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Read the online version if links don't work in this OPC Update. |
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October 2008 |
Sponsor: MatrikonOPC |
MatrikonOPC Security Gateway
Security is a critical part of a well designed OPC architecture. The problem is the majority of OPC components today are not secure. The solution is MatrikonOPC's Security Gateway. Supporting all vendor compliant OPC servers, MatrikonOPC Security Gateway fills security gaps in any existing OPC architectures. Security Gateway provides configurable access to the OPC architectures and users can control who can browse, add, read or write per tag.
Secure your OPC data now with MatrikonOPC Security Gateway!
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Sponsor: ICONICS |
ICONICS presents WEBCAST of OPC-UA
ICONICS presents a recently recorded WEBCAST of OPC-UA industry leaders and experts as they present a complete understanding of OPC-UA and demonstrate how quick and easy it is to configure an OPC-UA solution.
Presenters are:
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Tom Burke, President OPC Foundation
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Russ Agrusa, President and CEO of ICONICS
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Roy Kok, Vice president Kepware
Click here to access the Webcast
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Sponsor: ARC Advisory Group |
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ARC Advisory Group's Winning Strategies and Best Practices for Sustainable Manufacturing Forum
Sustainable manufacturing is a socially, environmentally, and resource-responsible approach to manufacturing. ARC Advisory Group's Winning Strategies and Best Practices for Sustainable Manufacturing Forum, Orlando, Feb. 2-5, defines sustainability in terms that are actionable for a manufacturing business. Learn the strategies, technologies, and practices to address your company's challenges for sustainability.
More Information on Improving Your Business Performance
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| In this Issue |
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| Featured Articles |
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.
Upstairs, Downstairs
Control, October 2008
By Bob Sperber
In the control arena, all DCS vendors either offer a historian or tie to others, and they are typically installed with a firewall above. This presents problems for OPC, but not for SOA-generation tools such as Web services and XML
What's Sweet About OPC UA?
Automation World, September 2008
By Rob Spiegel
While it’s still officially in draft form, OPC UA is already getting adopted in the marketplace. Its individual parts have been released over the past year with the final parts getting released in just the past couple of months
Open Network Options
Control Design, September 2008
By Paul Miller and Joe Feeley
OPC Unified Architecture (UA), abandons the Microsoft–based structure of its much-criticized, DCOM-based, OPC DA predecessor and embraces open, vendor-independent Web Services. OPC UA ties together functions from earlier OPC specifications and enables a common services-oriented architecture (SOA) environment.
Meet the Next Generation of OPC
Sensors, July 2008
By: Tony Paine, Kepware Technologies
A new generation of OPC, known as OPC-UA, is upon us. This latest generation of OPC-UA delivers solutions to problems of the past, adds significant new capabilities, and provides a foundation for future developments.
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| Browse more articles and white papers on the OPC portal. |
Sponsor: Software Toolbox |
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Whitepaper & Webcast: Moving OPC Data Securely without DCOM
Learn about options for moving OPC Data through firewalls, between site locations, across varying speed networks in this paper. See how tools for moving data easily also enable load balancing, non-windows operating system connectivity, data aggregation, and increase the reliability and security of data between your OPC systems. See how not all tunneling tools are created equal. Attend a webcast to see live demos and talk with experts on the subject.
Click to download the paper and for more details
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Visit our Automation Portals |
Our Automation Portals organize information by topic and include new products, company news, articles, white papers, application stories, training, resources, events, and more.
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Live News Feed |
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| Product Announcements |
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MBX OPC Server Supports New USB Modbus Plus Adapter
The new, USB-based TSXCUSBMBP is fully compatible with all Windows software that uses the MBX Driver or the MBX OPC Server
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ICONICS enhances GENESIS64 with Silverlight
Version 10.5 of GENESIS64 incorporates Microsoft Silverlight cloud services technology, providing cross-browser, cross-platform, and cross-device capability.
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Software Toolbox upgrades OmniServer 2.6
Version 2.6 OPC and I/O Server adds support for Windows Vista and Server 2008, along with the ability to generate alarm notifications via email.
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Advantech introduces OPC Server drivers
Any software system with OPC client capabilities can access the OPC server drivers.
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Control Microsystems enhances ClearSCADA Software
Enhancements include support for 64-bit operating systems, integration of Kepware's KEPServerEX OPC Server, and a Direct SMS Driver to send messages to a mobile phone.
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Kepware enhances KEPServerEX
Enhancements include a Math and Logic option, OPC-UA Server Plug-in, Oracle MES and MOC connectivity, and an OPC-DA Client Driver.
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| Other Product Announcements
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Browse more Product Announcements on the OPC portal.
Search all Products by keyword, category, manufacturer or release date. |
| Resources & Literature |
OPC - Fundamentals, Implementation and Application
By Frank Iwanitz and Jürgen Lange
Describes the fundamentals of OPC, introduces existing and evolving specifications, explains the process of designing and implementing components, demonstrates the technology based on sample applications, and provides a glimpse into the future of OPC. Third edition, 251 pages, soft cover with CD-ROM. $95.
OPC Unified Architecture Textbook
By Wolfgang Mahnke, Stefan-Helmut Leitner and Matthias Damm.
This book gives an easy to understand introduction into OPC UA and explains the concepts of the standard and other relevant topics that are not directly addressed by the standard. Hardcover book, 300 pages, due to be published January 2009. Advance orders being taken now. $64.09.
Using OPC via DCOM with Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 Version 1.10
By Karl-Heinz Deiretsbacher, et al
The major goal of Windows XP Service Pack 2 is to reduce common available scenarios for malicious attack on Windows XP. When Service Pack 2 is installed with its default configuration settings, OPC communication via DCOM will cease to work. This paper describes the settings necessary to restore OPC communication when using XP Service Pack 2 (SP2).
OPC Forum
Forum and message board contains frequently asked questions (FAQs), OPC announcements, and “Ask OPC” section, where you can ask questions about OPC.
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Browse more resources and literature on the OPC portal.
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| Application Stories |
Legacy Building Automation Integration
By Advantech
The S4 Group, a building automation software company, used a BACnet-N2 Router to bring information from electric power monitoring meters, building and network infrastructure equipment, and other devices into legacy Johnson Controls Metasys building automation systems.
Building from Worker to the Queen
Automation World, September 2008
By Rob Spiegel
BP Pipelines of North America, in Forest City, Ill., decided to add leak detection to the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system to monitor pipeline leakage. The challenge was to feed process data from the Sybase database to the leak detection system. Cogent Industrial Technologies used a OPC DataHub to make the connection.
Amcor PET Packaging Streamlines Plant Operations with Kepware
By Kepware
Amcor, a maker of packaging solutions from corrugated board to blister packs and bottles, installed a KepwareEX server to connect Wonderware, Siemens, Allen Bradley and Apriso/SAP applications into a single network via OPC.
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Browse more application stories on the OPC portal.
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| Featured Training |
Applying OPC-UA as a Competitive Advantage Webcast
One hour webcast with OPC-UA Industry leaders and experts presenting a complete understanding of OPC-UA and demonstrating how quick and easy it is to configure an OPC-UA solution. Experts include Thomas J. Burke, OPC Foundation; Russell Agrusa , ICONICS; and Roy Kok, Kepware.
OPC UA DevCon 2008
October 27-29, 2008 Munich, Germany
Attendees will have the opportunity to understand the business model and learn about the UA components and specifications, the technology used to deploy OPC UA products and solutions, plus a detailed dive-down into the core of UA.
OPC Level 4 - OPC Application Programming
October 31, 2008 Houston, TX
The MatrikonOPC 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. $995.
Level 1 & 2 - OPC Integration and Diagnostics
November 12-13, 2008 Edmonton, AB, Canada
For engineers, developers and integrators who are integrating new systems, expanding current operations, replacing legacy equipment and looking for ways to improve data communication. MatrikonOPC hands-on workshops provide a practical approach to learn and understand the methods of accessing data through OPC technology.
OPC Training Seminar
November 13, 2008 Richmond, VA
The OPC Foundation will host a vendor-neutral training seminar specifically targeted at End-Users and System Integrators. The program will begin with a continental breakfast and registration at 8:00 a.m. followed by program start at 8:30 a.m.
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Browse more training and seminar opportunities on the OPC portal.
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| Company & Organizational News |
ICONICS supplies software to OPC Training Institute
ICONICS provides several OPC tools to assist users in creating OPC servers and in deploying an OPC-based system.
InduSoft CEView HMI/SCADA certified by AT&T for Mobile Applications
CEView HMI/SCADA software is certified to run on many popular mobile devices, including the AT&T 5700, MOTOQ Global, Pantech Duo, the Samsung BlackJack and BlackJack II.
Matrikon to use design engineers from India
Matrikon entered into a joint entity agreement with India’s SoftDEL Systems to support Matrikon’s product development initiatives and provide project consulting globally.
OMAC changes its name and mission
The Open Modular Architecture Control Users' Group (OMAC) is now the Organization for Manufacturing Automation and Control (OMAC).
Matrikon sells SCADANet to CriticalControl
Matrikon agreed to sell its SCADANet business to CriticalControl Solutions for $800,000 in cash. The transaction is expected to close July 2, 2008.
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Browse more company and organizational news on the OPC portal. |
| Application News |
Kepware to supply device communications to Columbia Weather Systems
Columbia Weather Systems is a manufacturer of Weather Stations for fixed mount, vehicle mount and portable applications.
OPC DataHub connects new and existing systems
By Cogent
BP’s control center in Tulsa, Oklahoma is responsible for the transport of oil and natural gas from South-Central and Midwest oil fields to locations nationwide. They decided to add leak detection to their SCADA system. The challenge was to feed process data from Sybase database to the leak detection system, which had available an OPC server.
Matrikon supplies Alarm Management to LyondellBasell Europe
All LyondellBasell production facilities in Europe will integrate and use Matrikon’s Alarm Management software suite with a variety of different control systems.
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| Browse more application news on the OPC portal. |
| Featured Events |
Grid-Interop 2008
November 11-13, 2008 Atlanta, GA
The Grid-Interop Forum enlists industry involvement in defining actionable steps needed to facilitate the interoperation of the growing number of automation systems that manage the nation’s electric system. OPC Foundation will participate.
Automation Fair 2008
November 19-20, 2008 - Nashville, TN
Rockwell Automation's Automation Fair® provides an excellent opportunity for them to stay aware of the latest and best that automation technology has to offer. Automation Fair is the premier industry event focusing on advanced automation products, integrated control and information architecture — and value-add services and solutions.
OMAC Integration Symposium
December 3-4, 2008 Charlotte, NC
Presentations and demonstrations will focus on the theme of “Total System Evolution: Emerging Technologies for the Advancement of Machine Automation and Control.”
ABB Automation & Power World
March 24-26, 2009 Orlando, FL
Event merges ABB Automation World and ABB Power World into one comprehensive users conference and exhibition.
Joint OMAC and WBF conference
May 4-6, 2009 Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
The WBF 2009 North American Conference and 2009 OMAC Integration Symposium will be held at the same location.
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Browse more industry events on the OPC portal.
Add an event to our calendar. |
I hope you enjoyed this OPC update. If you have any comments or suggestions regarding the content in this e-newsletter or on Automation.com, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Rick Zabel
Vice President, Publisher
Automation.com
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