The UA NodeSet Editor is a new online tool for creating OPC UA Information Models. The OPC Foundation developed the tool to support the UA Cloud Library which provides a repository of OPC UA Information Model that are used in factories today. The editor allows users to browse the models in the UA Cloud Library, extend them to create new NodeSets that meet their requirements and share them with others.
The editor provides support for many use cases including the following:
Configure servers that provide OT data and events: Many OPC UA products accept NodeSets to define the address space that the product provides (Servers) or consumes (Clients). The editor allows end users to create NodeSets for their equipment.
Define models used for OPC UA Companion Specifications: OPC UA Companion Specifications standardize information models that describe many types of assets and domains. These NodeSets are intended for use by product vendors and asset owners deploying systems that benefit from specialized models. The editor allows Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to collaborate on the development of an information model for their domain.
Build Digital Twins for cloud-based dashboards: Creating cloud-based Digital Twins provides interactive, centralized visual representations of physical assets, allowing managers to monitor global operations and run predictive analysis from anywhere. The editor allows users to create a static snapshot of a device which can be deployed in the cloud and later updated with a live data stream sent to the cloud using OPC UA PubSub or other data publishing middleware.
Provide context for systems based on Unified Namespace: Unified Namespace (UNS) structures factory data into a meaningful hierarchy, enabling any system to easily discover, consume, and utilize real-time factory insights. An OPC UA NodeSet standardizes the representation of the factory data within the hierarchy and ensures that the same equipment operating in different parts of the enterprise structures information in the same way.
Building CESMII Smart Manufacturing (SM) Profiles: CESMII Smart Manufacturing Profiles standardize reusable information models, significantly lowering the time, cost, and complexity required to scale smart manufacturing solutions across multiple facilities. OPC UA NodeSets are the foundation of SM Profiles and the editor allows users to create them.
The tool can be found here. Any email can be used to create an account.
To help users get started, we created a number of tutorial videos that cover the basic tasks:
- Workspaces: https://youtu.be/WZvitI9u72s
- Creating Object Types: https://youtu.be/kCLWc8vPXJA
- Creating Objects: https://youtu.be/4M5S2VQvIeI
- Creating Variables: https://youtu.be/_FCVAt7_LoY
- Creating DataTypes: https://youtu.be/42IF8xjLYew
- Adding Methods: https://youtu.be/BYBv7r09gVg
This UI is the starting point that provides access to all features of the OPC UA Information Model. However, different users will have different use cases, so the OPC Foundation plans on developing task-specific user interfaces that use the same subsystem in the background. For example, a Digital Product Passport user interface is under development.
The underlying code is open source and available here. It includes a Docker file that allows users to quickly self-host the application, along with its own database and cloud infrastructure.
The OPC Foundation is looking for feedback from users on tool usability and additional use cases that are most interesting to them.