What is OPC?

OPC (OLE for Process Control) is a set of interfaces defined by the OPC Foundation,initially based on
OLE/COM and DCOM technology, for truly open software application interoperability between
automation/control applications, field systems/devices and business/office applications.
OPC was initially based on COM (Microsoft Component Object Model), a software architecture that allows
one program to use the interface of another program to get information from it (as long as it is programmed
as a COM component).
DCOM (Distributed Component Object Model) is the network-aware version of COM technology.

The basic principle of OPC operation is that an OPC client (e.g. a SCADA) transfers data to/from
PLCs/Devices by means of an OPC server. The OPC client can operate either locally (server on same PC)
or via network, and the server accesses PLCs/Devices via drivers (e.g. drivers to fieldbuses and Ethernet
based products).

Getting Started
Introduction
Most of the OPC users are end users of commercially available OPC clients/servers. OPC clients/servers
are usually purchased for PLCs or devices on fieldbuses which are integrated via these servers in their
control systems. Users have to configure their OPC servers and their OPC clients.
Prerequisite
It is assumed that the end user has already an OPC client installed on his machine and OPC servers
installed either on this local machine or on remote machines. If not please refer to the document about
installation and registration hereafter.
It is also assumed that DCOM is configured appropriately (see documents listed here after) for OPC client(s)
and OPC server(s) installed on different computers. If not, problems can occur when connecting to OPC
servers.
Use of an OPC client
Matrikon has produced a very nice tutorial describing the procedure for its client: Matrikon OPC explorer. A
reference to this tutorial is provided in the table below.
The typical procedure one has to go through is described hereafter. Old examples are provided for two OPC
clients (Applicom and NI's server explorer).

Start the OPC client;

Connect to an OPC server (Ex 1, Ex 2). If the OPC server is not running it will be launched
automatically.
Add new OPC group(s) (Ex 1, Ex 2) and optionally modify their properties;
Add new OPC item(s) (Ex 1, Ex 2) and optionally set their properties and validate these new
item(s);

The OPC items can now be accessed (read/written) from the OPC clients.
If the OPC client is a SCADA system (e.g. The National Instrument BridgeView, PVSS II, Citect, Panorama,
etc.), the previous procedure has to be done at configuration time. Each time the SCADA will be run, the
OPC Item and groups will be automatically recreated.
If the OPC client is a "test" tool (e.g. the National Instrument Server Explorer or the Applicom OPC client) the
list of created items can be saved in a file in order to be able to restore them the next time the client will be
used.
Use of an OPC server
OPC servers can be seen as gateways between the OPC domain and the underlined front-end ones (e.g.
fieldbus, PLC protocols, TCP/IP, etc.). Provided OPC servers are installed properly, their configuration is
twofold:

The configuration of the accessed devices, fieldbuses or front-end computers;

The configuration of the OPC interface.

The first configuration is very specific of the protocol used to access the device (See the access to Profibus
items from the Applicom OPC server).
The configuration of the OPC part can be very simple when OPC servers are not offering any special
functionality (See the minimum configuration steps with Applicom). However OPC servers may provide
users with options like aliases, public group definitions, etc.
Related documents:
Document
Multimedia Connectivity Exercise
[html]
Multimedia Tutorial [html]
Installation and registration [html]
ITCO DCOM settings [pdf]
ApplicomOPCClient [html]
SEClient [html]
ApplicomOPCServer [html]

Description

Status

Matrikon's tutorial about OPC connections

Final

Matrikon's tutorail about OPC principles

Final

Document describing the general steps required to

install OPC servers.
Recommended settings for DCOM at CERN.
Step by step configuraton of the Applicom client.
Step by step configuraton of the NI Server Explorer.
Step by step configuration of the Applicom OPC server
for Profibus.

Final
Final
Final
Final
Final

DCOM
OPC is a set of specifications based on DCOM.
Developers of OPC components will have to know details about DCOM especially if they are not using OPC
toolkits.
End users of OPC components will not have to be experts in DCOM, however they will have to be able to

configure the DCOM settings of their OPC servers to control the access to these servers from remote
clients.
We have prepared documents to help End-users do their own configuration.
Recently the OPC Programmer Connection has gathered interesting pieces of information on their site (see
related links).
Related documents:
Document

Description
"IT-CO recommended DCOM settings for OPC"
Description of the DCOM settings required to
ITCODCOMSettings [pdf]
access remote OPC servers applicable from
Windows XP.
"IT-CO recommended DCOM settings for OPC"
Description of the DCOM settings required to
ITCODCOMSettings-W2000 [pdf]
access remote OPC servers applicable to
Windows 2000.
Using OPC via DCOM with XP SP2 [pdf] Description of the new SP SP2 DCOM features
OPC, DCOM and Security An interesting document about DCOM issues.
Understanding and Resolving the Issues Some pieces of information are no longer up to
[html]
date.

Status
v3.0
15 Sept.. 2004
v2.1
12 Dec. 2003
2004
1998

Recommended Tools
The OPC tools users can be provided with, fall in three categories:
OPC servers;
OPC clients;
OPC toolkits.
The last category is dedicated to developers who need to produce their own OPC clients or OPC servers.
A complete catalog of tools can be found in the OPC foundation web site. A quite interesting list of free tools
is maintained at the OPC Programmer Connection web site.
The IT-CO-FE section has selected tools in the three categories listed above, in particular OPC servers for
simulation, recommended PLC and fieldbuses as well as for hardware currently used in CERN. A selection
of OPC servers and OPC clients products is installed in the IT-CO-FE laboratory (Bldg. 14-3 floor) and
available for interested persons. In addition to these OPC components, the use of Iconics' Dr. DCOM is
recommended to validate the DCOM settings of user's applications. The recommended tools have been
used in many projects at CERN is presented below. Please note that the list of projects is not exhaustive:
Experience with COTS OPC clients and servers
Project
Description
Tools
HMPID
Commercial OPC components:
Details about the project and their experience
The Siemens S7 OPC server;
with the tools can be found in the published
report. This project has been put in production.
The National Instrument's
Contact for the OPC Components: H. MILCENT
BridgeView (used as OPC Client)
LHCb test A small gas control system has been put in
Commercial OPC components:
beam
production for an LHCb test beam.
National Instrument's BridgeView

(used as OPC Client);

Contacts for the OPC Components: S. HAIDER,
R. BARILLERE.
B2GCS

Details about the project can be found ITCOFE

Projects.
Contacts for the OPC Components: R.
BARILLERE.

http://itcofe.web.cern.ch/itcofe/welcome.html

The Applicom OPC server for

Profibus DP.