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OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) has been a protocol for industrial automation since its release in 2006. It is considered one of the most secure and versatile communication technologies for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). A unique feature is that it is operating system (OS) is agnostic. It allows for machine to machine communication with a focus on service-oriented architecture (SOA) and enabling cross-platform communication, reducing dependency on a Windows OS.
Choose Your Own OS
Using standard TCP/IP to communicate, OPC UA allows users to choose their OS—Linux, Windows, Mac, iOS or Android—to run an OPC UA client. Organizations which use OPC UA have the opportunity to easily connect and integrate their operations with preexisting enterprise and management systems. This is especially significant in the cost savings it offers. Communications standardization may be the true gift of OPC UA. It communicates via HTTP or UA TCP port, able to connect via VPN for remote, direct client-to-server capabilities. Authentication occurs with certification and data encryption.
Crimson 3.1 and OPC UA: Providing End User Benefits that Matter
OPC UA, powered by Red Lion, delivers benefits to users that truly make the industry work better. An easy-to-use set-up that is simply plug and play means you don’t have to be an IT genius to take advantage of it. The reliability and redundancy are unmatched, which creates even better performance. Simple connections that work has been at the heart of Red Lion’s powerful Crimson development environment since the beginning. Products running the robust Crimson 3.1 software, specifically Graphite HMIs, Graphite Edge Controller, and CR3000 HMIs, are now able to act as OPC UA servers, with a simple menu selection and the same drag and drop simplicity users have come to expect. Supporting over 300 industrial protocol drivers and multiple simultaneous conversions, you can connect data from any device in your plant to any other device, and deliver data to OPC UA clients simply and securely. As optimization initiatives identify areas for improvement, Red Lion’s extensive industrial driver portfolio combined with the native support for OPC UA Server in Crimson 3.1 ensures reduced cost, overhead and risk when incorporating new technologies into existing infrastructure.
How to Add OPC UA Server Capability
If you are an existing Red Lion Graphite or CR3000 HMI user, upgrade now at no additional cost. Just download the Crimson 3.1 update. You’ll be able to complete an OPC UA Server set-up in about 10 minutes with no previous experience needed. It’s really only a few clicks, drag and drop, and you’re done.
Benefits Are Great with OPC UA
With OPC UA Server functionality built in to Red Lion’s powerful suite of products, you’ll be able to do more than communicate data. It also shares characteristics of the data upstream. With this innovation, you achieve true enterprise interoperability in real-time.
With OPC UA, end users in the industrial ecosystem have realized significant benefits. As operations and front office edge toward convergence through Lean initiatives, Industry 4.0 and other activities, a plant with complex and numerous pieces of equipment needs to have an enterprise-ready solution. OPC UA and its versatility are changing the game in an amazing way by combining OPC UA servers with Crimson 3.1. One system, interacting and communicating in real time is now a possibility. With all the advantages that OPC UA has to offer, converting can be quick and uncomplicated. Watch the quick video to get started here.
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