Connecting to an OPC UA Server

The OPC UA plugin allows you to connect a running OPC UA server.

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  1. Step 1. Add Server
  2. Step 2. Verify Network Connection
  3. Step 3. Activate Connection

Step 1. Add Server

You can manually add a new server connection, import a configuration file or load a layout with a configured server connection. In all cases, the OPC UA plugin implements an OPC UA client, which can then connect to your main OPC UA server.

New Configuration

  • Click the Connectivity tab, and then in the Connectivity Configuration panel, do one of the following:
    • Right-click the OPC UA plugin, and then click Add Server.
    • Click the OPC UA plugin, and then on the Connectivity tab, in the Server group, click Add server.

Import Configuration

  1. On the Connectivity tab, in the Configuration group, click Import.
  2. Import the XML for your server connection.

Load Configuration

  1. Load a layout in the 3D world that has already been configured for a server connection.
  2. Click the Connectivity tab, and then in the Connectivity Configuration panel, verify the connection is listed under the OPC UA plugin.

Step 2. Verify Network Connection

  1. (Optional but recommended) Open the Command Prompt or terminal of your device, and then ping the network addresses of the devices running Visual Components Premium 4.9 and the OPC UA server.
    • In all cases, test the connection addresses provided by your OPC UA server.
  2. Click the Connectivity tab, and then in the Connectivity Configuration panel, under OPC UA, right-click your server connection, and then click Edit Connection.
  1. In the Edit Connection task pane, do all of the following:
    • To define the main OPC UA server address, under Connection, set Server address.
    • To use the best endpoint for secure messaging and encryption, under Connection, select the Use secure endpoint check box. This, of course, depends on the security profile of your devices. A secure connection would require both the client and main OPC UA servers to be configured with valid X.509 certificates and able to accept each other's certificates.
    • To provide login authentication for the server connection, under Authentication, click Username, and then set Username and Password. You can select the Save password check box to insecurely store the password in the configuration file of your connection.
    • To provide certificate authentication for the server connection, under Authentication, click Certificate, and then set User private key file to the URI of your PFX file, and then set Password. You can select the Save password check box to insecurely store the password, not the key file, in the configuration file of your connection.
    • To test the connection, click Test Connection.

Step 3. Activate Connection

If you have successfully added and verified a server connection, you are now ready to activate the connection.

  1. Click the Connectivity tab, and then in the Connectivity Configuration panel, under OPC UA, click your server connection.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • To activate the connection, click the greyed out Power button of that connection, and then in the Properties panel, under Server Capabilities, verify Connected is set to True.
    • To deactivate the connection, click the green-colored Power button of that connection, and then in the Properties panel, under Server Capabilities, verify Connected is set to False.