Implementing Successful OPC Projects
By Eric Murphy, MatrikonOPC
The issues associated with OPC projects include multiple data paths, data throughput, guaranteed data delivery and redundancy, network interoperability, communication disruption and recovery, maintainability and geographically disperse systems.

OPC Interview: OPC Test Lab Certifications
By Bill Lydon, Automation.com
The OPC Foundation is launching certification labs to ensure a high level of quality and reliability of OPC products.
Automation.com’s Contributing Editor Bill Lydon interviewed Tom Burke, OPC Foundation President & Executive Director and Paul Hunkar, Director of Compliance for the OPC Foundation and Consultant engineer for ABB, to learn more about the certification.

Getting Standards Under One Roof
Managing Automation, March 2008
By Stephanie Neil
Most application integration has relied on proprietary point interfaces or middleware that multiplies over time, becoming expensive to build and maintain. What many want is one language that can be spoken between the plant floor and enterprise applications. Standards groups are at work. (Registration required)

Creating Secure OPC Architectures
By Adriel Michaud, MatrikonOPC
Technical guide on how to secure typical OPC implementations. It covers OPC DA, HDA, and A&E, securing OPC Servers from unauthorized OPC Client access, and restricting authorized OPC Clients to only the functions necessary.

Troubleshooting OPC and DCOM: Quick Start Guide
by Randy Kondor, OPC Training Institute
OPC is a powerful industrial communication standard. However, OPC relies on having DCOM work properly. Luckily, DCOM problems can usually be overcome with relatively simple configuration changes as documented in this whitepaper.

Browse these and more articles and white papers on the OPC portal.

OPC Foundation starts Technical Advisory Blog
MatrikonOPC's Eric Muphy was selected by the OPC Foundation to launch the official OPC Foundation Technical Advisory Council (TAC) Blog

Gateway to Industrial Interoperability
By MatrikonOPC and Rockwell Automation
OPC provides standardized data access and Rockwell Automations’s FactoryTalk Gateway opens the door to integrated production and performance. Paper describes how they work.

OPC Foundation opens Certification Test Lab
The OPC Foundation's test lab to validate and certify OPC products is located at Ascolab in Erlangen, Germany.

Independent OPC Certification Test Lab in Europe
By OPC Foundation
The first independent certification test lab is opening in Europe, at the facility of Ascolab. Ascolab staff has been actively involved in OPC since the beginning of OPC. The principals of Ascolab are the original developers of the OPC Foundation compliance test tools and have continued to enhance and maintain the tools over the life of OPC.

With or without you?
By Bob Erickson, MatrikonOPC
White paper describes how Matrikon’s OPC server works with Honeywell’s TotalPlant Solution (TPS)/TDC 3000.

Browse these and more resources and literature on the OPC portal.

Solutia R&D Powered by OPC
By Matrikon
Solutia used a MatrikonOPC Server for the legacy Moore APACS to enable data interchange between APACS, OPC DA clients, and the process data historian (AspenTech’s InfoPlus.21).

Ahold Coffee selects Ampla to improve OEE on its production lines
SA Instrumentation & Control, February 2008
The Ahold Coffee Company selected Ampla, Citect's MES solution, which consisted of the Planner, Downtime, Production, and Metrics modules. Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) is a key indicator, and the company has already seen significant improvements in this KPI on selected lines since Ampla was installed.

FlavourCraft standardises on Beckhoff Automation
SA Instrumentation & Control, February 2008
By Andrew Ashton
The Beckhoff choice allowed FlavourCraft the flexibility to build both small and large systems with the same components and programming languages. They use Beckhoff I/O, Profibus, OPC, PACs and PLCs.

World's Largest Coca-Cola Plant Uses OPC DataHub
By Cogent Real Time Systems
Coca-Cola’s Ballina Beverages facility, recently installed the OPC DataHub from Cogent Real-Time Systems to log alarm data and create end-of-shift reports. The plant, located in Ballina, Ireland, sends alarm data from RSLinx to a OPC server, through the OPC hub, and to an Excel spreadsheet.

Wind Generators bring data together with MatrikonOPC
By Matrikon
AES Wind Power uses MatrikonOPC Desktop Historian and Operational Insight software for real-time and historical data access, thus eliminating multiple SCADA systems and making data universally available.

Browse these and more application stories on the OPC portal.

MatrikonOPC Level 1 & 2 - OPC Integration and Diagnostics
The workshop will be made up of lectures, PowerPoint presentations, and hands-on exercises. It will be an open and friendly environment that encourages discussion and participation. Students are welcome to discuss current connectivity issues they are faced with and learn from one another.

MatrikonOPC OPC Level 3 - OPC Application Programming
The course focuses on the detailed description of the OPC DA specifications, and hands on development of OPC clients and servers, and standard software interface requirements.

OPC and DCOM - free video training
OPC Training Institute (OPCTI) has published a free 6-part video on setting up DCOM for use with OPC. Titled "OPC & DCOM: 5 Things you need to know", the videos can be streamed from the OPCTI site (where you'll also find a whitepaper), or downloaded from Google Video.

OPC Foundation Training Seminars
The OPC Foundation and its sponsoring members will host Training Seminars during 2008, in Pittsburgh in April; Seattle in May; Nashville in June; Milwaukee in September; Cincinnati in October; and Richmond, VA in November. Seminars cover the fundamentals of OPC including Servers, Clients, OPC Data Access, OPC Unified Architecture, Best Practices and Compliance.

IDC Training - Practical Fundamentals of OPC (OLE for Process Control)
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.

Browse these and more training and seminar opportunities on the OPC portal.

• ICONICS releases GENESIS64 HMI/SCADA suite
• Lenze embeds Softing’s OPC Technology in its L-force PCs
• Inductive Automation adds MatrikonOPC Tunneller to FactorySQL
• MTL releases Matrix v.8.2 process control system
• OSI launches monarch lite Substation Automation and SCADA platform

Browse these and more Product Announcements on the OPC portal.

Search all Products by keyword, category, manufacturer or release date.

OPC Foundation creates program for System Integrators and Distributors
OPC wants system integrators who routinely use OPC to sign up for a program to help raise the overall quality and reliability of OPC products.

MatrikonOPC signs SoftBrasil as distributor
SoftBrasil is the South American distribution channel for MatrikonOPC products and solutions.

Junot certifies Kepware KEPServerEX for SAP
KEPServerEX product has been tested and approved by Junot Systems for use with their NLINK OPC to SAP Solution.

OPC Training Institute selects Kepware for school
Kepware was selected by the OPC Training Institute as its preferred demonstration product for use in OPC hands-on training workshops.

Browse these and more company and organizational news on the OPC portal.

Control Dynamics uses IntelliMax for offshore control systems
The first application will be the control system for a hydraulic workover unit being designed and built for a major offshore production facility in the Gulf of Mexico.

OPC Training Institute Selects Kepware for demonstrations
The OPC Training Institute (OPCTI) will use Kepware OPC products and technology in their training classes and webinars, especially when demonstrating OPC server functionality and device connectivity.

Softing announces Partnership with ILS Technology
Softing will integrate its OPC UA interface into ILS Technology's deviceWISE software that connects devices on the factory floor with enterprise systems.

National Instruments connects with Kepware
NI used KEPServerEX technology to create the new NI OPC Server.

Matrikon supplies asset management software to PPL
Software includes Operational Insight, Alarm Manager, various OPC interfaces and Resolution Intelligent Plant Data Model to monitor equipment performance and reliability.

ABB Automation World 2008
April 29, 2008 Houston, TX
Customer event for automation users in engineering, mill, plant and general management. Attendees participate in informative technical sessions presented by their peers and ABB technical experts and visit the event's hands-on exhibit.

ISA International Instrumentation Symposium
May 5-8, 2008 Pensacola Beach, Florida
The 54th annual ISA International Instrumentation Symposium will include paper sessions, short courses, tutorials, and a student presentation competition.

Automatica 2008
June 10-13, 2008 Munich, Germany
Displays the latest in robots, assembly and handling technology, machine vision and associated technologies in five trade fair halls.

Add an event to our calendar.

Rick Zabel
Vice President, Publisher
Automation.com

View our Privacy Policy

For editorial inquiries, please contact Rick Zabel
For advertising inquiries, please contact Karen Olson or see our Media Kit.