For example, in the TPU plant shown below, the OPC UA-based monitoring and control system utilizes a three-tier architecture consisting of the AVEVA™ Edge Graphic Control System, which supports OPC UA clients, a UA communications server and I/O modules with OPC UA server functionality, as well as I/O modules or sensors that need to be connected to the communications server.

The main purpose of the Control Room SCADA is to provide visual information to plant managers to maintain the normal operation of the plant. Designed and deployed with AVEVA™ Edge, the Control Room SCADA can present real-time information and images of production lines, plant services, IP equipment security topology, and cameras, and display alarm messages when equipment is out of order, allowing managers to quickly troubleshoot abnormalities. In addition, the storage and utilization of real-time information is also an important function of the Control Room SCADA. The source of real-time information in the plant and production of the Control Room SCADA is obtained through the OPC UA protocol of TCP/IP, which is different from the map control architecture that uses Modbus TCP protocol, and the following is a list of the common differences of the protocols.

-       OPC UA has two communication modes, Client/Server and Publish-Subscribe, while Modbus uses a One Question One Answer Client/Server architecture for communication.

-       OPC UA incorporates security features like encryption, authentication, and access control, whereas Modbus does not.

-       Modbus is designed for industrial control systems and is typically used to access data from devices like programmable controllers, drives, and sensors.

-       OPC UA communicates based on the TCP/IP protocol, can be deployed on any hardware and software platform that supports this protocol and can interact with a variety of devices and systems regardless of their manufacturer or location. In comparison, Modbus is designed to work with a limited number of devices and systems that support the Modbus protocol.

The UA-2241M UA communication server, in this case, collects the data of the production line and factory equipment and then converts it to OPC UA protocol before providing it to the Control Room. There are two main benefits of switching to the OPC UA protocol, one is to reduce the number of communication packets, and the other is to ensure the security of data transmission at the TCP layer.

The UA I/O series U-7555M is used for factory lighting control. In addition to the advantages of the OPC UA protocol mentioned above, it also utilizes the logic control within the UA I/O to determine the actual on and off status of the lights, reducing the need to write development logic for the TPD-703. In addition, the scheduling function of the UA I/O can also schedule the factory lights to be turned off, avoiding the situation where the lights are not turned off during off-duty hours.

Ans: OPC UA Client is an application program that connects to the OPC UA Server and reads data. OPC UA Client is designed to communicate with a common industrial automation protocol called "OPC UA". The purpose of this protocol is to gain interconnectivity between different systems (e.g. workstations, tools, production machines, etc.) so that they can be exchanged and controlled within the same system. The main function of the OPC UA Client is to read data (e.g. sensor data, production data, etc.) from the OPC UA Server and display it in a readable form on the user interface.

OPC UA Client can fulfill the needs of the following systems, devices, or scenarios:

A. Industrial Automation Systems B. Smart Homes C. Micro Controllers D. IoT Systems E. Monitoring and Control Systems F. Production Automation Systems

Since the OPC UA Client can read and display data from many devices and equipment, it can be used as a cross-platform and cross-device data display application that is compatible with the latest industry standards. Before setting up an OPC UA Client, it is important to ensure that the communication adapter associated with the client is connected to the OPC UA Server to be accessed, which is usually a data network based on a computer networking protocol such as TCP/IP. By configuring the necessary connection parameters (e.g. URL, exchange protocol, etc.), the client can connect to Server.

Ans: OPC UA Server is an application program that provides data and information and is the core of OPC UA technology. In OPC UA, it is responsible for managing, collecting, storing, and distributing data. The role of OPC UA Server is similar to that of a hub controller, which can be connected to a variety of different clients to provide data access and exchange.

The main task of the OPC UA Server is to manage the data model, which describes the relationships between the different data items in the system. By integrating data into a unified data model, OPC UA Server can acquire data from a variety of different data sources. For example, an OPC UA Server can take data from PLCs, meters, sensors, and other devices, convert it to a uniform data format, and send it to the client.

In addition, the OPC UA Server is responsible for security and privilege management. It can ensure the security of data in the transmission process through encryption, access control, and authentication mechanisms. In addition, users can assign different privileges to different users through privilege management to protect the security of data.

Ans: The Client/Server communication model of OPC UA is the traditional communication architecture of OPC. The process starts with the Client sending a connection request to the Server, and then the Server verifies the identity and responds with the connection result. When the Client needs to get data from the Item on the Server side, it can send a request to the Server to subscribe and monitor the Item data, and when there is a change in the data on the Server side, it will actively respond to the Client, and when the Client needs to change the Item data, it needs to actively send a data write request to the Server, and the Server will respond to the right result. The Server will respond with the written result.

Ans: The following table shows the common OPC UA Client software on the PC.  

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Ans: Traditionally, the device information from the field cannot enter the IT network directly, so it is necessary to add PLC+HMI in the middle to send the device information from the field back to the IT network. Now, we can use ICP DAS UA series products to replace PLC+HMI directly.


 This application has been adopted by many petrochemical industries and is working well.

 

Ans: Local IT systems, such as the OSIsoft PI System, are equipped with OPC UA Client connectivity, which allows them to connect directly to OPC UA I/O or OPC UA communication servers.
 

Ans: Please refer to the following link for the operation of different devices and databases.

https://www.icpdas.com/en/faq/index.php?kind=326#950

 

Ans: After logging in to the UA I/O webpage, you can connect to IoTstar by following the procedure below

[Customer Needs]

1. Monitoring the motor special-output current in the factory
2. High security data transmission
3. Monitor the factory through wireless according to the client's needs
 

1. Designed to monitor the special-output current motor in the factory

The input of the electric meter is 50 / 60 Hz, and the output of the motor in the field is 50 / 6000 Hz, the precision is not enough to use an electric meter for motor monitoring, therefore, a high-frequency CT is used to monitor the motor output current.
 

2. Enhanced data transmission with high security

The U-7500 series modules transfer the motor= streaming data through OPC UA and MQTT protocols with high security, so the information security of the factory can be improved.
 

3. Monitoring the client's factory via wireless

Through the RJ45 to Wi-Fi adapter, the wired signal in the factory is converted to wireless signal transmission, allowing customers to monitor the factory.
 

[ UA I/O Module Motor Monitoring Framework]：

Using ICP DAS IoTstar with UA I/O solution can bring many benefits. In this case, the customer uses IoTstar cloud management software combined with UA I/O module series to set up a cloud IoT monitoring system, and the manager can get the following benefits.
** Support IoTstar cloud management software
 

1. No programming is required

Collect environmental parameters and store them in the cloud database, the system can be set up through the web interface without writing programs.
 

2. Collection and monitoring of production line information

Check environment parameters of the site in real-time via IoTstar Dashboard Service, information on the production line can be collected and monitored completely.
 

3. Reduce the cost of equipment maintenance

Through IoTstar Remote Access Service, cloud monitoring, setting adjustment, and firmware updates can be performed, reducing the time and cost of personnel movement due to equipment maintenance.
 

[ IoTstar with UA I/O Module Environmental Monitoring Framework]：

Various smart devices have been added to daily life. Smart lighting control can achieve energy savings, data analysis, and remind maintenance of lighting equipment. However, it also faces the threat of security attacks. ICP DAS has installed an intelligent lighting control system to provide stable lighting and arrange maintenance to reduce management costs.

The new function reduces the distance between the new technology and people by retaining the traditional light control panel switch. It provides the service when the lighting control moduleneeds to be repaired. The security of data transmission using the network interface for lighting control also needs to be considered.
 

System Architecture

ICP DAS on the lighting control system for medical factorys, in addition to the traditional lighting and physical switches, six additional units have been added, a lighting control panel, network switch, touch screen, communication server, factory monitoring system, and monitoring and early warning system.

 

 

The lighting control can also be integrated with various sensors to realize context-based dimming functions to achieve energy-saving effects, and data analysis can be added to remind equipment maintenance to reduce management costs.
 

1. Lighting Control Panel

The control core is the U-7555M module. The digital outputs and inputs on the module are wired to the relays of the lighting circuits and the lighting panel switch, respectively. This module also provides logic and scheduling control. It's a stand-alone lighting control module. Provides three highly secure data exchange protocols, OPC UA, MQTT, and Restful API (https) to reduce information security risks.

 

 

2. Network Switch

The network switch is daisy-chained to the U-7555M in the lighting control panel, the user expects to install the touch screen on the cubicle wall and integrated it into the main network. The communication protocols are not polling mechanisms, the bandwidth requirements for the factory are extremely low.
 

3. Touch Screen

The touch screen is available in 2.8", 4.3", or 7". Small size fi ts only light switches, large size with other settings that can be integrated, such as air conditioning, access control, power information, environmental sensor information,etc. It can also use a control interface for lighting and air conditioning.
 

 

4. Communication Server

BRK-2841M provides the Broker function of MQTT protocol for MQTT message dispatching and proxy. It is compliant with MQTT V.3.1, 3.1.1, and 5.0 protocols, and supports the QoS message quality mechanism, retention mechanism, identity verifi cation, communication encryption, Last Will, and bridging function. Supports Web UI setting to quickly set up the BRK function, which can reduce the burden of setting up the Broker by individuals and reduce management costs. Itprovides clustering, bridging, load balancing, and high availability functions to prevent service downtime due to system failure in the field.
 

5. Factory Monitoring System

Using AVEVA Edge to integrate water, electricity, gas, lighting, access control, etc. within the factory. Provides the information in real-time on factory computers, handheld devices, and databases where information is not immediately available but needs to be stored. The former provides a stable production environment, while the latter is used for data analysis and supplied maintenance notification, etc.

 

 

6. Monitoring and Early Warning System

The network planning is based on the Purdue model of IoT, but most of the equipment purchased in the factory cannot provide high-security communication protocols. Therefore, a monitoring and early warning system is built to monitor IP and devices without encrypted communication protocol (Modbus TCP) in the factory in real-time, and notify MIS, factory management and record notification in case of abnormalities.
 

 

Due to labor costs increasing and manpower shortages in the manufacturing industry, how to digitize information is an important issue, companies have trouble integrating IT and OT staff because they have different perceptions, and eventually have to abandon the project. The difficulties, in this case, can be divided into the following items:

1. Hard to record Sensor value
2. Machine messages scattered
3. No Data Graphing

 

ICP DAS uses the U-7526M to convert analog signals into RESTful API / MQTT data to achieve the goal of "information digitization". Makes it more flexible for database and graphic software and makes it easier to control and record.

 

Advantages of ICP DAS:

1. Digitalization for recording

2. Centralized message
3. Data graphing

Architecture of ICP DAS:

 

Integrate sensing and output modules to simplify difficulties in the field

The reverse osmosis equipment encountered the problem that no space to place the sensor module and the controller, the U-7526M provides analog sensor and OPC UA services to collect water quality, flow, and pressure data from equipment to the IT system, reducing field staffing integration burden.