Specifications

RSLinx – Training Guide B - 11
General
OLE for Process Control (OPC™) is designed to allow client applications access to
plant floor data in a consistent manner. With wide industry acceptance OPC will
provide many benefits:
• Hardware manufacturers only have to make one set of software components for
customers to utilize in their applications.
• Software developers will not have to rewrite drivers because of feature changes or
additions in a new hardware release.
• Customers will have more choices with which to develop World Class integrated
manufacturing systems.
With OPC, system integration in a heterogeneous computing environment will become
simple. Leveraging OLE/COM the environment shown in Figure 0-3 becomes possible.
Ethernet
PCs with Win95 or NT Workstations with NT
Minis with
OLE/COM Gateways
Mainframes with
OLE/COM Gateways
OPC Data Server (NT)
Device 1
Device 2
OPC Data Server (NT)
Device 3
OPC Data Server (NT)
Device 4
MMI
Custom VB Apps
SCADA
Custom VB Apps
SCADA
Custom Apps
Production Control
Custom Apps
Figure 0-3. Heterogeneous Computing Environment