.NET OPC Server Toolkits
Advosol offers a modular solution for OPC server development, supporting OPC DA V2/V3, OPC AE, OPC HDA and XML DA.
OPC DA and XML DA Servers
The OPC DA and XML DA Server Toolkits are customized with a .Net assembly and the same customization can be used with the OPC DA and the XML DA server. Only one development effort is required to support both standards. This can be achieved in two ways:
- Native COM respectively XML DA servers with the same customization plug-in
- Server with gateway or wrapper
These two approaches have quite different characteristics as outlined below:
Native COM respectively XML DA servers with the same customization plug-in
Having a native solution for either COM based OPC DA or web service based XML DA simplifies usage and configuration and offers best performance. However only one type, either OPC DA or XML DA can be installed.
The COM server doesn't need any web service features and the XML DA server is a native web service, not using any COM features. The rather complex Windows security configuration is minimized and each server is performance optimized for it's environment.
With this approach a device cannot be accessed simultanously from OPC DA and XML DA clients. The servers use the same customization plug-in but they run either as a COM server or as a web service and cannot access the same customization instance. Each server runs it's own customization plug-in instance and for some devices it may not be possible to run multiple instances at the same time.
Server with gateway or wrapper
The device can be accessed simultanously from OPC DA and XML DA clients.
Only one customization plug-in instance is running for device access and OPC DA and XML DA clients can simultanously access the device.
Best performance is typically achieved by running an OPC DA server and supporting XML DA access through a gateway (wrapper). If remote access is required then the better solution is to have an XML DA server and a gateway at the remote OPC DA client location.
The gateways require no programming and only a simple configuration.
Server Customization
Both generic servers use the same .Net customization assembly, with an interface that is simple yet flexible enough for a wide range of applications. Only six functions need to be implemented for a basic server. Optional functions allow the server to support sophisticated features and to be performance optimized.
Visual Studio project wizards create the basic application code based on user dialog selections and get you started with working server code that has the basic functionality for your application. You may alternatively choose to use one of the provided sample applications as a starting point.
OPC Alarms & Events Servers
The OPC AE server toolkit is built as an extension of the OPC DA server toolkit. The customization assembly is extended with method for the handling of the OPC AE functionality.
Event Sources can be OPC DA items or any othe signal source. The toolkit is flexible and does not restrict the user.
All application specific server code is in a .NET assembly that can be coded in C#, VB.NET or with any .NET compiler. The generic server handles the .NET wrapping of client calls and callbacks. The user can implement a simple interface with convenient .Net data types.
OPC Historian Servers
The OPC HDA server toolkit allows the HDA server logic to be fully implemented in C# or VB.NET. The code is structured into classes for simple adaptation to the user needs and for high performance access to different kinds of databases.
The generic server part implements the local/remote COM server interface and the .NET wrapper that converts all client call arguments to .Net data types.
For more detailed information about the Advosol OPC servers please go to the pages for:
and for the XML gateways go to:
Evaluation versions are available as a free downloads. Go to each product page and add the evaluation version to the cart. Then go through checkout and download the software. Evaluation version for the OPC AE and OPC HDA server toolkits are available on request.
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