How to Collect and Store Data
Using OPC Communications

Why to collect and standardise data from industrial devices?

Machine condition monitoring, business process management and production planning can never be optimised without the requisite production and technological data. With many communication protocols used in the industry, reading, storing and processing this data can become complicated. Every device uses its own way of communicating information, resulting in incompatibility issues.

What you need is to:

Collect data from various assets – PLCs, HMIs, cameras, computers, control cabinets, machines, shops, rooms, buildings, cars, outdoor areas, etc.
Store data in one place – in one database
Compare data
Process data and use various functions to combine variables
Transfer data to higher systems

To be able to perform the above, you need a data standardisation tool that translates disparate communication protocols into a single, universal one. If you want to collect and process your production and technological data successfully, it is essential that you choose the right data standardisation tool at the very beginning, as data collection is a never-ending project that keeps growing.

UNIFY YOUR DATA COLLECTION THROUGH OPC COMMUNICATIONS

Using a data standardisation platform that enables you to scale your projects and connect them to other systems is absolutely essential for successful condition monitoring and comprehensive data collection and processing.

One of the most universal protocols is the OPC protocol. It allows for a unified communication interface between PLC systems and higher software applications, such as MES, SCADA HMI, visualisation software, databases and IoT platforms.

How to Go About It

Unified OPC communications for hundreds of devices

FOXON OPC servers

Exchanging data with higher systems

Working with data using an industrial router

Unified OPC Communications for hundreds of devices = KEPServerEX

The KEPServerEX OPC communications platform from the company Kepware connects disparate control systems to SCADA HMI applications, databases, the cloud and the IoT. Depending on what devices you want to collect data from, you purchase the necessary drivers. KEPServerEX can read data from hundreds of PLC types, robots and other devices from Siemens, Rockwell, Omron, Fanuc, ABB, Mitsubishi, Allen-Bradley and other manufacturers.

KEPServerEX converts this data to such protocols as OPC UA/DA, OPC HDA, SNMP, MQTT, REST and ThingWorx Native, and stores it to a database or mathematically processes it.

To see if KEPServerEX is compatible with your systems and to try its capabilities, feel free to download a free 30-day trial version.

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FOXON OPC servers

If KEPServerEX is not suitable for you and you cannot find another feasible solution, we can develop an OPC server for you. Today you can take advantage of our OPC Server for SEW Devices and our OPC Server for Heidenhain Systems, both of which we have developed for our customers.

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Exchanging data with a wide range of higher systems

While KEPServerEX's main advantage is its capability to collect data from a large number of shop floor devices, OPC Router boasts the ability to transfer data in the OPC format to a wide range of higher systems. These include SAP, barcode readers, printers, various databases and other systems.

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Working with data using an industrial router

If you need to use an OPC UA server, one of the options available is the Ewon Flexy 205 industrial router. Although it is primarily designed for remote access to control systems, it also acts as OPC UA server and OPC UA client, enabling you to read as well as write data. It is compatible with the most popular control systems.

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Learn how to take a better care of your network

Would you like to learn more about data collection? Sign up for our two-day KEPServerEX training. You will learn how to collect data from control systems in a standardised way.

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Need help with data collection?

Would you like to start with data collection, but are not sure how to go about it and what tools and platforms to choose? Feel free to contact us to discuss this. Share your expectations with us so that we can advise you on what steps to take.

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