OPC, acronym for OLE for Process Control, is a widely used standard in the industrial automation industry. It stands for a set of specifications and protocols developed by the OPC Foundation, and it is designed to facilitate communication between various industrial automation software applications, such as control systems, data acquisition systems, and human-machine interfaces (HMIs).
OPC provides a standardized way to exchange real-time data, historical data, and alarms/events between different devices and systems. It allows for interoperability and integration of heterogeneous systems from different vendors, eliminating the need for custom interfaces and reducing overall development and maintenance costs.
OPC uses the Component Object Model (COM) technology to enable communication between OPC servers and OPC clients. An OPC server acts as a data provider, exposing the data and services available from a device or software application. On the other hand, an OPC client is an application that consumes the data provided by OPC servers, enabling monitoring, control, and visualization of industrial processes.
The OPC standard has evolved over time, with OPC Classic being the most widely used version. However, OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) has gained popularity in recent years due to its added security features, platform independence, and enhanced information modeling capabilities. OPC UA is backward compatible with OPC Classic, allowing for a smooth transition between the two versions.
Overall, OPC has become an industry standard for ensuring seamless and efficient communication within industrial automation systems, promoting interoperability, and enabling integration across various software and hardware platforms.
