Movicon as OCP UA Server

Introduction

Hello and welcome to the new quick start guide on how to best use Movicon.NExT™.
In this technote, we will introduce you to the OPC UA communication standard and see how Movicon.NExT™ can be used as an OPC UA Server.

The OPC UA Protocol

The OPC UA is an open communication standard for industrial automation systems.
It is a protocol used for exchanging information and data between devices and applications built by different vendors, independently from the platform or programming language used.
The OPC UA has different characteristics, among which it:

• Ensures interoperability between the components of automation systems, simplifying integration and updating.
• Bridges the gap between information technology and operational technology, facilitating the management and organization of production processes.
• Offers advanced security, based on encryption, authentication and digital signatures, to protect sensitive data and prevent violations.

The OPC UA operates according to an architecture oriented at services and APIs, which allows information structured and sematic models to be defined for different application domains.
Furthermore, is used the TCP/IP protocol to transmit data in a reliable and scalable manner.
The OPC UA is an evolution of its predecessor, the original OPC standard, which was limited to devices based on Windows while the evoluted version is compatible with any operating system, such Linux, Windows, Android or iOS.
This new communication standard is also designed to support the modern technologies of Industry 4.0, such as IoT, big data, machine learning and predictive maintenance.

The Movicon.NExT™ framework

The Movicon.NExT™ framework is based on the OPC UA data information modelling differentiating the infrastructure into servers and clients and developing the functional parts. In fact:

• The I/O Data Server performs the Data Access function (DA).
• The Alarm Server fulfils the role of Alarms and Conditions (AC).
• The Historian Server manages the Historian Access side of things (HA).

By adopting this technology, the framework results completely transparent to the user  and makes the platform open, scalable and modular.    
Thanks to this technology, the Movicon.NExT™ Server is an OPC UA Server to all effects and, therefore, allows the connectivity of any other third-party OPC UA device or platform.
Please note that the Movicon.NExT™ OPC UA Server feature is optional and requires that this option be enabled on the product's license.

Movicon as OPC UA Server

We will now configure Movicon.NExT™ as an OPC UA Server and try and connect to a third-party OPC UA Client, for example UA Expert, to browse tags and monitor values.
As a prerequisite, you will need to install UA Expert beforehand.
Open the Movicon.NExT™ development environment and load a project, for example the DemoMoviconNExT project. To open this project from the editor's Startup page:

• Click on Examples in the Support Instruments section.
• Search for the DemoMoviconNExT folder. Once found, double-click to open it.
• Select the DemoMoviconNExT.UFProject file and click on the Open button.

At this point, check that the OPC UA Server option has been enabled on the license:

• Click on Options on the editor's toolbar at the top.
• Click on the License item on the menu that appears.
• Then click on the Check License item.

This will open the License Reader window showing which license is installed and its details.
Check that the OPC UA Server option has been enabled with a tick and then click the Close button to exit the window.

Now add the opc.tcp data transport. To do this:

• Go to the Project Explorer window and double-click on the I/O Data Server resource.
• Go to the Settings tab.
• Click on the Add Transport button to start configuring a new opc.tcp network transport.
• Select the opc.tcp transport form the combobox in the popup that appears and leave the other settings set for default.  
• Click the OK button to confirm.

Save the project by clicking on the Save All icon on the editor's top toolbar.

Launch the Movicon.NExT™ project by clicking on the Start Runtime icon on the editor's top toolbar.

Once the Movicon.NExT™ Server has started up, open the UA Expert's OPC UA Client.

• Click on the + button to add a new OPC UA connection.
• Double-click on the Double click to Add Server message in the Custom Discovery section.
• Enter the previously configured Movicon.NExT™ Server's opc.tcp data transport Endpoint in the popup that appears.
• Click Ok to confirm.
• Expand the address to see the name of added server.
• Expand it again and select the security type you wish to use. For example, None – None.
• Click Ok to confirm.

Add the Server to the UA Expert's OPC UA Client's Server list, open a connection by clicking on the plug symbol on the toolbar or right click on the server name to open the contextual menu and select Connect.
If this is the first time ever connecting to the server, a window will appear showing the certificate of the Server you are trying to connect to.
Click on the Trust Server Certificate to add the certificate permanently to the UA Expert's trust list.
If you tick the “Accept the server certificate temporarily for this session” and click the Continue button, the certificate will be accepted but not saved permanently on the server's trust list.

Once connection has been established, you will see the Address Space pane populated with the elements exposed by the Movicon.NExT Server.
To check that everything is working correctly, try to add the following elements:

• Tags\Infrastructure\TemperatureT1
• Tags\Infrastructure\TemperatureT2
• Tags\Infrastructure\Ventilation\CO2Value

And check to see that the value changes every second.