Can anybody provide the details of major OPC server provider present in the market with their pros and cons? Request your help.

 

OPC server kepware

Matrikon OPC Server

 

Yep, pretty much Kepware and Matrikon.

I haven't actually ever used Matrikon on a real project, so I can't say how they are. However, from what I hear, they're the gold standard.

As for Kepware , I always considered them to be perfectly good... right up to about March 2014, when I was using their latest-and-greatest OPC-UA server to talk to a ControlLogix PLC. At which point I discovered that if I add a tag to the ControlLogix online (as opposed to downloading) I had to trigger a refresh on Kepware to see the new tag. This is utterly unacceptable; I am not going drop communication to everything in the plant for 30 seconds or so while Kepware re-establishes communication just so I can add one tag to one PLC. I talked to Kepware tech support about the issue, and they seemed surprised I thought it was an issue.

Also of note, virtually everyone has their own OPC server for their own products. Rockwell/Allen-Bradley has RSLinx, for example. Most SCADA/HMI packages have their own servers they ship with, though often behind the scenes they are using Kepware or Matrikon and they just don't advertise it.

opcfoundation.org has a product list, although of course it won't tell you anything about how good the products are or how wide-spread they are in industry.

-James Ingraham
Sage Automation, Inc.

 

Hello,

> Most SCADA/HMI packages have their own servers
> they ship with, though often behind the scenes they are
> using Kepware or Matrikon and they just don't advertise it.

Normally an OPC server is hand in hand with a protocol driver. Though that is not required, OPC only covers OPC data exchange.

These "Most SCADA/HMI packages" may use a 3rd party OPC server, the SCADA/HMI includes an OPC client, when the SCADA/HMI does not offer native protocol "drivers" to the PLC/external device.

Take PeakHMI for example; It has all native protocol drivers (30+) and publishes all the data for access via OPC. PeakHMI is the OPC server.

PeakHMI also has a built-in OPC client. If a needed protocol driver is not supported, an OPC server/protocol driver product would be a solution to access the data.

Good luck,

Mark
http://www.peakhmi.com/