| 2010-Mar-08 |
OPC
Foundation newsletter
The March 2010 edition of OPC
Foundation's "OPConnect" newsletter has been
distributed by email, and published as a web
page. This issue includes details of some forthcoming OPC
events.
Past editions of the newsletter remain
available, while Automation.com also runs a regular OPC
newsletter. |
| 2010-Mar-04 |
OPC Express
Interface - additional downloads for OPC-F members
While the Xi documentation and a subset of
the reference code remains available from the original Express
Interface site, a complete set of downloads may now be accessed by
OPC Foundation corporate members. See our Xi
page for details. Xi remains at
Release Candidate level, reportedly until March 15th. |
| 2010-Mar-01 |
OPC Express
Interface - Updated Release Candidate
The Xi Specification and Server Base Code
has been updated to Release Candidate Version 2.01 and is available
for download.
Note that access is not restricted to OPC Foundation members
only.
The final release is scheduled for March 15th 2010. |
| 2010-Feb-15 |
UA SDK Beta
update
A new Beta for Release 1.1 of the UA SDK is
now available. This build (1.01.310.0) incorporates a number of
changes including a completed HDA proxy, and a C++ version of the
Local Discovery Server. Release 1.1 of the UA SDK will be the first
to be supported by a Compliance Test Tool.
These downloads are available
to OPC Foundation Corporate Members only. |
| 2010-Feb-14 |
Free UA
server included in Ignition by Inductive Automation
We've updated our listing of free UA servers to include Ignition by Inductive Automation - a cross-platform
industrial application server written in Java. |
| 2010-Feb-11 |
Updated UA
SDK 1.00 Testing version
The UA SDK and Sample Code have been updated
to testing version 1.00.250.3. This release includes bug fixes, and
adds a separate installer for the Local Discovery Server. If no
issues are reported over the next 2 weeks this will be relabeled as
a Stable build.
The downloads are available
to OPC Foundation Corporate Members only. |
| 2010-Feb-09 |
OPC Express
Interface - Release Candidate
The Release Candidate version of the Xi
Specification and Reference Code has been released and is available
for download.
Note that access is not restricted to OPC Foundation members
only.
The final release is scheduled for March 15th 2010. |
| 2010-Feb-04 |
OPC Express
Interface Webinar - now available online
The recent OPC Xi webinar, produced by OPC
Training Institute in conjunction with OPC Foundation and Emerson,
is now available
online - free with registration. The webinar looks at the
OPC Xi, outlining the benefits, and drawing
comparisons with classic OPC and OPC UA. |
| 2010-Jan-22 |
UA SDK 1.00
update
The UA 1.00 SDK and Sample Code have been
updated to version 1.00.250.2. This full release version corrects a
problem that prevented clients built with the .NET SDK from
communicating with servers behind a NAT firewall. The downloads are
available
to OPC Foundation Corporate Members only. |
| 2010-Jan-20 |
Prosys OPC UA
Java SDK Released
Prosys has worked as a member of the OPC UA
Early Adopter Group to develop OPC Foundation's UA Java Stack.
Prosys has now released its own OPC UA Java SDK, which improves on
the UA Stack by adding significant application layer libraries and
classes to speed up application development. See our UA SDKs page for details. |
| 2010-Jan-20 |
UA Alarms and
Conditions RC Specification Update
A new Release Candidate version of the
Unified Architecture Alarms and Conditions Specification is now
available for download
and review by OPC Foundation members. Written comments are
sought. |
| 2010-Jan-16 |
OPC UA white
paper
Our UA introduction
page has a link to a new OPC Foundation white paper "Implementation
of the OPC UA Information Model for Analyzers". The
general scope makes the paper a case study that can be useful for
the deployment of any OPC UA product. |
| 2010-Jan-14 |
OPC Express
Interface Webinar
OPC Training Institute, in conjunction with
OPC Foundation and Emerson, will run a free webinar on January 19:
Introduction to OPC Xi. The webinar will look at the newest OPC specification, outlining the benefits, and
drawing comparisons with classic OPC and OPC UA.
See the OPC TI site for details and to
register. |
| 2010-Jan-02 |
UA SDK Beta
update
A new Beta for Release 1.1 of the UA SDK is
now available. This build (1.01.308.0) incorporates a number of
changes including enhanced support for COM servers and clients.
Release 1.1 of the UA SDK will be the first to be supported by a
Compliance Test Tool.
These downloads are available
to OPC Foundation Corporate Members only. |
| 2009-Dec-21 |
OPC UA For
Devices Companion Specification Released
This specification is now available for
download
by OPC Foundation members. The purpose of this document is defined
by its Scope section: -
In today's automation systems devices from many different
manufacturers have to be integrated resulting in effort for
installation, version management and device operation. This
challenge can be faced best with an open and standardized device
model.
This specification is an extension of the overall OPC Unified
Architecture specification series and defines the information model
associated with Devices. The model described in this
specification is intended to provide a unified view of devices
irrespective of the underlying device protocols. |
| 2009-Dec-03 |
OPC General
Assembly - Webinar recording available
The recorded video and PowerPoint of the
recent OPC Foundation General Assembly are now available.
Highlights include updates on UA and Xi.
Note that a GoToMeeting codec may be
needed to view the video. |
| 2009-Nov-24 |
DA 2
Compliance Test update
OPC Foundation has updated the DA 2.05a
module of its Compliance Test suite - available
to Corporate Members of OPC Foundation. Various minor changes and
bug fixes are included.
Update: it seems revised DA 3 tests have also been just been
published, though the OPCF Downloads page
shows a September date at the time of writing. |
| 2009-Nov-24 |
OPC UA For
IEC 61131-3 Companion Specification Release Candidate
The PLCopen/OPC Foundation Joint Working
Group has made available a release
candidate of the OPC UA For IEC 61131-3 Companion
Specification. Foundation members are invited to review the
specification and send comments by 2009-12-23.
Applications supporting this new information model are
being shown at the SPS/Drives in Nuremberg Germany, November
24-26. |
| 2009-Nov-18 |
OPC
Foundation General Assembly
The annual OPC General Assembly webinar
takes place Wednesday, December 2, 10:00 - 12:00 EST (15:00 - 17:00
UTC). The agenda includes updates on OPC UA and Xi. All members are
invited to register. |
| 2009-Nov-17 |
Express
Interface licensing
Following OPC Foundation adoption of Xi, we
understand the specification and server base code will remain
available under the Xi Public License.
This is good news: it will ensure continued speedy adoption of Xi,
and is sure to increase pressure on OPCF to make other
specifications more readily available.
Xi client and server sample code will be available only to OPC
Foundation members, and first commercial toolkits should be
appearing before year end. |
| 2009-Nov-17 |
OPC
Foundation confirms Xi adoption
OPC Foundation has confirmed that the
Express Interface is to become part of the OPC portfolio, after
which it will be known as OPC Xi. A new Xi page at the OPCF site
gives a summary of Xi and states "OPC Foundation is currently
transferring all specifications and information associated with OPC
Xi to this website". The community will be hoping the Xi group
has ensured the continuing open availability of key deliverables as
the specification transitions to an OPC standard. |
| 2009-Nov-07 |
Express
Interface
With the new Express Interface gaining
ground, we're giving it increased coverage with a new Xi page at OPCconnect.com. |
| 2009-Nov-06 |
OPC-UA: new
preview downloads from Unified Automation
Unified Automation has released new
Technical Previews of a UA graphical modeling tool, plus a UA to DA
gateway product. See our UA Free Stuff
page for download links. |
| 2009-Nov-05 |
OPCF adds
Roadmap to UA Software Downloads
A new Beta for Release 1.1 of the UA SDK is
now available. Identified as Build 307, this version is supported
by a new
roadmap page, explaining the purpose of each of the downloads.
Also added is documentation for the
COM interop comonents.
These downloads are available
to OPC Foundation Corporate Members only. |
| 2009-Nov-03 |
OPC
Foundation newsletter
The November 2009 edition of OPC
Foundation's "OPConnect" newsletter has been
distributed by email, and published as a web
page. This issue has preliminary news of planned events for
2010, incuding an international conference in Amsterdam.
Past editions of the newsletter remain
available, while Automation.com also runs a regular OPC
newsletter. |
| 2009-Oct-29 |
Express
Interface to be part of OPC portfolio
OPC Foundation is to work towards adoption
of the Express
Interface. Xi is a new .NET specification created by a group of
automation vendors. This activity has taken place outside the
control of OPC Foundation. The Xi specification is based on WCF
(Windows Communication Foundation) and MMS (Manufacturing Messaging
Service), and is backward compatible with OPC DA, AE and HDA. In
essence, Xi solves the same problem as the original OPC
specifications, but using Microsoft's current technology
backplane - .NET, in place of the original COM.
Working outside the auspices of OPC Foundation has allowed the Xi
member companies to proceed quickly. Adoption could also be
swifter, being unshackled from the restrictions placed by OPC
Foundation on distribution of its own specifications and code. The
announcement that OPC Foundation is setting up a task force to
"create a plan for including Xi as part of the OPC Foundation
umbrella" is interesting therefore. We must hope that the Xi
group can maintain its prgamatic and open approach even in the face
of this move to adopt.
We'll have more on Xi in the near future. |
| 2009-Oct-12 |
Intel OPC-UA
Case Study
Intel has worked together with Ascolab and
Unified Automation to evaluate OPC-UA performance across a variety
of Operating Systems (Windows, Linux, VxWorks, QNX, ...) and Intel
CPUs. The
case study (PDF) is available from Intel's website. This
includes a summary only; detailed results will be published in a
white paper later in the year. |
| 2009-Oct-12 |
dOPC Client
Toolkit Update
Kassl has released new versions of its
excellent dOPC Client Toolkits for
Delphi and C++Builder. The primary enhancement is support for
Delphi 2010. The company also offers a range of freeware client programs, plus a useful
'crap cleaner' for
removing unwanted server registry entries. |
| 2009-Oct-09 |
UA SDK Beta
update
A new Beta for Release 1.1 of the UA SDK is
now available. This build (1.01.305.0) incorporates a number of
fixes to the COM DA Proxy and COM DA Wrapper, as well as new
Quickstarts. Release 1.1 of the UA SDK will be the first to be
supported by a Compliance Test Tool.
These downloads are available
to OPC Foundation Corporate Members only. |
| 2009-Sep-26 |
Prosys
Sentrol adds support for Delphi & C++Builder 2010
Prosys
Sentrol is an OPC client and server SDK for Delphi &
C++Builder. Its advanced RAD framework and native code model offer
a development platform that's arguably unsurpassed for
productivity and performance. New version 5.1.0 brings Prosys
Sentrol up to date with support for Delphi & C++Builder
2010. |
| 2009-Sep-15 |
Kepware makes
late entry to OPC server toolkit market
Kepware has announced the launch of CID -
Custom Interface Driver for KEPServerEX. This "OPC Toolkit
that Isn't" allows development of an add-on driver
application for the popular KEPServerEX server framework, with the
two programs communicating via a shared memory pool. Find out more
on our Toolkits page. |
| 2009-Sep-15 |
Once more:
another UA SDK 1.1 Beta
A third Beta for Release 1.1 of the UA SDK
is now available. Importantly, the COM DA Proxy now passes the
DA2.05 and DA3.0 Compliance Tests, and there are also fixes for
issues affecting communication across firewalls. Release 1.1 of the
UA SDK will be the first to be supported by a Compliance Test
Tool.
These downloads are available
to OPC Foundation Corporate Members only. |
| 2009-Sep-15 |
Softing to
provide OPC-UA technology for Wind River operating
systems
Industrial OS vendor Wind River has announced
an extension to its Partner Validation Program, whereby partner
companies will "provide their software solutions integrated
and validated with the latest releases of Wind River's industry
leading operating systems, VxWorks and Wind River Linux". One
of four new partners listed, long time OPC vendor Softing will
provide its OPC-UA Factory Gateway solutions. |
| 2009-Sep-08 |
Further UA
SDK 1.1 Beta
A second Beta for Release 1.1 of the UA SDK
is now available. Changes include improved COM DA support, and a
significant number of bug fixes in the ANSI C stack. We're
happy to see that the
ReadMe now includes a change summary again. Release 1.1 of the
UA SDK will be the first to be supported by a Compliance Test
Tool.
These downloads are available
to OPC Foundation Corporate Members only. |
| 2009-Sep-07 |
OPC UA: SDKs
vs. stacks
Recent discussions on the OPC Foundation
forum have highlighted some confusion around the area of
toolkit/SDK provision for OPC UA. To help clarify the situation,
we've updated our UA toolkits page to
explain the difference between stacks and SDKs, highlighting that
OPC Foundation only offers a complete SDK for the .NET
platform. |
| 2009-Sep-06 |
Matrikon
Product Updates
Matrikon's OPC Explorer has been one of
two or three essential test clients since the earliest days of OPC.
The tool has continued to evolve, and in its latest incarnation
adds support for OPC A&E - see our Free
Clients page. A newer Matrikon product is Excel Reporter,
allowing reporting on OPC DA and HDA data through Microsoft Excel.
This, and other OPC/Office integration tools, are listed on our
Tools & Techniques
page. |
| 2009-Sep-03 |
Delphi Code
Updates
Our Delphi
conversions of the OPC custom interfaces, plus sample Delphi clients, have had minor
updates for compatibility with new Delphi
2010. |
| 2009-Sep-02 |
A Roadmap to
UA Downloads
Great to see OPC Foundation's Randy
Armstrong
blogging again. He has a handy post for developers on
getting started with UA, tailored for various specific needs -
e.g. "I am a developer and want to see code that can get me
started". Recommended! |
| 2009-Aug-31 |
New UA SDK
Beta
OPC Foundation has published the first Beta
version for Release 1.1 of the UA SDK. Changes are not itemized in
the readme - we hope this will change when the SDK comes to full
release. A visit to the OPC Foundation bug tracking system
apparently shows 18 issues resolved, of which 3 were major - all of
these 3 in the Server Toolkit. Release 1.1 of the UA SDK will be
the first to be supported by a Compliance Test Tool.
The downloads are available
to OPC Foundation Corporate Members only. |
| 2009-Aug-24 |
Softing
Toolkits for OPC UA
Our UA SDKs page
now references Softing's OPC Toolbox UA range, expected to be
available 2009-Q4. |
| 2009-Aug-06 |
New pages on
OPC UA
With OPC UA now fully released, we continue
to enhance our coverage. New today are pages on OPC UA Free Stuff and SDKs and
Toolkits. |
| 2009-Jul-30 |
OPC UA SDK
Released!
OPC Foundation has today announced the
release of UA SDK 1.00. This includes support for C/C++ and .NET
development environments, along with source code and sample
applications. Congratulations to all involved on the completion of
a mammoth task!
The downloads are available
to OPC Foundation Corporate Members only. |
| 2009-Jul-30 |
OPC UA
Overview For Developers & Architects Webinar - Video and
PowerPoint now available
A recording of the recent UA webinar is now
available
to both members and non-members of OPC Foundation. |
| 2009-Jul-26 |
Release
Candidate updates for OPC Test Lab Specification
The OPC Test Lab specification forms part of
OPC Founation's enhanced certification logo program, covering
Compliance Tests, Interoperability Workshops, and Independent Test
Laboratories. Parts 6 and 7 of the spec, covering COM DA Server and
Client test cases respectively, are now available in a new Release
Candidate form. These documents are available
to OPC Foundation members only. |
| 2009-Jul-26 |
OPC UA
Overview For Developers & Architects Webinar - Wednesday, July
29
A reminder that this OPC Foundation webinar
is just a few days away. OPC Unified Architecture Overview For
Developers & Architects Webinar: Wednesday, July 29, 2009,
10:00 EDT (14:00 UTC). The OPC Foundation site has full details. |
| 2009-Jul-11 |
OPCconnect.com is evolving
You may notice a few changes to
OPCconnect.com starting today. OPC has evolved, and this will be
reflected in our content - in particular we'll soon be giving
more attention to UA, including toolkits, free trials and other
solutions. If you're an OPC vendor offering anything in the UA
space, please continue to keep us informed.
Some older items will be going from OPCconnect.com, including our
XML-DA Interop Server which has been used by numerous OPC
developers over the last several years (thanks for working with
us!). This has closed from today, to reflect the attention of the
OPC community moving to UA. |
| 2009-Jul-09 |
Updated
Cyberlogic product info
Our Free Clients
and Free Servers listings are updated
with current Cyberlogic trial product details. These include a
time-limited demo of the company's new OPC Crosslink Suite, allowing data
exchange between any combination of OPC DA servers and
PLCs. |
| 2009-Jul-03 |
New UA SDK
Release Candidate brings introduction of OPC licenses
The UA SDK, Sample Code and Help have been
updated to Release Candidate version 1.00.240.1. This build
incorporates new OPC Foundation license agreements: all binaries
and documentation are subject to the terms of the "OPC
Redistributables License Version 1.00" (PDF), while each
source file is subject to one of 3 new licenses.
Build 240.1 also adds a C++ Quickstart with a sample client and
server, and reorganizes the Merge Modules. This is planned as the
last Release Candidate before the full Release at the end of July.
The downloads are available
to OPC Foundation Corporate Members only. |
While every precaution has been taken in the
preparation of this website, its authors assume no responsibility for
errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages
resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
OPC, the OPC logo, and OPC Foundation are trademarks
of the OPC Foundation.