OPC-OLE for Process Control

A Case Study
April 15th, 2003
Tom Albrecht

tom@hertzler.com

Byron Shetler

byron@hertzler.com

Presentation outline
1. What is OPC?
2. Why is OPC important?
3. Introduction to OPC technology
4. OPC success story:
Data acquisition
Data analysis
Improving business outcomes
5. Questions and answers

What is OPC?

OPC is open connectivity

OPC is a series of standards specifications.

OPC is based on Microsofts OLE technology

OPC foundation and Annual OPC Foundation

meeting - currently has 300 member
companies

Why is OPC important?

A standard for interoperability

Allows the use of software components to

request and utilize plant floor data

There are now hundreds of OPC Data

Access servers and clients

The benefits of OPC

Eliminate the costly development of

proprietary drivers

Speed up setup time for acquiring data from

automation equipment

Allows the use of software components to

communicate with the plant floor

Process owners can make critical business

decisions based on knowledge provided by
process data

More benefits of OPC

Taking advantage of OPC interoperability, OPC
solutions today include...

Process alarms, operator actions, informational

messages, and tracking/auditing messages.

Defects can be stored from OPC Server tags for

control charting, pareto, DPU analysis and drill
down

OPC client applications can apply business rules

to tag information and store defects real-time.

Introduction to OPC

Where Does OPC Fit In?

Network hub

OPC Client

Kepware

Iconics
OPC SERVER(S)

Windows Driver
(Allen-Bradley)

Ethernet protocol
3 Co m

Tag 1: Temp.
Tag 2: Pressure

PLC with
Ethernet port

Other Windows
Drivers

Technical Aspects of OPC

OPC clients and servers use COM and

DCOM for program interoperability
An OPC server has to make at least
three entries in the registry:
Program Identifier (ProgID)
ClassID (CLSID)
ApplicationID (AppID)

Program Interoperability Before OPC

PC with
software
package A

PLC
proprietory
software

DCS with
proprietory
software

P WR

WIC0
ACT/CH0

WIC0
ACT/CH0

ETH
ACT

P WR

WIC0
ACT /CH0

WIC0
ACT/ CH0

ETH
ACT

P WR

WIC0
ACT /CH0

WIC0
ACT/ CH0

ETH
ACT

OK

ACT/CH1

ACT/CH1

CO L

OK

ACT/CH1

ACT/CH1

CO L

OK

ACT/CH1

ACT/CH1

CO L

Device A

Device B

Device C

Program Interoperability OPC

Application
software

OPC
Clinet A

OPC
Client B

OPC
Client C

Application
database

OPC
Server A

OPC
Server B

OPC
Server C

Case Study Pollak APD

Introduction to Pollak APD

Case Study

Pollak couldnt rely on the data, they

recognized that there had to be a
better way

Pollak needed a way to automate the

acquisition and analysis of large
quantities of data.
From experience they knew they had
to find an open systems standard

Name: Process system diagram

Aim: Define the process flow and pinpoint variation

Call Status Dashboard

Process
Inputs
Process
Inputs
Process
Inputs

Process
steps

Positive Output

+
Negative output

Aptleadership 2002

Name: Process system diagram

Aim: Define the Process flow and pinpoint variation

Call Status Dashboard

Process events
Downtime

Reduced downtime
Incoming
Materials

Process
data

Product
information

Lab
IS

QC
IS

Defects
PLC

Cycle time
Process trends

PLC

PLC

+
PLC

OPC Server
OPC client

Application
Database

Aptleadership 2002

Process control application

SPC

Dashboard

Results

Pollak APD states "We have to be

that much better than our
competition to enable us to continue
to manufacture in this highly paid
labor market."

By analyzing downtime they were

able to boost OEE from 65% to 75%,
representing more than $130K
increase in throughput.

How OPC Data is Acquired

Data Acquisition Introduction

Ability to apply logic

Store measurement and defect

data, notes,
events, etc.

Real-time feedback

Data Acquisition Options

Option 1: Use high-level commands
to write
data collection programs in hours

Option 2: Write low-level custom

code (pick
your flavor: C++, etc.) that takes
months to
complete and is difficult to update

Lets take a look at option 1

Data Acquisition-Initialize
Server
OPC_Connect
Server_Number,
OPC_Prog_or_CLS_ID,
Server_IP_or_Name
Example:
OPC_Connect 1,

KEPware.KEPServerEx
.V4, Csd-sql-srv

Data Acquisition- Initialize

Item Names
OPC_Init
Server_Numbe
r,
Channel_Numb
er,
Item_Name,
Asynchronou
s
Example:
OPC_Init 1, 1,
N73:DataRea
dy, Y
Example:
OPC_Init 1, 2,
N73:Pressure

Data Acquisition - Item

Browser

Data Acquisition - Start

Collection
OPC_ReceiveValue Server_Number,
Channel_Number
Example: OPC_ReceiveValue 1, 1
Use Receive (asynchronous) to reduce
network traffic
Code:
While OPC_ReceiveValue 1, 1 = 0
Loop
Go_Get_Data

Data Acquisition - Start

Collection II
OPC_TriggerValue Server_Number,
Channel_Number
Example: OPC_TriggerValue 1, 2
Code:
Pressure = OPC_TriggerValue 1, 2
Temperature = OPC_TriggerValue 1, 3

Data Acquisition - Data

Quality
OPC_TriggerQuality Server_Number,
Channel_Number
Example: OPC_TriggerQuality 1, 2
Check data validity (192 = Good)
Code:
If OPC_TriggerQuality 1, 2 = 192 Then
Pressure = OPC_TriggerValue 1, 2
Else
Message OPC Data Problems: +

Data Acquisition - Misc.

OPC_ WriteValue Server_Number,
Channel_Number, Value
Value can be a number or text

OPC_Debug State
Turn on/off a status window that helps you
monitor all of the OPC activity and debug the
OPC connections

Data Acquisition Disconnect

OPC_Disconnect Server_Number
Example: OPC_Disconnect 1

Data Acquisition
Data Storage
Use built-in functionality and high-level
commands to store measurements and defect
information
Commands include the ability to save data,
look up defects from the master list, connect
to any data source, and query any table

Data Acquisition
Real-Time Feedback
Use built-in functionality and high-level
commands to check many categories of realtime failures
Output notifications to screen, printer,
email, file, any database, pager, flashing
lights, etc.
Closed-loop feedback is simple to
implement via DDE, RS-232, TCP/IP, or OPC

OPC Success Story Data Analysis

OPC data drill down

OPC data drill down - slide 1

Group data by anchor point - slide 2

OPC data groups - stepped control limits - slide 3

Grouped data - Zoom group 2 - slide 4

Group 2 data - slide 5

Group 2

nderstand root cause of common cause variation- slide

OPC data drill down - slide 7

Group by shift

OPC data drill down - slide 8

OPC data drill down - slide 9

Group by employee

OPC data drill down - slide 10

Group by process

OPC-OLE for Process

Control
A Case Study

Purpose:
Vision of how OPC technology
can enhance your quality
system
Insight into OPC technology for
data acquisition
Locate sources of OPC
information

To learn more..
Links:
www.opcfoundation.org
www.hertzler.com and search on OPC
Books:
OPC - Fundamentals, Implementation
and Application, by Frank Iwanitz,
Jrgen Lange
The PowerPoint slides are available at
www.hertzler.com/html/opc_qei_2003.
References
asp

W. Edwards Deming. Out of the Crisis. MIT CAES. 1086. Pp354f

www.opcfoundation.org

Questions?