Introduction > About Advanced OPC Data Logger

OPC technologies

OPC (OLE for Process Control) is a set of universally accepted specifications providing a universal data exchange mechanism in control and management systems. The OPC technology ensures that consumers are independent of the availability of unavailability of drivers or protocols, which makes it possible to choose hardware and software that most completely meets business requirements.

There are two components defined for data exchange in the OPC specification - an OPC client and an OPC server.

An OPC server is a program receiving data in the internal format of a device or a system and converting this data into the OPC format. An OPC server is a source of data for OPC clients.

An OPC client is a program receiving data in the OPC format from OPC servers and converting it into the internal format of a device or a system.

An OPC client interacts with an OPC server using interfaces strictly defined in the specification, which allows any OPC client interact with any OPC server. An OPC server created once allows the device to be connected to a wide range of software (SCADA systems, HMI, etc.) supporting the OPC specification.

The following specifications are currently the most widespread ones:

•OPC Data Access (OPC DA) is the most widespread OPC specification providing real-time data exchange. This module works only with this OPC interface;

•OPC Alarms and Events is a specification allowing you to log process failures, the operator's actions, informational messages;

•OPC Historical Data Access (OPC HDA) provides access to historical data. It is possible to use this specification to represent archived data in a universal format, both in simple visualization systems and in complex SCADA systems.

The program is designed to send/receive data between an OPC server and the program. Data exchange is carried out by server groups and their items specified in the configuration. After data is received, it is processed and grouped depending on the specified configuration and is sent for future processing and export.

Advanced OPC Data Logger custom processes the data to your needs, aggregates and writes real-time data to a text or binary file, MSSQL, MySQL, Access, Oracle or ODBC compatible database, DDE, Excel or to other targets.

What problems can be solved with Advanced OPC Data Logger?

The program creates "a bridge" between OPC servers and databases, Excel and other applications. Our OPC Data Logger is a advanced data collection system that will connect to any industry standard OPC Server and export data as you want. The program can be integrated to your control system and/or work together with your SCADA software.

Key features of Advanced OPC Data Logger are:

•Capability to log data from multiple OPC servers at the same time. Our data logger can collect data from multiple OPC servers simultaneously. Each OPC server may have fully different connection and data export settings;

•Universal. Supports DA1, DA2 OPC interfaces. Automatic tag import capabilities;

•Fast & . Fast multi-threaded, optimized and efficient architecture;

•Variable data receive. Support all data types of OPC servers tags;

•Recovery functions. The program can automatically restore broken connections with an OPC server;

•No limits. The program doesn't have OPC server connection limits or tag limits;

•Extended logging features. Outputs received data a comma separated (CSV) log file. Supports date/time stamping;

•Visualization. The program allows you to display all received data in the program window. You can customize data view options;

•Data filters. Allow you filter, format, aggregate your data. You may define simple rules or use powerful regular expressions;

•MS Excel. Data export to ready-to-use MS Excel files;

•Databases support. Exporting data to MSSQL, MySQL, ODBC-compatible database (MS SQL, Oracle, MS Access, dBase and others);

•Real-time export capabilities. Advanced OPC Data Logger can run as a DDE server export OPC data to old applications;

•Program messages logging Writing to a file all program messages, so you may diagnose errors and warnings;

•Plug-ins. Many free plug-in modules that are extending program features;

•Simple, dialog-driven step by step set-up Programming is not required to configure the software to collect data;

•It supports various operating systems. The logger runs on all versions starting from Windows 2000, including 32 and 64-bit systems.

•Windows service mode. Unlike most other serial logging applications, Advanced OPC Data Logger can run as a service so that it starts as soon as the operating system starts and doesn't require a user to log in and run it. It will continue to run even as a user logon and logoff the workstation.

It is extremely easy to use! The configuration process is fully menu-driven and has complete, context-sensitive, online help. You can easily customize all input to your exact specifications. Once you see how easy it is to use Advanced OPC Data Logger, you will never again take data readings by hand!

Company home page: http://www.aggsoft.com/

Software home page: http://www.aggsoft.com/opc-data-logger.htm