Set up OPC communications

FactoryTalk View Studio
 is an OPC client. Its function is to communicate with an OPC server. The default OPC server installed with
FactoryTalk View Studio
 is
FactoryTalk Linx
.
FactoryTalk Linx
 is a communication server built around
FactoryTalk
 technology, to assist in developing and running your
FactoryTalk View ME
 applications. It is an OPC 2.05 compliant server and will run on multiple platforms, ranging from PanelView Plus dedicated terminals to desktop computers.
However, you can use third-party OPC servers to communicate with your application's data sources. Most OPC servers are capable of communicating with a variety of devices over a variety of networks using a variety of protocols.
You can communicate with Allen-Bradley controllers and certain non-Allen-Bradley devices that are connected to an OPC server. OPC servers for applications running on
PanelView Plus 7
,
PanelView Plus 6
,
PanelView Plus
,
PanelView Plus Compact
, or
PanelView Plus CE
 terminals must be on the runtime computer. OPC servers for applications running on
Windows
 computers can be local or remote.
To set up OPC communication
  1. Set up an OPC data server, specifying the OPC server name (ProgID), host computer name (if the server is remote), your name for the server and, optionally, a description.
  2. Configure a driver in the OPC server software. The terminology and precise procedure may differ from one OPC server to another, but what you are doing is configuring a connection between the server and specific data items in a device. The type of driver you select is dependent on the type of network the devices are linked to.
  3. Define a network path between the OPC server and each device you want to use as a data source. Different OPC servers use different terms for this path. In RSLinx 2.x, an alias (a name) that defines a network path from an OPC server to a device is called an OPC topic. In
    FactoryTalk Linx
    , the path is called a device shortcut. Other third party servers use other terms. If the server has been correctly installed, it will be able to serve up data items that you can connect to through the Tag Browser.
  4. In the tag database, define device tags.
  5. In the
    Address
     box of the
    Tags
     editor, specify the OPC item that will provide values for the tag.
For information on deploying OPC servers on a
PanelView Plus 7
,
PanelView Plus 6
,
PanelView Plus
,
PanelView Plus Compact
, or
PanelView Plus CE
 terminal, refer to your server documentation.
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