Abstract

OPC, or OLE for Process Control, has come a long way in making the engineer’s dream of plug-and-play compatibility in automation engineering achievable. OPC is an industry wide standard that breaks this proprietary lock by allowing open connectivity based on the principles adapted from widely accepted and applied 'Microsoft Windows' integration standards. OPC capabilities have been demonstrated in many practical applications and it is now a very well established approach for different competing manufacturers. It is now also considered the standard interface in the Windows environment. If you are serious about reducing your costs of installing and maintaining your automation systems you need to use OPC. If you have only briefly heard about OPC and want to get to grips with its tremendous power and apply this to your plant and application, then this workshop will give you the necessary tools. You will receive a valuable overview of OLE for Process Control (OPC) and understand why it is the standard of choice for data access in automation systems. You will be exposed to and understand the essential components of OPC based on typical applications. You will understand how OPC Servers are installed and how they are then accessed by OPC clients (which could be SCADA systems). The exercises that you will work through will allow you to apply the theory you gain in the class in a practical manner. The OPC Specification will then be discussed in great detail and you will be exposed to the development of OPC Servers and Clients. The interaction between OPC and DCOM will be discussed in practical detail. The latest trends and future developments with OPC in the USA and Europe will be detailed.