OPC Programmers' Connection - OLE for Process Control

2009-Jul-03

New UA SDK Release Candidate brings introduction of OPC licenses
The UA SDK, Sample Code and Help have been updated to Release Candidate version 1.00.240.1. This build incorporates new OPC Foundation license agreements: all binaries and documentation are subject to the terms of the "OPC Redistributables License Version 1.00" (PDF), while each source file is subject to one of 3 new licenses.
Build 240.1 also adds a C++ Quickstart with a sample client and server, and reorganizes the Merge Modules. This is planned as the last Release Candidate before the full Release at the end of July. The downloads are available to OPC Foundation Corporate Members only.

2009-Jun-19

UA SDK Release Candidate - a further update
The UA SDK and Sample Code have been updated to Release Candidate version 1.00.238.1. As well as bug fixes, the Alarms & Conditions functionality now matches the recent A&C RC Specification update. The downloads are available to OPC Foundation Corporate Members only.

2009-Jun-18

New site for OPC vendor Prosys
Prosys has long been known for Sentrol - an excellent client/server SDK for Delphi. More recently, the company has supported OPC UA through the development of a Java SDK. The company now has a new OPC website at www.prosysopc.com, highlighting its full range of OPC products and services, including some useful free downloads.

2009-Jun-16

UA Alarms and Conditions RC Specification Available for Review
A new Release Candidate version of the Unified Architecture Alarms and Conditions Specification is now available for download and review by OPC Foundation members. Written comments are sought by July 20 to be considered for the final version.

2009-Jun-02

Updated UA SDK Release Candidate
The UA SDK and Sample Code have been updated to Release Candidate version 1.00.235.0. This build includes various fixes, plus an updated Alarms & Conditions information model. The downloads, as well as new help drafts, are available to OPC Foundation Corporate Members only.
Note: OPCconnect.com has an RSS feed for updates to OPC Foundation downloads.

2009-May-31

UA Developers' Workshops announced: North America and Europe
OPC Foundation will hold two UA Developers' Workshops during fall of 2009. These will be in Frankfurt, Germany on September 22-24 and New Orleans, LA on October 27-29. All-inclusive cost for either event is 1800 USD, and numbers are limited to 40 attendees in each case. These workshops are the best way to get developers up to speed quickly, and early booking is recommended.
The OPC Foundation site has more information including registration details.

2009-May-06

New UA SDK Release Candidate
The UA SDK and Sample Code have been updated to Release Candidate version 1.00.232.5. As well as bug fixes, the new version includes updated client and server samples that implement all of the features supported by a typical COM DA client and server. The downloads are available to OPC Foundation Corporate Members only.

2009-May-04

OPC Foundation newsletter
The May 2009 issue of OPC Foundation's "OPConnect" newsletter has been distributed by email, and published as a web page.
Past editions of the newsletter remain available.

2009-Apr-29

Asian Interoperability Workshop 2009 - Tokyo
OPC Foundation will run an Interoperability Workshop in Tokyo, Japan, from Tuesday, June 16th through Thursday, June 18th. This event will include UA testing alongside OPC classic (COM) testing, and participation is free of charge. See OPC Foundation for full details and registration.

2009-Apr-07

New OPC issue analyzer from MatrikonOPC
Free Utilities: MatrikonOPC has announced OPC Analyzer, a free utility for finding OPC problem areas and backing up key OPC-related files.

2009-Apr-01

OPC UA book now available

The first OPC Unified Architecture textbook is now published. Written by Wolfgang Mahnke, Stefan-Helmut Leitner and Matthias Damm (representatives of ABB and ascolab), the book is intended for IT architects, developers, project managers, engineers and system administrators. It describes OPC UA and what it can accomplish, and also looks at migrating from OPC to OPC UA.
See our bookshelf page for information on this and other OPC-related publications.

2009-Mar-27

UA Java SDK beta
The first beta for the OPC UA Java SDK is now available for download (OPC Foundation members only). This release includes an implementation of the UA Native Binary stack profile, plus simple client and server applications. Java 1.6 is required.

2009-Mar-23

OPC Foundation newsletter
The March 2009 issue of OPC Foundation's "OPConnect" newsletter has been distributed by email, and published as a web page. Highlights include information on a new Certification Lab in Scottsdale, AZ, plus a feature on embedding OPC UA.
Past editions of the newsletter remain available.

2009-Mar-23

Updated UA SDK Release Candidate
The UA SDK and Sample Code have been updated to Release Candidate version 1.00.232.4. This build includes bug and compatibility fixes, plus full source code for the NodeState classes and ConfigurationTool application. The downloads, including new help drafts, are available to OPC Foundation Corporate Members only.
Note: OPCconnect.com has an RSS feed for updates to OPC Foundation downloads.

2009-Mar-05

MatrikonOPC offers free HDA Explorer client
MatrikonOPC Explorer has for many years been one of the leading free OPC DA clients. The company has now followed this up with a new HDA Explorer tool for testing and troubleshooting connectivity to HDA servers.
See our Free Stuff page for comprehensive listings of other free OPC software.

2009-Feb-26

ascolab OPC UA training
ascolab has long been a significant contributor to the development of OPC UA and has run in-house UA training for over 2 years. The company has now begun a regular UA training program, including 2-day introductory seminars and 2-day developer workshops. See our training page for links to this and other OPC training.

2009-Feb-10

Unified Architecture reaches full Release status
An occasion that's been long anticipated. Congratulations to the OPC Foundation team and the many volunteers who've toiled long and hard to reach this milestone! Here's the announcement from OPC Foundation in full: -
Final Release of Unified Architecture Phase I Deliverables
New released versions of Part 1-8 of the Unified Architecture Specifications have been posted along with matching UA SDK and sample code for member download. This represents a maintenance release for Parts 1-5 and 8 plus a first release for Parts 6 and 7. The code distribution has reached release candidate stage having undergone extensive QA lab testing and beta testing by Early Adopter Members. The final release for the code is only awaiting the approval of the License and Distribution Agreement by the Technical Advisory Council. With this major release OPC vendors are assured stable specifications and the ability to ship UA code components that are tested and fully supported.

2009-Feb-05

Core Components update
Updated versions of the OPC core components and .NET API have been made available. These updates fix a problem with the installers and UAC on Vista, plus an IPv6 incompatibility in the .NET API.

2009-Feb-03

UA SDK Help - member access not needed
A minor update to the previous post: access to online help for OPC Foundation's UA SDK is available to all users, and not just Foundation members. A caveat: this won't work if you follow the link from the Downloads page. Instead, you should go straight to the online help at http://opcfoundation.org/uasdk/Help/. Online help for the UA SDK is a work in progress.

2009-Feb-03

Updated UA SDK Testing version
The UA SDK and Sample Code have been updated to testing version 1.00.232.0. This release includes bug and compatibility fixes, plus the HDA wrapper code is now part of the source distribution. The downloads, including new help drafts, are available to OPC Foundation Corporate Members only.
Note: OPCconnect.com has an RSS feed for updates to OPC Foundation downloads.

2009-Feb-02

MatrikonOPC offers online OPC training
MatrikonOPC has announced a new paid-for eLearning program for automation professionals. The first module in the series, "Introduction to OPC", is now available. We've updated our list of OPC Training providers.

2009-Jan-22

OPC Foundation launches developer blog
OPC Foundation's Randy Armstrong has begun a new blog aimed at OPC developers. Anticipating the imminent release of UA, Randy starts with a series geared at getting developers up to speed with implementing UA, without having to read the numerous specification parts cover to cover. The complete sample code is already available. Subscribed!

2009-Jan-12

North American Interoperability Workshop 2009 - Boca Raton
OPC Foundation will run an Interoperability Workshop in Boca Raton, Florida, from Monday, March 2nd through Friday, March 6th. This event will include UA testing alongside OPC classic (COM) testing, as well as interop between the two. See OPC Foundation for full details and registration.

2009-Jan-12

New UA SDK Testing version
The UA SDK and Sample Code were last week updated to testing version 1.00.231.1. This release includes changes to the node manager and the server diagnostics API. The downloads are available to OPC Foundation Corporate Members only.

2009-Jan-07

OPC News blog
A new OPC News blog started in December, hosted by the anonymous "OPC Guy" (please let us know if you're happy to be identified OPC Guy). The first few posts hint at a good mix of content, including UA backgrounders, howtos, and programming features. Added to our Useful Links list - keep up the good work!
OPC News linked to a Sample OMAC HMI OPC Client, with a useful tutorial (with source code) for simple C++ HMI programming. This is now included in our Free Source Code listings.

2008-Dec-27

OPC UA Analyzer Devices Specification review draft available
OPC Foundation's Analytical Device Integration (ADI) Working Group has announced the availability of a completed review draft of the OPC UA Analyzer Devices Specification. Sample Code development will now begin based on this version. The code and final release of the specification is expected mid-2009.

2008-Dec-08

UA SDK Beta update
The UA SDK and Sample Code have been updated to beta version 1.00.230.0. This release supports current release candidate specifications for Part 4 (Services) and Part 6 (Mappings). It includes bug fixes, and more examples of custom node managers - demonstrating better performance than previously. The downloads are available to OPC Foundation Corporate Members only, while the release candidate specs are found on the UA SharePoint Collaboration Site.

2008-Dec-04

OPC General Assembly - Webinar recording available
The recorded video and PowerPoint of the recent OPC Foundation General Assembly are now available to Foundation members. Highlights include an update on UA schedules, and results of recent OPC surveys.
Note that a GoToMeeting codec may be needed to view the video.

2008-Dec-01

OPC Foundation General Assembly
The annual OPC General Assembly webinar takes place Wednesday, December 3, 10:00am - 11:00am EST (15:00 - 16:00 UTC). All members are invited to register.

2008-Nov-12

OPC UA Security Assessment Part 5 - Vendor Implementation Security Considerations
After a seven-week hiatus, Digital Bond has published the fifth part of its UA security audit. The originally announced title for this part (OPC UA Vendor Implementation Vulnerabilities) suggested that some specific problems would be discussed. In the event, the post talks only in general terms about possible areas of concern. This is perhaps a little disappointing, though given previous Digital Bond posts (see parts 3 and 4), we should certainly be wary of any vendor making claims about supporting UA today.

2008-Nov-12

OPC Foundation newsletter
The November 2008 issue of OPC Foundation's "OPConnect" newsletter has been distributed by email, and published as a web page. The headline feature looks at some of OPC Foundation's plans for 2009 (without making mention of Kepware's new involvement in the management of the UA codebase). Past editions of the newsletter remain available.

2008-Nov-08

UA SDK Online Help now available
Online help for OPC Foundation's UA SDK is now available in draft form. This resource will offer a comprehensive reference when complete, but most topics remain rather terse at the time of writing. The need for a 'how to' developers' guide also remains unsatisfied. The UA SDK help is apparently open to both members and non-members of OPC Foundation.

2008-Oct-30

UA SDK Overview published
A draft overview of OPC Foundation's UA SDK has been published, to coincide with the current UA DevCon in Munich. Running to 40+ pages, this will be essential reading for anyone working with the SDK. At the same time, updated UA SDK samples have been made available, principally for DevCon attendees. Each of these downloads is limited to OPC Foundation member access only.

2008-Oct-23

Kepware to take on joint management of OPC Foundation UA codebase
In a ground-breaking move, Kepware and OPC Foundation have announced that Kepware is to take a role of joint management of the OPC-UA codebase from January 2009. A Kepware press release yesterday announced the formation of a new non-profit entity, jointly run by OPC Foundation and Kepware, which will manage and distribute the sources using an "open source code" model. However, it is unclear exactly how access to the code will be managed, and whether it will be truly "open source".
The press release states that "all current OPC Foundation members will be contacted for inclusion in this additional community", perhaps implying that OPC Foundation membership may not automatically carry over to the new body.
Kepware was apparently selected because of its "credibility to be vendor neutral" - a statement from OPC Foundation President Tom Burke that may surprise other OPC server and toolkit vendors.
At the time of writing, the OPC Foundation site had no additional information - we'll let you know when the situation becomes clearer.

2008-Oct-21

UA SDK Beta update
The UA SDK and Sample Code have been updated to beta version 1.00.224.0. This release incorporates fixes from the recent Plugfest event, UI enhancements to the Configuration Tool, and is now built with VS 2008. The downloads are available to OPC Foundation Corporate Members only.

2008-Oct-05

Kassl updates Delphi OPC toolkit, releases freeware utilities
Kassl has released new versions of its excellent dOPC Client Toolkits for Delphi and C++Builder. Enhancements include support for Delphi 2009 and Windows Vista. The company is also offering a range of freeware client programs, plus a useful 'crap cleaner' for removing unwanted server registry entries.

2008-Oct-05

Delphi OPC updates
Our Delphi conversions of the OPC custom interfaces, plus sample Delphi OPC clients, are now compatible with Delphi 2009.

2008-Sep-29

Digital Bond comments on OPC Foundation and UA security
Dale Peterson of Digital Bond has offered us his perspective on OPC Foundation's handling of security within UA, plus Digital Bond's role in the UA security assessment. As expected, this is a mixture of good ("OPC Foundation has always been open to review by security professionals") and not-so-good ("not enough security expertise on the OPC UA team"). Read his comments in full.

2008-Sep-29

UA security - clarifications
Yesterday's post, OPC Foundation responds to UA security concerns, highlighted Eric Murphy's statement that the Digital Bond audit had been expected to find areas of concern. We asked why, therefore, was a similar security expert not involved in the design of UA at an earlier stage.
Subsequent discussions with OPC Foundation staff have made it clear that, in fact, multiple security experts had provided feedback on the UA spec at various stages, and that Murphy may not have been fully aware of this. Murphy has also updated his own OPC TAC post in an attempt to clarify this point, though apparently overlooks the fact that the most serious flaw highlighted by Digital Bond relates to an aspect of the specification (not the SDK) that is at least 2 years old: the reliance on self-signed certificates.
Nevertheless, we're reassured that OPC Foundation personnel are working diligently with Digital Bond's support to ensure UA is published as a robust and secure specification within a few months.

2008-Sep-28

OPC ADI draft spec due December 2008?
Gary Mintchell of Automation World reports that the OPC Analyzer Devices Integration draft specification will be published for review in December 2008. OPC Foundation has more information on OPC ADI, which is being defined as an extension to UA.

2008-Sep-28

OPC Foundation responds to UA security concerns
Eric Murphy of OPC's Technical Advisory Council has blogged in response to Digital Bond's posts on vulnerabilities in the UA spec and SDK. Murphy's post should be read to understood OPC Foundation's perspective, and what action will now be taken. However, his comment "We knew that having someone with a strong security background ... audit the results would show the areas that might be confusing and conflicting" begs the question: why was such a person not involved much earlier in the design and development of UA?

2008-Sep-22

OPC UA Security Assessment Part 4 - SDK Vulnerabilities
The fourth part of Digital Bond's series offers a brief security audit of OPC Foundation's UA SDK. It confirms "the overall code quality was quite good", with a small number of heap and stack overflows that are expected to be resolved in the next revision. A particular concern is that the server test application was easily crashed in black box testing. The Digital Bond blog has the full story.

2008-Sep-20

UA Security Assessment Part 3 - Digital Bond turns its attention to spec vulnerabilities
Part 3 of Digital Bond's OPC UA security series looks at vulnerabilities in the UA specification. Some serious flaws are highlighted, most significantly the reliance on self-signed certificates: "This is similar to verifying a person's identity by asking the person if he is who he claims to be. No trust should be placed on a self-signed certificate ... an OPC UA server, even one requiring encryption and signatures, could be compromised by anyone who is able to gain access to OPC UA client software". Digital Bond doesn't say so explicitly, but the inference is that the specification needs revising before OPC UA can be considered fit for purpose.
See also Part 1 (introduction) and Part 2 (positive findings) of the Digital Bond review.

2008-Sep-12

UA SDK Beta update
The UA SDK and Sample Code have been updated to beta version 1.00.222.0. A range of changes includes improved 64-bit support, and the addition of an AE wrapper to the COM interop library. The downloads are available to OPC Foundation Corporate Members only.

2008-Sep-05

OPC UA Security Assessment - Part 2
Digital Bond has published the second in its 7-part series on OPC UA security and vulnerabilities. Part 2 focuses on the positive findings, and includes comments such as "OPC Foundation should be commended for their security efforts", "The [OPC UA SDK] code base is surprisingly clean of vulnerabilities for a code base of its size", "The security event logging ... is the best the Digital Bond team has seen in this space by far".
Future posts will focus on vulnerabilities in the specification, the SDK and vendor implementations. Part 1, the introduction, is also available.

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