OPC (Openess, Productivity and Collaboration) symbolisiert die leistungsfähige und moderne Verbindung von Automatisierungskomponenten mit Steuerungshardware und Feldgeräten mittels eines standardisierten, herstellerunabhängigen Zugriffsverfahrens. In dem englischsprachigen Buch werden die Entstehung, Zielsetzung und Grundlagen von OPC und OPC UA behandelt, die vorhandenen und entstehenden Spezifikationen vorgestellt, das Vorgehen beim Design und der Implementierung von Komponenten erläutert und die Technologie anhand von Einsatzmöglichkeiten und Anwendungsbeispielen transparent dargestellt sowie ein Blick in die Zukunft von OPC und OPC UA geworfen. OPC stands for Openness, Productivity, and Collaboration, symbolizing the new possibilities opening up in automation technology. The main objective of the new OPC generation Unified Architecture is to facilitate global interoperability and to define an information and data-exchange mechanism that is service oriented, multivendor, and cross-platform capable - from the field device on the shop floor to the ERP system on the factory level. This book includes information on: - the birth, objectives, and fundamentals of OPC and OPC UA, - the technical specifications that currently exist and those that are in preparation, - the procedures for designing and implementing components, - a transparent presentation of the technology through application possibilities and examples, and - the outlook for the future of OPC and OPC UA. Important perspectives and updates in this new edition include - the new era and the exciting application possibilities developing with OPC UA, - the new OPC UA specifications, - the development of OPC products for Windows, Linux, and VxWorks, - companion standards like FDI (EDD, FDT), ADI, or PLCopen (IEC 61131-3), - new interoperability applications with SAP or Beckhoff Server embedded, and - migration strategies from Classic OPC to OPC UA. Fundamentals, implementation, and application of Classic OPC and OPC UA are discussed comprehensively in this book. CD-ROM: The included CD-ROM contains industrial OPC Server and OPC Client tools for evaluation, and also several demonstration programs for development, commissioning, testing, and for the simulation of OPC Clients and Servers. The OPC Toolbox is suitable for Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista, Windows 7, Windows CE, Linux, and VxWorks. Furthermore you will find videos and presentations of OPC UA.