This driver is a simple driver. It provides additional functionality to enable ClearSCADA to interface with specific supported devices using a particular protocol. To interact successfully with such devices, you need to:
- Install and run the driver
- Ensure that the driver is licensed
- Configure the required database items and settings on the driver
- Ensure that the database items (and any database items on which they depend) have valid, saved, configuration and are 'In Service'.
The OPC standards are a series of standard specifications aimed at allowing inter operability between different SCADA systems. ClearSCADA uses these standards to allow transfer of data between the ClearSCADA server and third-party applications.
The OPC eXtensible Markup Language Data Access (XML-DA) standard is specifically aimed at facilitating the transmission of plant data over the internet (see Which Driver?).
ClearSCADA’s OPC XML-DA Client driver is used to read and/or write to data on XML-DA servers, including ClearSCADA or third-party servers, using the OPC XML-DA protocol. The driver enables ClearSCADA to communicate with servers that comply with OPC XML-DA version 1 or 2. The driver takes into account any security settings, designed to limit access to configuration properties on many OPC servers.
The OPC XML-DA documentation explains how to configure OPC XML-DA specific features and items within the ClearSCADA database (see Configuring OPC XML-DA Devices in ClearSCADA).
It also explains driver-specific aspects that may be of interest to system administrators and engineers when investigating unexpected system behavior (relating to the OPC XML-DA Driver). For more information, see OPC XML-DA Specific Status Display Attributes, and see OPC XML-DA Specific Driver Log File Options.
NOTE: There are no driver-specific pick actions for database items on this particular driver. However, users with the required privileges can add custom pick actions to a database item by using the User Methods tab on the relevant configuration Form (see Using the User Methods Tab to Define Custom Actions in the ClearSCADA Guide to Core Configuration). See a system administrator for the documentation associated with such custom actions (also known as ‘methods’).
Further Information
OPC Foundation Standards: see www.opcfoundation.org