This driver is an advanced driver. It provides additional functionality to enable ClearSCADA to interface with specific supported devices using a particular protocol. To interact successfully with such devices, you need to:
- Install and run the driver
- Ensure that the driver is licensed
- Configure the required database items and settings on the driver
- Ensure that the database items (and any database items on which they depend) have valid, saved, configuration and are 'In Service'.
Intended Audience
This guide is intended for use by engineers who are responsible for the configuration of OPC-specific items and features in ClearSCADA. It can also be used by system administrators when investigating unexpected behavior relating to the Advanced OPC driver and operators who access the configured items.
Document Scope
The Advanced OPC driver is an OPC Data Access (DA) client. OPC DA is a standard defined by the OPC Foundation and is based OLE/COM interfaces, which allows interoperability between automation/control applications, field systems/devices, and business/office applications in the process control industry. ClearSCADA supports the OPC DA versions 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 standard to allow transfer of data between the ClearSCADA server and third-party OPC DA servers.
The Advanced OPC driver is used to read and write to data on other servers, including ClearSCADA or third-party servers, using the OPC protocol. The driver supports private security that may be required to access particular items in an OPC DA server.
This guide explains how to configure OPC-specific features and items within the ClearSCADA database (see Configuring Advanced OPC Items).
It also explains driver-specific aspects that are of interest to system administrators and engineers when investigating unexpected system behavior relating to the Advanced OPC driver (see OPC Server Registration and Server Browsing, and see Advanced OPC Specific Status Display Attributes.)
There are driver-specific pick actions for items on the Advanced OPC driver (Using Advanced OPC Specific Actions). In addition, users with the required privileges can add custom pick actions to a database item by using the User Methods tab on the relevant configuration Form (see Using the User Methods Tab to Define Custom Actions). See a system administrator for the documentation associated with such custom actions (also known as ‘methods’).
ClearSCADA includes three drivers: Simple OPC, Advanced OPC and OPC XML-DA — for information on which driver is appropriate for your system requirements, see Which OPC Driver?
Prerequisite Reading
This guide contains technical information that is intended for users that are sufficiently familiar with ClearSCADA configuration and operation. Before reading this driver guide, ensure that you are familiar with:
- ClearSCADA configuration practices, procedures, and the configuration of properties that are common to many database items. For more information, see the ClearSCADA Guide to Core Configuration, and the ClearSCADA Guide to Core Point Configuration.
- Driver structure, components, and configuration properties, pick actions, and status attributes that are common to many drivers. For more information, see the ClearSCADA Guide to Drivers.
- Advanced driver configuration order, outstation types, and configuration properties and logging options that are common to many advanced drivers. For more information, see the ClearSCADA Guide to Advanced Drivers.
Some sections of this guide are intended for operator-level users. These sections are intended for users that are familiar with the navigational and operational aspects of ClearSCADA. Before reading the operational sections in this guide, ensure that you are familiar with:
- The ClearSCADA user interfaces (ViewX and WebX), the various types of display, their navigation and operation. For more information, see the ClearSCADA Guide to ViewX and WebX Clients.
Further Information
OPC Foundation Standards: see www.opcfoundation.org
OPC Time Formats used in ClearSCADA: see Using OPC Time Formats.