OPC Expert

OPC Expert is a software utility developed by OPC Training Institute that aims to facilitate secure and efficient communication between client applications and OPC servers. According to the vendor, this product offers a range of features to enhance the security, flexibility, and performance of OPC communication. It is designed to cater to businesses of various sizes, from small enterprises to large corporations. The software is commonly used by professionals in the fields of automation engineering, process control, system integration, manufacturing, industrial companies, and the oil and gas industry.

Key Features

Endpoint security: OPC Expert allows client applications to connect to OPC servers through various endpoints with customizable security settings. According to the vendor, different authentication methods, such as user names, certificates, or no authentication, can be used for incoming applications.

Certificates: Administrators can utilize certificates for secure machine-to-machine communication. The vendor states that administrators have the ability to configure the default behavior for certificate trust, allowing for manual approval or rejection of new certificates based on specific requirements.

Users and Groups: Administrators can define permissions for users and groups, granting or denying read, write, and browse operations. OPC Expert supports different identification methods, including certificates, Windows user accounts, and OPC User Accounts, according to the vendor.

OPC to Excel: Users can easily connect OPC items to Excel for data reporting and analysis. The vendor claims that dynamic reports can be created in Excel without the need for programming, thanks to the drag-and-drop functionality. OPC UA (DA and HA) and OPC Classic (DA and HDA) protocols are supported, along with compatibility with Excel 2003-2019 (32 bit and 64 bit).

Archive OPC Data: OPC Expert allows users to archive OPC data for historical analysis and reporting. The vendor states that OPC data can be stored in CSV, MQTT, or SQL databases, providing easy retrieval and analysis for troubleshooting, compliance, and performance analysis purposes.

OPC Viewer: According to the vendor, OPC Expert enables users to view data from any OPC server, including OPC Classic (OPC DA, A&E, and HDA), OPC .NET (OPC Xi), and OPC UA. The software offers features such as easy exploration and navigation through OPC data, color coding for data identification, support for OPC alarms and events (OPC A&E), and a Communication Event Window for data activity monitoring.

OPC Trend Software: OPC Expert allows users to trend real-time and historical OPC data with a single click. The vendor claims that this feature is designed for reliable 24/7 operation, offering real-time data visualization, historical data analysis, and troubleshooting capabilities. OPC DA, HDA, and UA (DA and HA) protocols are supported, along with powerful engineering functions for data analysis.

OPC Redundancy: OPC Expert provides options to increase the reliability and availability of OPC servers. According to the vendor, users can connect to two different OPC servers and monitor the data connection 24/7. The software offers hot and warm redundancy options, with automatic failover or custom triggers for failover, aiming to ensure uninterrupted service and mitigate data loss.

OPC Bridge: OPC Expert allows users to transfer data between dissimilar control systems through a reliable OPC server bridging capability. The vendor claims that the software provides automatic fault detection and mitigation, supporting OPC standards such as OPC UA and Classic, while ensuring secure data transportation.

OPC Tunneler: According to the vendor, OPC Expert resolves DCOM communication issues through built-in OPC tunneling using OPC standards. The software facilitates secure data transfer using optional Windows and OPC UA security, and simplifies setup with single port communication. OPC data can also be converted to different protocols.