OPC Gateway Features

The OPC Gateway is designed specifically for OPC server-to-server integration. Specialized configuration and diagnostic tools are provided to meet the unique requirements of this application.  A summary of features is presented below. View the data sheet for more details.

Configuration

• Standalone configuration tool – can be used anywhere to build server-to-server mappings offline
• Before activating your configuration, use the verify tool to check your mappings for: configuration problems, mapping cycles, data transform expression errors
• Flexible user interface options including drag and drop, spreadsheet-style interface, documented dialogs, import / export (CSV format)
• Standalone OPC Browser utility used for browsing the namespace of a server, displaying item data type and access rights, off-line configuration (browse a server’s namespace and save it to a file for later use), use with third party applications (like MS Excel)

Data Exchange

• Supports 1.0a and 2.0 compliant OPC servers
• Standalone, dedicated data transfer engine runs as a service
• High performance and multi-threaded – designed to handle 1000’s of transfers per second
• Optimize data throughput and OPC server loading - tune your configuration to satisfy your system performance requirements
• Communications between ‘good’ servers not affected by lost or latent server connections
• Configuration is verified by the engine at startup – start with errors option provided
• Several data transfer options – update target point when:
• Source value or quality changes (OnChange)
• Configured period expires (Polled)
• An OPC item value changes or expression is TRUE (Triggered)
• Source item quality can be transferred
• Source item bad quality value can be specified 
• Automatic data type conversion between source and target – including support for arrays
• User defined data transforms can be defined for each mapping. Sample implementations include engineering unit conversion, bit shifting, bit masking, and logical expressions.

Diagnostics & Support

• Tier-1 Diagnostics - OPC server Watchdog points, communications status display, throughput performance statistics, event logging
• Tier-2 Diagnostics - Detailed data exchange transaction logs
• Tier-3 Diagnostics - OPC COM Call Tracing – quickly diagnose OPC interoperability problems
• OPC Expert Support - Focused
• – OPC is what we do
• - Experienced and knowledgeable – OPC experts since 1996
• - Responsive
• Extensive ‘self-help’ available

Data Transforms

The engine provides run-time data management features that make the integration of data in different formats easier and in most cases, transparent.

• Data type conversion – The engine automatically performs data type conversions, including support for arrays. So, for example, mapping a PLC register integer value to a DCS point real value is transparent.
• Data transforms – The engine implements user-specified data transforms. Evaluate a mathematical or logical expression based on the source item value and write the result to a target item. Transforms are configured using the Configuration Tool’s expression editor and expression tester.
• Data transform configuration
• Data transform examples

The diagram below illustrates two transforms: an integer to string conversion for mapping mode values and a simple engineering unit conversion.

Use the data management features to:

• Reduce your OPC server-to-server integration implementation time.
• Create a central location and consistent framework for managing data transfers between your OPC servers.
• Provide an efficient integration solution. Data is transformed only as required, when transferred between OPC servers.