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.

Open Systems—Controllers to HMIs
Control Design, March 2009
By Dan Hebert
Virtually any controller can be connected to just about any Windows-based HMI via Ethernet. If the controller has an Ethernet protocol that requires special hardware, it is relatively cheap and easy to buy an adapter card that plugs into the HMI platform. The OPC communication standard also eases communication between controllers and HMIs.

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.

Tunneling Process Data Securely Through Firewalls
By Integration Objects
12-page paper describes OPCNet Broker software, which employs the OPC communication standard without the need for DCOM. The technology increases the security of data and the overall usability of the solution.

Browse more articles and white papers on the OPC portal.

Our Automation Portals organize information on various topics and include content published on Automation.com as well as other industry websites. Each portal includes new products, company news, articles, white papers, application stories, training, resources, events, and more.

Visit these one-stop sites for all your automation information

• OptoTherm releases HP20 thermoelectric temperature control
• Brooks Instrument's B-Series mass flow controller ignores fluctuations
• IFS releases Eco-footprint Management tool
• West Control introduces ProVU Process Controller
• Hardy Instruments introduces HI 4060 Rate Controller
• Unitronics releases Vision570 controller
• RKC announces FB100 temperature/process controller

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OPC opens Certification Test Lab in Scottsdale, AZ
OPC Foundation opened a North American Certification Test Lab to validate and certify OPC products.

OPC Foundation publishes Analyzer Devices Integration (ADI) draft spec
This specification provides the Pharmaceutical industry with a common method for data exchange for process and laboratory analyzers.

MatrikonOPC offers DCOM issue Analyzer for OPC
Analyzer is a free utility used to find common OPC problem areas and backup important OPC-related files.

MatrikonOPC announces free OPC HDA Test Tool
HDA Explorer is a stand-alone tool for verifying historical data through HDA, testing HDA OPC Servers, and troubleshooting connectivity to HDA OPC Servers.

OPC Product Certification
By OPC
The OPC Certification Program provides a process where OPC vendors can verify the correct operation of their products with a series of tests developed by OPC Foundation. There are two Levels of Certification; “Self Tested” and “Compliance Certified.”

Browse more resources and literature on the OPC portal.

Lenze uses OPC communications in L-Force industrial PCs
Lenze standardized on Softing’s OPC Tunnel based on the software’s performance and immediate availability for use in a real-time environment under Windows CE .NET.

OPC and XML in Building Automation
By Softing
LOYTEC, an Austrian manufacturer, embedded the OPC XML/DA standard into L-OPC, one of its building automation products, using Softing’s OPC Easy Connect Suite. The L-OPC implements access to a user defined set of data objects through the use of Web services.

Manufacturer Uses OPC to Power Excel Spreadsheets
Mirror Controls international (MCi) designs, develops, and manufactures electric mirror adjusting actuators and electric power-folding mirror actuators. It upgraded its automation system with OPC DataHub from Cogent Real-Time Systems, simplifying data flow to an Excel workbook and improving reliability.

OPC Feeds Data from PLC to DCS
The Georgia Pacific paper mill in Yalova, Turkey, uses Kepware Technologies’ LinkMaster and KEPServerEX OPC Server to transfer data from a Siemens programmable controller to an ABB distributed control system.

Browse more application stories on the OPC portal.

Spartan Controls to offer MatrikonOPC training
Spartan Controls will offer vendor neutral OPC Training in Canada.

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.

Browse more training and seminar opportunities on the OPC portal.

Matrikon clarifies trading halt and management cease trade order
Matrikon had trading in its shares halted by the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada prior to market open as a result of an administrative error.

OPC Interoperability Workshop a success
Twelve major OPC vendors participated, submitting fifteen OPC Servers and seventeen OPC Clients for open interoperability testing which took place March 2nd through March 6th in Boca Raton, Florida.

MatrikonOPC’s Server Framework passes Independent Certification
OPC Framework has successfully completed the OPC Foundation’s highest level of testing - Independent Certification.

Kepware supplies Operon Systems with OPC communications software
Operon Systems makes Red Hawk data collection and manufacturing productivity monitoring solutions.

Browse more company and organizational news on the OPC portal.

MatrikonOPC supplies Siemens Building Technologies with OPC Data Manager
Siemens Building Technologies is standardizing on MatrikonOPC’s SNMP Agent for OPC and OPC Data Manager.

Gil Automations chooses MatrikonOPC technology
Gil Automations chose MatrikonOPC as its preferred supplier of OPC data connectivity solutions.

Kepware supplies software to ARC Informatique
Kepware has been selected by ARC Informatique, the makers of PcVue and PlantVue HMI/SCADA systems, as its primary provider of connectivity to field devices.

Kepware supplies software to Specter Instruments
Kepware will provide KEPServerEX to Specter Instruments for its WIN-911 remote alarming solution.

Browse more project news on the OPC portal.

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OPC at ACHEMA
May 11-15, 2009 Frankfurt Germany
OPC Foundation will participate in an exhibition booth at ACHEMA. In the booth OPC will demonstrate for the first time applications that conform to the OPC UA Analyzer Devices Specification (ADI). This new specification based on the OPC Unified Architecture allows the complex world of process analyzers and PAT applications from multiple vendors to plug-and-play for the first time. Visit OPC in the Werum booth in Hall 10.1 Stand B46-D47.

ISA International Instrumentation Symposium
June 1-5, 2009 League City, Texas
The 55th annual ISA IIS covers electronic instrumentation, wireless technology, Cybersecurity, aerospace systems, process measurement and control, and more.

Sensors Expo & Conference
June 8-10, 2009 Rosemont, IL
The 2009 Conference Program will offer 18 tracks with an expanded focus on data acquisition, data analysis, wireless, M-2-M and communications.

Browse more industry events on the OPC portal.

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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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