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OPC

OPC

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What is OPC?

OPC (originally OLE for Process Control) is a standard for industrial automation that allows different devices and control systems from various vendors to communicate with each other. It is commonly used to exchange data between sensors, controllers, HMIs, and other industrial equipment, providing interoperability and reducing reliance on proprietary communication protocols. Modern OPC is based on OPC UA (Unified Architecture), which offers platform independence, enhanced security, and more sophisticated data modeling capabilities.

What other technologies are related to OPC?

OPC Competitor Technologies

A serial communication protocol, often used for industrial automation. It provides similar data access capabilities but lacks the standardization and features of OPC.
mentioned alongside OPC in 14% (6.6k) of relevant job posts
A set of communications protocols used between various types of components in process automation systems. Similar to Modbus, it competes in certain applications where data acquisition is needed.
mentioned alongside OPC in 24% (1.5k) of relevant job posts
A standard for fieldbus communication in automation technology. Like Modbus and DNP3, it offers an alternative to OPC for device-level communication.
mentioned alongside OPC in 8% (1.9k) of relevant job posts
A standard for communication networks and systems in substations. It provides data models and communication services that overlap with OPC, particularly OPC UA.
mentioned alongside OPC in 14% (804) of relevant job posts
A communication protocol for building automation and control networks. It competes with OPC in the building automation space for data exchange.
mentioned alongside OPC in 8% (1.4k) of relevant job posts
An industrial networking protocol. It offers similar functionalities as OPC for device communication.
mentioned alongside OPC in 8% (1.3k) of relevant job posts
A field communication protocol. It offers similar functionalities as OPC for device communication.
mentioned alongside OPC in 16% (584) of relevant job posts
A field communication protocol. It offers similar functionalities as OPC for device communication.
mentioned alongside OPC in 25% (334) of relevant job posts

OPC Complementary Technologies

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems can utilize OPC to integrate data from various sources, making SCADA a consumer of OPC data.
mentioned alongside OPC in 3% (4.2k) of relevant job posts
Ignition often uses OPC to connect to various data sources, making it a complement to OPC.
mentioned alongside OPC in 99% (79) of relevant job posts
Historians often consume data from OPC servers to store and analyze process data.
mentioned alongside OPC in 100% (76) of relevant job posts

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