MX OPC Server
Version 4.10
MX OPC Server
© 2005 Mitsubishi Electric Automation. All rights reserved.
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Specifications in this guide are subject to change without notice.
Document No. UG-MXO-410
Introduction to MX OPC Server
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1.1 Introduction to MX OPC Server
The MX OPC Server 4.10 is a Mitsubishi I/O driver OPC Data Access (DA) and
Alarm/Events (AE) server that provides the interface and communications protocol
between a wide range of Mitsubishi hardware and your process control software.
Mitsubishi drivers incorporate the following attributes to provide flexibility and ease-of-
use:
• OLE Automation technology.
• OLE for Process Control (OPC) compliance.
Mitsubishi drivers incorporate OLE Automation technology and can therefore expose
their features to scripting tools and other applications. Because the drivers are OLE
Automation applications, you can:
• Create and manipulate objects exposed in the I/O Server from another
application.
• Create tools that access and manipulate driver objects.
These tools can include embedded macro languages or external programming tools.
The MX OPC Server consists of the following components:
• MX OPC Configurator
• OPC Layer
• I/O Server
The MX OPC Server complies with version 3.00 of the OLE for Process Control
(OPC) Data Access standard, version 1.01 of the OPC XML Data Access standard,
and version 1.01 of the OPC Alarm and Events standard. Any OPC client application
can access process hardware data through the I/O Server.
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Introduction to MX OPC Server MX OPC Server
1.1.1 What Is OLE for Process Control?
OLE™ for Process Control (OPC) is a standards-based approach for connecting data
sources (e.g., PLCs, controllers, I/O devices, databases, etc.) with HMI client
applications (graphics, trending, alarming, etc.). It enhances the interface between
client and server applications by providing a universally supported and well-
documented mechanism to communicate data from a data source to any client
application. Included are not only a detailed guide on how to pass the data, but also
specific information on other attributes to supplement those data, such as range
information, data type, quality flags, and date and time information. The figure below
shows the OPC Architecture, which was introduced by the OPC Foundation. By
following the OPC Architecture, a device needs only one standard driver, which is an
OPC-compliant server. All OPC-compliant client applications can then be connected
to that device, either locally or over a network. Furthermore, connections can be
made to more than one OPC server at the same time.
OPC-Based Client-Server Architecture
Any OPC client application can connect to any OPC server. In other words, OPC
offers true Plug-and-Play capability in the fields of HMI and industrial automation.
OPC server types include OPC Data Access (DA), OPC Alarm and Events (AE), and
OPC Historical Data Access (HDA).
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MX OPC Server Introduction to MX OPC Server
1.1.2 I/O Server
The I/O Server maintains the driver's communication channels, devices, data blocks,
and data tags, performs all required functions for communicating with the process
hardware, and exposes the methods and properties to other applications. This server
provides a software layer between all client applications and the Mitsubishi ActiveX
Communication support Tool (MXComponent). The MXComponent tool handles all
the low-level communication details by providing a set of interfaces that the I/O
Server uses.
In addition to performance improvements, the MX OPC I/O server provides the
following functionality:
• Supports OLE for Process Control (OPC).
• Automatically creates data blocks.
• Configures custom COM/OLE automation applications.
• Provides local configuration and control.
• Supports telephone modem communication.
• Incorporates secondary poll rates.
• Provides phasing.
• Enables or disables Individual channels, devices, data blocks and tags.
• Provides QuickFail Logic.
• Provides latched data.
• Provides a time/date stamp for data and alarms.
• Supports block writes.
• Supports array element and individual bit reads
• Provides advanced diagnostics.
• MX Component
1.1.3 MX OPC Configurator
The I/O Driver Configurator is a client application to the I/O Server with a graphical
user interface. The MX OPC Configurator accesses the I/O Server and lets you
view and modify properties of communication channels, devices, data blocks and
data tags.
The MX OPC Configurator provides the following:
• The server connection - only local I/O Server.
• The tree control for an overall view of your system configuration.
• A Statistics View for displaying the statistics of your I/O driver while it is
running. Statistics are provided for communication channels, devices, and
data blocks.
• A Configuration View for displaying and modifying device, data block and
tag properties.
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