This document discusses OPC UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture) and how it can be used with Profinet in industrial automation networks. OPC UA is an interoperability standard that allows for the secure exchange of data between devices from different vendors. It defines interfaces for browsing device data, reading and writing data values, subscribing to data changes, and calling methods on devices. When used with Profinet, OPC UA can enable vertical communication throughout the industrial automation hierarchy from sensors and controllers to cloud applications.

1. OPC UA and Profinet
PI Event
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Introduction
1
OPC UA in Industrial Networks
2
OPC UA Functions in detail
3
OPC UA Performance considerations
4
OPC UA Companion Specifications
5
Security
6
Summary
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OPC UA and Profinet

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OPC UA and Profinet
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What is OPC
OPC (Open Platform Communications) is the interoperability standard for the secure and
reliable exchange of data in the industrial automation space and in other industries. It is
platform independent and ensures the seamless flow of information among devices from
multiple vendors. The OPC Foundation is responsible for the development and
maintenance of this standard.
The OPC standard is a series of specifications developed by industry vendors, end-users
and software developers. These specifications define the interface between Clients and
Servers, as well as Servers and Servers, including access to real-time data, monitoring of
alarms and events, access to historical data and other applications.
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What is OPC UA
The OPC Unified Architecture (UA), released in 2008, is a platform independent service-
oriented architecture that integrates all the functionality of the individual OPC Classic
specifications into one extensible framework.
This multi-layered approach accomplishes the original design specification goals:
Functional equivalence: all COM OPC Classic specifications are mapped to UA.
Platform independence: from an embedded micro-controller to cloud-based infrastructure.
Secure: encryption, authentication, and auditing.
Extensible: ability to add new features without affecting existing applications.
Comprehensive info model: for defining complex information.
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OPC Foundation Members
Founded 1996 (OPC Classic specification) ,OPC UA specification release 2009
More than 450 members from all areas
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ABB Automation GmbH
ascolab GmbH
Beckhoff Automation GmbH
Bosch Rexroth AG
Bosch Software Innovations GmbH
BSI
CERN
Cisco Systems
Emerson Process Management
Endress+Hauser Process Solutions AG
FANUC CORPORATION
Festo AG & Co. KG
Fraunhofer IOSB
Hilscher Gesellschaft für Systemautomation mbH
HMS Industrial Networks
Honeywell Inc
IBM
PHOENIX CONTACT
Pilz GmbH & Co. KG
SAP AG
ProSoft Technology Rockwell Automation
Schneider Electric
Siemens AG
Softing Industrial
Yokogawa Electric Corporation Unified Automation GmbH
Microsoft Corporation
B&R
GE
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OPC UA - Cooperations
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OPC UA and Profinet strengths
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OPC UA and Profinet in Automation
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PROFINET
OPC
UA
Industrial
Ethernet
Cloud
MES, ERP
SCADA, DCS
Energy
management
SCADA-
System
Engineering-
Framework
Manufacturing Execution System
HMI IPC Industrial
Communication
Motion
Control
CNC
Controller
Power supply
and
distribution
Industrial
Identification
Decentral IO Drives Industrial
controllers

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OPC UA and Profinet in the same Network
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PROFINET OPC UA OPC UA + PROFINET
Vertical communication and simple line integration

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Engineering and User Benefits
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Benefits for machine
manufacturers
Less engineering effort
due to reusable interfaces
for multiple customers
Benefits for line
integrators
Straightforward line
integration due to
standardized interfaces on
every machine
Benefits for machine
operators
On-demand connectivity and
access to machine
parameters and process
values

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OPC UA and Profinet Manufacturing concept
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Monitor
unit count
Manufacturing
Management
HMI
Workpiece handover Workpiece handover
Server
Client
Client
Cloud
Gateway
Calculate OEE
Edge
device Client
Client / Server

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OPC UA – structured data up to the cloud
Support of OPC UA Pub/Sub over MQTT & UDP
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OPC UA in Automation Summary
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Simple integration
… with standardized interfaces
Integrated security
… with authentication, signed
and encrypted communication
Universally usable
… regardless of platform, operating system
and manufacturer
Easy handling
… with online browsing, offline engineering
and semantic

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OPC UA - Range of functions
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Companion
Specification
Information
modeling
Client
Server
Browsing
Browsing of
CPU data
Client
Server
Browse
Response
Browse
Request
Read / Write
Asynchronous
data access
Client
Server
R/W
Response
R/W
Request
Registered
Read / Write
High performance
during repeated
access
Client
Server
R/W
Response
R/W
Request
Reg.
Nodes
Response
Reg.
Nodes
Request
Subscription
Load reduction
during HMI /
Monitoring
applications
Client
Server
Publishing
Sampling
Methods
Consistent
transmission
w/o manual
handshake
Client
Server
Call
Response
Call
Request
Alarms &
Conditions
Alarms and
events with
acknowledge-
ment
Client
Server

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OPC UA Server – Browse Device
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Browse
• Browsing of PLC Data
• Dynamic adaptation of the client configuration to the data provided by a
server
OPC UA
server
Browse
Browse request
Node ID = 84 (root folder), BrowseDirection = forward
Browse response
Node ID, browse name, display name, node class, type def

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OPC UA Server – Read Request
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Read
• Symbolic read access to PLC data
OPC UA
server
Data access
Read request
Node ID = "DB1"."myArray“
Read response
Value = “11110000”,Timestamp = 10/29/2018 3:15pm, Status = Good
1111
0000
DB1.myArray
1111
0000
DB1.myArray
1111
1111
DB1.myArray

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OPC UA Server – Write Request
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• Symbolic write access to PLC data
Write
OPC UA
server
Write request
Node ID = "DB1"."myArray“, Value = “11111111”,
Write response
Status = Good
1111
0000
DB1.myArray
1111
1111
DB1.myArray
1111
1111
DB1.myArray
1111
1111
DB1.myArray
✓
Data access

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OPC UA Server – Registered Read Request
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Registered Read
• Repeated access to PLC data
OPC UA server
Data access
Read request
Node ID = "123456789"
Read response
Value = “11110000”,Timestamp = 10/29/2018 3:15pm, Status = Good
1111
0000
DB1.myArray
1111
0000
123456789
Register Node request Node ID = "DB1"."myArray“
Register Node response Node ID = “123456789"
Improved performance
with repeated access
Node ID: "123456789“
Memory: 16#ABCD_01234
1111
1111
123456789
Node ID: "DB1". "myArray"
Node ID: "123456789"

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OPC UA Server – Subscribe Request
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• Load reduction for monitoring use cases • Absoulte filters possible
Subscribe
OPC UA
server Subscribe request
Node ID = „DB1“.“myArray“, Publishing interval = 5s, Sampling interval = 1s
1111
0000
DB1.myArray
1111
0000
DB1.myArray
Sampling
Publishing
1111
1111
DB1.myArray
Publish response
1111
1111
DB1.myArray
Publish response
Value = “11111111”,Timestamp = 10/29/2018 3:15pm, Status = Good
Publish response
Value = “11110000”,Timestamp = 10/29/2018 3:15pm, Status = Good
Publish request
Sampling Queue
1111
0000
DB1.myArray
1111
1111
DB1.myArray
Load reduction for monitoring use cases
(Compared to polling)

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OPC UA Server – Methods
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Call request
Node ID = “instDrive".“Method“, InputArguments: [ DriveSpeed = “99999” ]
Call response
OutputArguments: [ ] Status = BadInvalidArgument
Methods
OPC UA
server
Call request
Node ID = “instDrive".“Method“, InputArguments: [ DriveSpeed = “1000” ]
Call response
OutputArguments: [ ] Status = Good
Drive
Method FB
SetDrive
Speed
RPM: 0
RPM: 1000
• Consistent data transmission • Request based interaction with the user program

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OPC UA Access type recommendations
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Use case Recommended type of access
• Single or rare access of data  Read / Write
• Cyclic read of data (≤ 10s)
• Monitor data
 Subscription
• High performance data access to
predefined nodes
 Registered Read / Write
• Consistent data transfer
• No manual Handshake
 Methods

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OPC UA Access type Performance –
Usage of arrays and structures
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Accessing 1000 variables of real Accessing one structure with
1000 variables of real
Accessing one array with 1000
variables of real
OPC UA Read OPC UA Registered Read
PLC programmer
Always structure your
data:
❖ Arrays
❖ Structures
❖ Individual
Variables
OPC UA Client
programmer
Read arrays and
structures as a whole!
User OPC UA
“Registered Read”
when accessing the
same data recurrently
Graphic shows
tendencies,
actual values
depend on
multiple factors!
Factor
2-3

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Machine 1
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OPC UA and Companion Specifications
© 2017
Server / Client
Vertical
integration
e.g. MES, SCADA
Machine n
etc…
Method
Object
Variable
Variable – property
“Support of industry standards is the key to digital factory”
Companion
Specifications
Standardized interfaces for
simple connection

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OPC UA and Companion Specifications
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Companion Specifications
• Standardized OPC UA interfaces • Information modelling
Instances / models
> according to specification
Import
Types according to
specification
Export
Types, Instances, Mapping

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OPC UA and Security
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General
• OPC UA security actions are based on the following IT standards:
• Encryption
• Signing
• Authentication via certificate and user accounts
• Note:
Security mechanisms have a negative effect on performance, especially when
establishing a connection. While operating, performance is reduced by approx.
10%.
User Accounts
• The configuration of user accounts is analogue to the web server.
• The configurationis mostly self-explanatory
Certificates
• The management of the certificatesmust be coordinated in detail with the
IT department of the user / customer.
• In many cases, certificatesare managed centrally by the IT department,
which increases the consulting effort massively.
• Consulting intensive example:
Integrationinto existing IT infrastructurewith certificategeneration by
Microsoft Active Directory
AD Server

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Editable name of event
OPC UA Safety……….
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OPC UA – Advantages for interoperability in
future-oriented machines and plants
Top-Highlights
© 2017
Feature / Function Customer Value
Manufacturer and platform
independent
>
One solution for Controllers, HMI, PC
or Smart Devices
Integrated security concept
(encryption & signing, user
authentication)
>
Secure communication integrated in
the protocol without additional
hardware
Companion specifications and
information modeling
>
Simplified machine integration with
international standards and user-
friendly support
Symbolic access and semantic
services
Subscriptions
Methods
Alarms & Conditions
>
Simple interpretation and access to
data with type validation
Minimization of network load
Consistent data transmission
Unrestricted parallel operation on
convergent network
>
Simple networking based on Standard
Ethernet.
Usage of the existing PROFINET
infrastructure together with OPC UA

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OPC UA and Profinet – Thanks for your attention
© 2017
Working
Together