This driver is a simple driver. It provides additional functionality to enable Geo SCADA Expert 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 designed for use by engineers who are responsible for configuring OPC XML-DA Client-specific items and features. It can also be used by system administrators when investigating any unexpected behavior relating to the OPC XML-DA Client.
Document Scope
This guide explains how to configure OPC XML-DA Client specific features and items in the Geo SCADA Expert database. It also describes how to use the OPC XML-DA Client specific statistics and diagnostics.
Prerequisite Reading
This guide contains technical information that is intended for users that are sufficiently familiar with Geo SCADA Expert configuration and operation. Before reading this driver guide, ensure that you are familiar with:
- Geo SCADA Expert configuration practices, procedures, and the configuration of properties that are common to many database items. For more information, see the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to Core Configuration, and the Geo SCADA Expert 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 Geo SCADA Expert Guide to Drivers.
- Simple driver composition, configuration order, and configuration properties and logging options that are common to many simple drivers. For more information, see the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to Simple Drivers.
The OPC standards are a series of standard specifications aimed at allowing inter operability between different SCADA systems. Geo SCADA Expert uses these standards to allow transfer of data between the Geo SCADA Expert server and third-party applications.
The OPC eXtensible Markup Language Data Access (XML-DA) standard is specifically aimed at facilitating the transmission of plant data over the internet (see Which Driver?).
Geo SCADA Expert’s OPC XML-DA Client driver is used to read and/or write to data on XML-DA servers, including Geo SCADA Expert or third-party servers, using the OPC XML-DA protocol. The driver enables Geo SCADA Expert to communicate with servers that comply with OPC XML-DA version 1 or 2. The driver takes into account any security settings, designed to limit access to configuration properties on many OPC servers.
The OPC XML-DA documentation explains how to configure OPC XML-DA specific features and items within the Geo SCADA Expert database (see Configuring OPC XML-DA Devices in Geo SCADA Expert).
It also explains driver-specific aspects that may be of interest to system administrators and engineers when investigating unexpected system behavior (relating to the OPC XML-DA Driver). For more information, see OPC XML-DA Specific Status Display Attributes, and see OPC XML-DA Specific Driver Log File Options.
NOTE: There are no driver-specific pick actions for database items on this particular driver. However, 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 in the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to Core Configuration). See a system administrator for the documentation associated with such custom actions (also known as ‘methods’).
Further Information
OPC Foundation Standards: see www.opcfoundation.org