// ROBOTICS AND SMART FACTORIES TERM
OPC-UA
A standard for secure and reliable data exchange in industrial automation. It allows different machines and software from various vendors to communicate with each other.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
OPC-UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture) is a platform-independent, service-oriented, and secure industrial interoperability standard enabling robust data exchange between operational technology (OT) devices, control systems, and enterprise IT applications, facilitating semantic interoperability and secure communication in Industry 4.0 environments.
BACKGROUND
OPC Unified Architecture is a cross-platform, open-source, IEC62541 standard for data exchange from sensors to cloud applications developed by the OPC Foundation. Distinguishing characteristics are:Standardized data models freely available for over 60 types of industrial equipment, published by the OPC Foundation via Companion Specifications Extensible security profiles, including authentication, authorization, encryption and checksums Extensible security key management, including X.509, token and password Support for both client-server and publish-subscribe communication patterns Communication protocol independent. Mappings to several communication protocols like TCP/IP, UDP/IP, WebSockets, AMQP and MQTT are specified Initially successful in standardized data exchange with industrial equipment and systems for data collection and control, but now also leveraged in building automation, weighing and kitchen equipment and cloud applications Open – open-source reference implementations freely available to OPC Foundation members, non members under GPL 2.0 license Cross-platform – not tied to one operating system or programming language Service-oriented architecture (SOA) The specification is freely available on the OPC Foundation website and is split into several parts to ease implementation, but only OPC UA stack vendors need to read them, end users simply leverage existing commercial and/or open-source stacks available in all popular programming languages
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- OPC Unified Architecture
- Open Platform Communications
- Industrial Communication Standard
USAGE NOTE
OPC-UA is a foundational protocol for achieving seamless data flow between diverse industrial equipment and software.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to OPC-UA.
The organization responsible for the development and maintenance of the OPC-UA specification and related technologies, promoting its adoption and interoperability in industrial automation.
A global powerhouse in industrial automation, Siemens integrates OPC-UA into its vast portfolio of products, including PLCs (e.g., SIMATIC S7), HMIs, industrial PCs, and its MindSphere IoT platform, enabling seamless data exchange.
A leading provider of industrial automation and information solutions, Rockwell Automation incorporates OPC-UA into its Logix controllers and FactoryTalk software suite to facilitate secure and reliable data communication across manufacturing operations.
Known for its PC-based control technology, Beckhoff strongly supports OPC-UA, offering a comprehensive range of controllers, I/O systems, and software that natively integrate OPC-UA server and client functionalities for highly efficient data communication.
A global specialist in energy management and automation, Schneider Electric leverages OPC-UA within its EcoStruxure architecture to enable interoperable communication between devices, edge control, and cloud-connected applications in industrial environments.
Microsoft's Azure IoT platform extensively supports OPC-UA, providing services like Azure IoT Edge and IoT Hub, which enable industrial devices and machines to connect securely to the cloud and integrate with other enterprise systems using OPC-UA.
Developer of the Ignition SCADA platform, Inductive Automation built Ignition with OPC-UA at its core, offering robust OPC-UA client and server capabilities to connect to virtually any industrial device, PLC, or database, facilitating IT/OT convergence.
PTC provides industrial IoT (IIoT) and augmented reality (AR) solutions, with its ThingWorx platform heavily relying on OPC-UA for connecting to and collecting data from diverse industrial assets, enabling digital transformation initiatives.