Formula
Group
Network
Keywords
Last edited time
May 29, 2024 1:59 PM
Slug
Status
Draft
Title
Code inside page
Github
👉 Overview
👀 What ?
OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) is a data exchange standard for safe, reliable, manufacturer-independent, and platform-independent industrial communication. It offers a unified architecture for seamless communication from the shop floor level to the enterprise level.
🧐 Why ?
OPC UA is crucial because it provides a standardized communication platform, reducing the need for custom interfaces in industrial environments. It provides a secure and reliable way for data exchange, which is vital in the era of Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT). Understanding OPC UA is essential for anyone working with industrial communication systems.
⛏️ How ?
To implement OPC UA, one needs an OPC UA server that provides data and an OPC UA client that consumes the data. These can be either software or hardware devices. The server is configured with all the necessary information, like data nodes and security settings. The client then connects to the server, discovers the data nodes, and starts consuming the data.
⏳ When ?
OPC UA was first introduced by the OPC Foundation in 2006, and it has been widely adopted in various industrial sectors ever since.
⚙️ Technical Explanations
OPC UA uses a service-oriented architecture (SOA) that allows devices to exchange a variety of data types. The communication can be either synchronous or asynchronous. OPC UA uses a wide range of security measures like encryption, signing, and authentication to ensure secure data transfer. It defines a set of standard interfaces, services, and data types, but it also allows vendors to define their own data types, making it highly flexible. Moreover, OPC UA supports different types of data transport, including TCP, HTTP, and HTTPS.