Any client that needs to work with an OPC UA Server has to understand the information model present in the server and discover the instance of the model to be able to wire up to the correct nodes to exchange data. The usage of NodesetFiles [sic] greatly simplifies the exchange of OPC UA information models and the configuration of clients and servers. Users can be assured that their configuration is correct and it can minimize testing of systems.
Information Modeling is a useful way to plan for the collaboration involved in the design, implementation, and operation of systems. It can be utilized in various applications from large-scale manufacturing operations to building automation and energy management. The models are typically created and edited via 3D design and drafting tools. Information Modeling also provides for quick and easy project collaboration and interaction.
As more and more companies are making the switch to OPC UA, it is becoming increasingly important to be able to view OPC UA communications. One of the easiest ways we’ve found here at Software Toolbox to analyze the communication between an OPC UA client and server is to use Wireshark. What follows is a tutorial.
The OPEN-SCS Working Group (OPEN-SCS) is partnered with the OPC Foundation to develop an open source standard in the Packaging Serialization Global Name Registry and an associated set of subscription-based work products.
With the companion specification for Auto ID devices, the OPC Foundation has shown how important it is to use a standardized technology for secure communication in an industrial environment.
A release candidate for the OPC UA — IEC 61850 companion specification document is planned for Q2 2017, as work continues harmonizing these two widespread industrial standards.
Softing Industrial has signed an agreement with the OPC Foundation to supply the OPC’s Open-SCS working group with Softing’s OPC UA toolkits and to offer technical consultancy to the group.
The OPC Foundation is working tirelessly to advance collaboration with a variety of organizations. Featured here are collaborations with: PackML, PRODML, MDIS, and AutomationML.
The needs of industry have been the driving force behind the new OPC UA Publish/Subscribe (PubSub) Specification. This specification layers OPC UA on top of message based middleware (AMQP, MQTT, XMPP, etc.) allowing users to take advantage of OPC UA features such as the robust information modelling framework while adapting to message-centered communication paradigms.
In this paper, we present a complete IoT (Internet of Things) system, starting from a network of smart sensors and actuators. To ensure interoperability and a high level of standardization, a customized but compatible OPC UA industrial middleware implementation, named OPC UA / ROSA, allows secured communications. It also acts as a distributed contextual services discovery mechanism.
During Hannover Fair, the BSI (German Federal Office for Security in information Technology) published their results of an OPC UA security analysis with respect to its relevance in the German Industrie 4.0 initiative. The results are publicized on the BSI and on the OPC Foundation websites. A statement from the BSI reads: “An extensive analysis of the security functions in the specification of OPC UA confirmed that OPC UA was designed with a focus on security and does not contain systematic security vulnerabilities.”
While OPC UA today is mostly recognized for its communication virtues (regarding scalability, security, performance, platform-independence), one of its most exciting features remains in the shadows. Information modeling, or the ability to express not only data but also the meaning of data, is a key concept in the quest to make systems more intelligent, more autonomous and more evolvable. While the full potential of information modeling in industrial applications remains to be demonstrated by academic research, many of its core ideas can be applied right now.