OPC DataHub™

Table of Contents

1. Getting Started

1.1. Overview and Installation

1.1.1. What is OPC?

1.1.2. Install

1.1.3. Run

1.1.4. Pop-up Help

1.1.5. Exit

1.1.6. Uninstall

1.2. Test with simulated data

1.3. Connect to an OPC server

1.4. Connect from an OPC client

1.5. Test the Web Server

1.6. View Your Data on the Web

1.7. Test with Excel

1.8. Connect to remote data

2. OPC Tunnelling

2.1. Introduction

2.2. Configuring the DataHub for the server

2.3. Configuring the OPC DataHub for the client

2.4. Testing the connection

2.5. Tunnelling part of the data set

2.6. Extended applications

2.6.1. Tunnelling and Bridging

2.6.2. Tunnelling and Aggregation

3. OPC Aggregation

3.1. Introduction

3.2. Configuring the DataHub

3.3. Extended applications

3.3.1. Aggregation and Bridging

3.3.2. Aggregation and Tunnelling

4. OPC Bridging

4.1. Introduction

4.2. Configuring Bridges

4.2.1. Point-to-point configuration

4.2.2. Making transformations

4.3. Creating New Points

4.4. Bridging Scenarios

4.4.1. Bridging Local Servers

4.4.2. Bridging Remote Servers

4.4.3. Creating Data Sets

4.4.4. Bridging to Excel

5. OPC to Email and SMS

5.1. Introduction

5.1.1. How it works

5.1.2. A note about SMS text messages

5.2. Configuring the Mail Server

5.3. Sending a Test Message

5.4. Defining the Email Message

5.5. Assigning a Trigger

5.6. Setting Trigger Conditions

5.7. Configured Actions

5.8. HTML Message Examples

5.8.1. An HTML Message with Embedded Data Points

5.8.2. An HTML Message with a Table Created in Code

5.9. How to Send SSL-encrypted Email

6. Data Logging

6.1. Introduction

6.1.1. Database Terminology and Concepts

6.1.2. Connecting to a Database: ODBC

6.1.3. Accessing Data: SQL

6.2. Quick Start

6.3. Setting up the DSN (Data Source Name)

6.4. Configuring a Database Table

6.5. Key Columns

6.6. Assigning a Trigger

6.7. Setting Trigger Conditions

6.8. Configured Actions

7. System Monitor

7.1. Introduction

7.2. Configuring the System Monitor

8. OPC to Web

8.1. Introduction

8.2. Configuring the Web Server

8.3. Viewing the Web Demos

8.4. Viewing Your Own Data

8.4.1. DataHub Browser

8.4.2. DataHub Table View

8.5. Modifying the ASP and AJAX Demo Files

8.6. Using ASP to Query a Database and Display Results

8.7. Creating Passwords

8.8. Generating XML output from the OPC DataHub

8.8.1. Streaming XML How-To

8.8.2. Polling XML How-To

9. OPC to Excel

9.1. Getting Data into Excel

9.1.1. Method 1 - Drag and Drop using DDEAdvise

9.1.2. Method 2 - Excel Macros using DDERequest

9.2. Getting Data out of Excel

9.2.1. Method 1 - Configuring DDEAdvise loops in the OPC DataHub

9.2.2. Method 2 - Writing Excel macros that use the DDEPoke command

9.3. Example

9.4. Working with Ranges

9.4.1. Getting a Range out of Excel

9.4.2. Getting a Range into Excel

9.4.3. Sample Excel Macros for Arrays

10. OPC to MES/ERP

11. OPC to Linux

11.1. Configuring the OPC DataHub in Windows

11.2. Configuring the Cascade DataHub on Linux

12. OPC to QNX

12.1. Configuring the OPC DataHub in Windows

12.2. Configuring the Cascade DataHub on QNX

13. OPC to InTouch

13.1. Getting data into InTouch

13.2. Getting data out of InTouch

13.3. Reading and writing data in both directions

13.4. Error message displayed when starting InTouch WindowViewer

14. OPC to MATLAB

15. DataHub Scripting

15.1. Tools

15.2. DataHub ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) Scripting

15.3. DataHub Windows Scripting

15.4. DataHub MATLAB Support

16. Security

16.1. SSL and Firewalls

16.2. User Authentication

16.3. Authorization and User Permissions

16.4. How To Configure a Common Scenario

16.5. Passwords

17. Working With Data

17.1. Data Points

17.1.1. Creating New Points

17.1.2. Deleting Points

17.1.3. Viewing Data Points

17.1.4. Point Size Limits

17.2. Data Communication Concepts

17.2.1. Send and Receive Data

17.2.2. Client - Server

17.2.3. Synchronous and Asynchronous Communication

17.3. Data Exchange Protocols

17.3.1. OPC Protocol

17.3.2. OPC Items and Properties

17.3.3. DDE Protocol

17.3.4. TCP and Tunnelling

17.3.5. The DataHub API

17.4. Data Organization

17.4.1. Data Domains

17.4.2. Assemblies, Subassemblies, Attributes, and Properties

17.4.3. Attributes and Types

17.4.4. Example 1: Attributes and Types

17.4.5. Example 2: Private Attributes

18. Optimizing Data Throughput

18.1. Binary Mode Tunnel/Mirror (TCP) Connections

18.2. Tunnel/Mirror (TCP) Connections for Slow Networks

18.3. Old Value Queuing

18.4. Un-Buffered Delivery

18.5. Screen Output

18.6. CPU Saturation

18.7. How to Optimize

18.7.1. Tunnel/Mirror (TCP) connections

18.7.2. DataHub C++ API

18.7.3. Gamma scripts

19. Properties Window

19.1. General

19.2. OPC

19.3. Tunnel/Mirror

19.4. Bridging

19.5. DDE

19.6. Email

19.7. Data Logging

19.8. System Monitor

19.9. Web Server

19.10. Scripting

19.11. Security

19.12. Licenses

19.12.1. Working with Licenses

19.12.2. License Information

20. Other Windows and Programs

20.1. Data Browser

20.2. Connection Viewer

20.3. Event Log

20.4. Script Editor

20.5. Script Log

20.6. DataSim - a data simulation program

20.7. DataPid - a PID loop data simulation program

21. Using DataHub Commands

21.1. Command Syntax

21.2. Return Syntax

21.3. Sending Commands by TCP

22. Troubleshooting

A. Command Line Options

B. Configuration Files

C. Running the DataHub as a Windows Service

C.1. Windows XP, 2003, NT and 2000

C.2. Windows Vista, 7 and 2008

D. Performing a Silent (Unattended) Install of the DataHub

E. Excel Macro Library

E.1. Configure Excel to receive data from the OPC DataHub (using DDEAdvise)

E.2. Write data from Excel - User initiated (using DDEPoke)

E.3. Write data from Excel - Automatically on value change (using DDEPoke)

E.4. Other Useful Macros

F. Windows Services File

G. DDE Overview

H. Error Messages

H.1. Windows Error Numbers

H.2. Windows TCP Error Numbers

H.3. Windows DDE Error Numbers

I. Third-Party Source Licenses

J. GNU General Public License

K. GNU Lesser General Public License

I. OPC DataHub Command Set

acksuccess - tells the DataHub to return success messages.

add - adds a value to a point.

alias - creates an alias point for an existing point.

alive - tells the Cascade DataHub that the client is running.

append - appends a string to the value of a point.

assembly - creates an assembly.

asyncsocket - sets up asynchronous communication on a socket.

attribute - creates an attribute.

auth - requests authentication for a client.

authgroup - creates a new authentication group.

authuser - creates a new user.

auto_create_domains - automatically adds domains requested by clients.

auto_timestamp - adds timestamps to unstamped changes.

bridge - creates a bridge between two points.

bridge_remove - deletes a bridge.

bridge_remove_pattern - deletes all bridges that match a pattern.

bridge_transform - modifies an existing bridge.

cforce - creates a point and forces a value to be written to it.

cread - creates and reads a point.

create - creates a new point.

create_domain - creates a new domain.

creport - creates a point and requests notification of changes.

cset - creates a point and assigns it a value.

cwrite - creates a point and writes information to it.

DDEAdvise - sets up the item for a DDEAdvise connection.

DDEConnect - makes a connection to a DDE service and topic.

DDEDisconnect - disconnects and discards a DDE connection.

DDEInit - initializes the DataHub to act as a DDE server.

DDEService - assigns a DDE service name.

DDEUnadvise - removes an item from a DDE connection.

DDEUnadvisePattern - removes multiple items from a DDE connection.

DDEUnadvisePoint - removes an item from a DDE connection, by its point name.

debug - sets the debug level.

defaultprop - sets a default type for a property.

delete - deletes a point—use with caution.

deleted - checks if a point has been deleted.

div - does division on the value of a point.

domain - identifies the client domain name.

domains - lists all domains in the DataHub.

dump - writes the entire content of the DataHub to a file.

enable_bridging - enables or disables bridging capabilities

enable_dde_client - enables or disables DDE client capabilities.

enable_dde_server - enables or disables DDE server capabilities.

enable_mirror_master - enables or disables mirror master capabilities.

enable_mirror_slave - enables or disables mirror slave capabilities.

enable_opc_client - enables or disables OPC client capabilities.

enable_opc_server - enables or disables OPC server capabilities.

enable_scripting - enables or disables scripting capabilities

enable_tcp_server - enables or disables TCP server capabilities.

error - sends an error with an error string.

execute_plugin - executes a plugin. (experimental)

exit - shuts down the DataHub.

flush - flushes output to a terminal (Linux).

flush_log - forces an immediate update of the Script Log (Windows).

force - forces a write to a point.

format - is an efficiency enhancement for Linux.

heartbeat - establishes a heartbeat message.

ignore - ignores a given point.

ignore_old_data - ignores changes with an old timestamp.

include - includes a file in with configuration files.

instance - creates an instance of a data organization model.

load_config_files - loads configuration files.

load_plugin - loads a specified plugin. (experimental)

load_scripts - loads scripts.

lock - locks and unlocks points.

log_file - sets up a log file.

log_to_file - starts or stops logging to a file.

mirror_master - sets up a tunnelling (mirroring) master.

mirror_master_2 - sets up a secure tunnelling (mirroring) master.

mult - multiplies the value of a point.

OPCActivate - activates or deactivates an OPC group.

OPCAddItem - adds OPC items to a connection.

OPCApply - applies changes to an outgoing connection.

OPCAttach2 - sets up an OPC connection.

OPCConnect - connects or disconnects from the OPC server.

OPCDetach - removes an outgoing OPC connection.

OPCEnable - enables or disables outgoing OPC connections.

OPCEnableClient - enables or disables all OPC clients.

OPCEnableServer - enables or disables DataHub OPC server behavior.

OPCMinimumSecurity - overrides DCOM security settings.

OPCModify - modifies an existing OPC connection.

OPCRefresh - sends a Refresh2 command to the OPC server.

OPCReload - reloads the data set from an OPC server.

OPCRemoveItem - removes an item based on its OPC DataHub point name.

private_attribute - creates a private attribute.

property - creates a property for an assembly.

quality - assigns a quality to a point.

read - reads a complete point definition.

report - requests notification of changes to a data point.

report_domain - registers points and requests information on a whole domain.

report_errors - controls the reporting of errors.

request_initial_data - gets current data when client connection is made.

save_config - forces the DataHub to save its configuration.

secure - adjusts the security level of a point.

set - sets the value of a point.

set_canonical - sets the type of a point.

show_data - displays the Data Browser.

show_debug_messages - show or hide debugging messages in the Data Browser.

show_event_log - displays the Event Log.

show_icon - displays the system tray icon.

show_properties - displays the Properties window.

show_script_log - displays the Script Log.

subassembly - creates a subassembly.

success - sets up a success message.

tcp_service - sets a TCP service name or port number for incoming slave connections.

timeout - suspends data flow.

transmit_insignificant - permits transmission of insignificant changes.

type - creates a type.

unload_plugin - unloads a plugin. (experimental)

unreport - allows a client to stop receiving data value changes to a point.

version - returns the current version number.

write - writes information to a point.

II. Obsolete and Unused Commands

bandwidth_reduce - is for internal use only.

drop_license - is for internal use only.

echo - is for internal use.

enable_connect_server - is deprecated.

EnableDDEServer - is for internal use only.

exception_buffer - is deprecated.

failed_license - is for internal use only.

master_host - is deprecated in favor of mirror_master.

master_service - is deprecated in favor of mirror_master.

on_change - is for internal use only.

OPCAttach - is deprecated in favor of OPCAttach2.

OPCInit - is deprecated.

point - is used internally.

qnx_name_attach - does nothing.

qnx_receiver - does nothing.

readid - should not be used.

register_datahub - replaced by report_domain.

report_all - replaced by report_domain.

report_datahubs - does nothing.

request - replaced by report_domain.

run - does nothing.

script_register - is for internal use only.

script_symbol - is for internal use only.

slave - is for internal use only.

sync - is for internal use only.

taskdied - is for internal use.

taskstarted - is for internal use.

using_license - is for internal use only.

warn_of_license_expiry - is deprecated.

Index