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OPC Driver
OPC (OLE for Process Control) is the utilization of OLE/COM technology for process-control systems. The specifications needed for this are laid down by the OPC Foundation.
OPC Client
This chapter explains the most important terms and presents the steps involved in starting a functioning OPC communication. The individual points will be dealt with in more detail in the subsequent chapters.
Internal datapoints for OPC

Drivers
- Supported Platforms of the main Drivers
- Driver Characteristics
  The driver characteristics overview tables.
- Driver Specific Functions
- BACnet Driver
  BACnet (Building Automation and Control Networks) is a normed protocol for building automation and was designed by ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) in order to provide a consistent and intraoperative standard for data communication in and with systems of building automation.
- DNP3 Driver
  The WinCC OA DNP3(Distributed Network Protocol 3) driver uses an open, robust and modern protocol, which has similar characteristics and strong points like the IEC Driver. The transmission of any number of telegrams with different data types occurs between the WinCC OA system (master) and the outstation (slave).
- Ethernet/IP Driver
  Ethernet/IP is used to communicate with multiple generations and families of Rockwell Automation / Allen Bradley PLCs. It is an application layer protocol, layered on top of standard TCP/IP networking.
- IEC 60870-5 Driver
  IEC drivers are standardized remote control drivers that can contain proprietary telegrams.
- IEC 61850 Driver
  IEC 61850 defines an architecture for meeting the needs of electrical substation automation.
- Modbus/TCP
- MQTT
  MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) is a messaging protocol which works on top of the TCP/IP protocol and is meant for communication in networks with limited bandwidth.
- MQTT Publisher
  The MQTT publisher provides a northbound data interface for MQTT clients to data point values within the WinCC OA project.
- NTCIP Gateway
  NTCIP (National Transportation Communications for ITS Protocol) is a family of open standards for the configuration, control and monitoring of traffic control equipment (e.g. traffic lights, dynamic message signs, vehicle counting).
- OPC Alarms & Events
  OPC Alarms & Events (brief OPC A&E) is in addition to the Data Access another standard in order to implement a central alert management manufacturer spanning. OPC A&E is used to guarantee the coupling with other control systems as well as to display alerts and events in a hierarchical system
- OPC HDA
- OPC HDA Server
  The WinCC OA OPC Historical Data Access (HDA) Server is used for the exchanging of archived process data of the WinCC OA project.
- OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA)
  OPC Unified Architecture (in short OPC UA) is the most recent OPC specification from the OPC Foundation and differs significantly from its predecessors (DA, A&E, HDA). OPC UA forms a new standard, which is completely based on a service-oriented architecture.
- OPC Driver
  OPC (OLE for Process Control) is the utilization of OLE/COM technology for process-control systems. The specifications needed for this are laid down by the OPC Foundation.
  - OPC Client
    This chapter explains the most important terms and presents the steps involved in starting a functioning OPC communication. The individual points will be dealt with in more detail in the subsequent chapters.
    - OPC Client
      This chapter explains the most important terms and presents the steps involved in starting a functioning OPC communication. The individual points will be dealt with in more detail in the subsequent chapters.
    - OPC under WinCC OA
    - OPC server
    - OPC group
    - OPC item
    - Reserved characters
    - Initial Setup of OPC Communication
    - OPC Server Configuration
    - Internal datapoints for OPC
      - _OPCServer (OPC client)
      - _OPCGroup (OPC client)
    - OPC error messages
  - OPC Server
    The OPC Server enables the communication with OPC clients.
- RK512 Driver
  The WinCC OA driver RK512 is used for interfacing a programmable logic controller using the 3964R/RK512 protocol.
- S7 Driver
  The WinCC OA S7 driver is a native driver for connection to the periphery with Siemens S7 PLCs.
- S7Plus Driver
  The WinCC OA S7Plus driver uses the Siemens communication library IOMS and is meant for the communication with Siemens S7 PLCs.
- S-Bus Driver
  The WinCC OA S-Bus driver is used for the connection from SAIA PCD control devices to WinCC OA projects.
- Simulator Driver
  The WinCC OA simulator assumes the tasks of a driver without being connected to actual peripherals. This means it simulates the periphery and is able to generate values "spontaneously". It does this by passing data to the Event Manager that this manager would receive from system components during normal operation of a system. The control system functions can be tested after configuration.
- SINAUT Driver
  SINAUT (SIemens Network AUTomation) is a communication protocol for automatic monitoring and controlling of remote process stations on basis of SIMATIC S7 developed by Siemens.
- SNMP
  SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is a protocol for monitoring network devices (servers, workstations, routers, switches and hubs etc.) and their functions. It allows you to administer your network.
- SSI Driver
  The WinCC OA SSI driver is used for interfacing SAT remote systems.
- TLS Gateway
  The WinCC OA TLS gateway (Technical Delivery Terms for Route Stations) is a standard for using and establishing traffic control systems on roads.

Internal datapoints for OPC

Many of the OPC server's properties can be controlled by internal datapoints. Like every driver, the OPC client also uses an internal datapoint of type _DriverCommon. In addition to this datapoint, OPC-specific datapoints must also be used for displaying and amending properties of the OPC server and OPC groups. A datapoint of type _OPCServer must be present for each server used, and a datapoint of type _OPCGroup for each group used. The datapoints for the OPC server must be created before the OPC driver is started; the datapoints for the OPC groups can also be created during operation, and also be deleted again during operation. However, a group datapoint must be created before use in a peripheral address.