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Free OPC-UA Server Unlocks Linux's Potential

03/16/2010

By Andrew Bond, Industrial Automation Insider

California web-based SCADA pioneer Inductive Automation has introduced what it claims is the first cross platform OPC-UA server on the market. Known as Ignition OPC-UA, it forms the basis of Ignition by Inductive Automation, the most recent release of its combined HMI, SCADA and MES solution, but can be used either in conjunction with the rest of the platform or on its own. "With the operating system wars moving into high gear and with the recent widespread adoption of OPC-UA by major software vendors, there was really no other choice than to develop a fully cross-platform, OPC-UA-based solution," explained Inductive Automation president Steve Hechtman. "Ignition is the Swiss Army knife of the industrial software business, and represents a major step forward in continuing our mission of opening up plant data across the enterprise."

Inductive Automation was the first company independently to develop its own stack directly from the OPC-UA specification and successfully to test it at a major interoperability workshop. The server provides cross-platform capability for both Windows and Linux, thus making Linux a reality for industrial applications and allowing industrial users to take advantage of its security, stability and cost advantages.

Consolidation

Ignition consolidates the company's previous FactorySQL and FactoryPMI products and offers a wide range of possible architectures from a stand-alone HMI through to large-scale, geographically distributed installations. It also continues the philosophy of open, accessible systems that are unhindered by traditional licensing restrictions with unlimited tags, screens and no-install clients deployed using its Web-Launch technology. In addition, it offers the ability to connect to any number of databases and to open multiple web-launched design clients at no additional cost. Moreover, maintaining the same philosophy, the Ignition OPC-UA server together with a variety of drivers -- and more to come -- plus an open driver API are available to users absolutely free.