1 Introduction

Open Platform Communications (OPC) is a series of standards and specifications for industrial telecommunication. They are based on Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) for process control.

WECON provides OPC Data Access(OPC DA) for communicating real-time data from data acquisition devices, which is V-Box.

2 Premise

Due to OPC is based on Microsoft's COM (COmponent Model), and OPC's remote communication relies on Microsoft's DCOM (Distribute COM), and security is based on Microsoft's Windows security settings. About how to setup the DCOM on Windows PC, please refer to the following two links:

1) DCOM for Windows 7,10, & Server 2008R2 and Newer

2) INSTALLING OPC CORE COMPONENTS ON WINDOWS 8

3 Basic configuration

V-Box pushes the data source to other OPC Clients through OPC tool, such as SCADA software, CFM software, ERP/MES systems, etc.

3.1 Login interface

Interface function:

1. Use the sqlite database to record the users who have successfully logged in. According to the login time, they are arranged in the user name drop-down box from large to small.
2. Remember password: use DES secondary encryption, the secret key is CPUID and network card MAC address respectively.
3. Configure the server address, and the software restart is required for the configuration to take effect.

2.2 Server setting

The default server address is the V-NET monitoring address. When deploying a private cloud, connect to the corresponding network address. After configuring the server address, the OPC Tool restart is required to take effect. 

After configuring the server address, the OPC Tool restart is required to take effect.  

1. About. Software version information.
2. Settings. To set the server address settings.
3. Logout. Log out of the current account.
4. Exit. Exit the software.

At present, Wecon has three servers. Please enter the corresponding server address.

1. China:http://api.v-box.net
2. Asean:http://api.asean.v-box.net
3. Europe:http://api.eu.v-box.net

2.3 configuration successfully

After the user logs in successfully, the OPC SERVER is started. As shown below.

✎Note: When using the OPC function, run the OPC Tool software.

3 Example

The precondition is to use the OPC Server and OPC Client on the same PC.

3.1 Run the OPC tool

3.2 Create OPC device

Take the OPC Quick Client.exe tool for example. Download here.

(1) Run "OPC Quick Client.exe"

(2) Run V-BOX OPC tool and set corresponding server

(3) Select "New Server Connection" and select "V-BOX.OPCSERVER DLL"

✎Note: If meet with the question of "Failed to connect server" or not able to find V-BOX.OPCSERVER.DLL in Server Properties, please go to the V-NET Client installation path to install the 

(4) Add a new group, set the group name according to your needs.

(5) Add a new item for the group.

(6) Select corresponding V-BOX and monitor point. Double click it to add Item.

Then this Item value will display as below.

Right-click the item, and select "Synchronous Write" to change the value of item.

4 Note

After the software is started, it would not dynamically adjust according to the increase, deletion, or configuration modification of the server monitoring point, and would only update the value of the monitoring point from time to time.