OPC UA client blocks allow easy access to industrial equipment parameters and data. The driver blocks handle the data exchange between the connected OPC UA servers and the application running on the real-time target computer.
OPC UA is ideal for testing new control level algorithms with real devices on the plant floor. In addition, one can verify the functionality and communication properties of devices such as converters and sensors.
OPC UA client support is also crucial for testing the interface of programmable logic controllers to higher-level monitoring systems on the enterprise level, such as the interface to an industrial cloud.
Get started with OPC UA by adding the driver blocks to your Simulink model. No additional tools are required to get OPC UA communication running. OPC UA is supported both on the Ethernet interfaces of the real-time target machines and over plug-in Ethernet I/O modules (see Hardware Selection Guide).
Key Features
- Data exchange with up to 256 OPC UA servers
- Supports reading and writing of variable nodes
- TCP/IP communication layer allows update rates of up to 1 kHz
- Asynchronous data exchange saves computing time for real-time tasks
- Multiple client stations can run on one target machine, either controlling servers in the same network or separate networks