OPC General

OPC Definition

OPC stands for "Openess Productivity and Collaboration" and describes an initiative for standardisation of data exchange in automation.

Beckhoff is a active member of the OPC Foundation. (More information about OPC may be obtained under www.opcfoundation.org )

OPC Interface

Formerly, applications such as operating and monitoring software were forced to use the differing access procedures of each controller manufacturer.
OPC is the specification of a universal software interface that is totally independent of the manufacturer. This opens up the possibility of gaining access in a unified manner to process data from any manufacturer.

OPC Server

An OPC server is a software component that offers a specified OPC interface to other applications.