information and management software applications to communicate via an industry accepted standard protocol.

Application X

Application Y

...
OPC Interface OPC Interface

OPC Server A

OPC Server B

OPC Server C

Conclusion
Business Management Process Management

Plant Floor and Automation Devices

References

OPC TaskForce, OLE for Process Control Standard, Final-Release Version 1.0, 1996. OPC Foundation home page: http://www.opcfoundation.org/ Box, Don. Essential COM Addison Wesley Longman Inc. 1998. Robinson, Steve, Krassel, Alex COMponents, Panther Software. 1997. Brockschmidt, Kraig. Inside OLE, Second Edition. Microsoft Press, Redmond, WA, 1995. Mark Edmond, Efforts Advance to Tie Shop-Floor Automation to Back-Office Systems, Start Magazine Volume 2, Number 1, January / February 1998. http://www.startmag.com/v2n1/v2n1opc1.asp OPC TaskForce, Definitions and Interfaces, Version 1.0, 1998 OPC Finds Strong Validation Among End Users, http://www.controlmagazine.com/opc/opc030.html No Rest for the Dedicated, Control Magazine, September 1999 http://www.controlmagazine.com/supplement/nrd.htm http://www.controlmagazine.com/supplement/toc_new.htm http://www.controlmagazine.com/opc/index.html http://www.startmag.com/v2n1/v2n1opc0.asp http://www.startmag.com/1998v2n4.asp

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