Open Source OPCpipe ®

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Network-overlapping OPC communication e r a

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i n Automation technology is no longer imaginable without OPC communication since this technology enables simple data exchange between automation hardware on the one side and applications on the other – via one standardized interface. However, OPC has one critical disadvantage: It is currently based on DCOM* – a technology defi ned by Microsoft. This means that it is not interoperable (i.e., is only available to Windows users). Applications written for non Windows professional computers cannot use the OPC server to access process data at the automation level (e.g., controllers). Furthermore, the DCOM confi guration is anything but simple and can turn out to be very complicated. Timeouts cannot be confi gured with DCOM and communication across Firewalls is also impossible. DCOM is frequently disabled for security reasons and OPC clients on Windows computers then have no other way of accessing the OPC servers in the network.

DCOM

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+++ All these problems are solved with OPCpipe! +++

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Client PCOPC Server PC

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Functionality of the OPCpipe

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OPCpipe images the functions of the OPC interface, thus opening OPC with all its advantages to a world which was unable to utilize this technology until now. Applications which run on non Windows systems (Linux, Solaris, etc.) can then use a normal TCP/IP connection to access OPCpipe servers which in turn establish the link to the automation components. Each pipe connection requires only one port which means that the connections can also be easily used across professional routers or fi rewalls. This creates a wide variety of possibilities: Implement the OPCpipe in your client applications such as visualizations, databases, ERP, etc. and make direct communication possible with OPCpipe servers across networks without DCOM and across Firewall boundaries. Integrate the OPCpipe functionality in your devices which are based on non Windows operating systems (e.g., Industrial plcs, industrial measuring devices, data loggers, etc.) and enable direct access to the existing system network. Communication with OPCpipe servers is then possible via Ethernet (e.g., for transmitting recipes or receiving process values). INAT GmbH Ostendstr. 50 A90482 NurembergTel: +49 911 / 544 27 -0Fax: +49 911 / 544 27 27Email: info@inat.de

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www.inat.de

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