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OPC UA stands for “Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture” and is a standardized communication standard between machines (M2M) or between machines and higher-level systems. The open interface standard is independent of the machine or application manufacturer and is one of the most important communication standards for Industry 4.0 and the IoT.

Lab automation & unit management OPC UA Interface view 1
The major advantage over other, usually proprietary, protocols is that the communication interface not only provides data, but also makes it self-explanatory. This is because the OPC server not only sends the value of the data, but also an explanatory description. This allows data to be interpreted automatically. An example from data relevant to temperature control technology: In addition to the value of the current setpoint temperature (“-20”) including a brief description (“Setpoint”), the unit (“°C”) as well as the adjustable limit values (“-50, +300”) and the data type (float) are transmitted via OPC UA interface.
Another major advantage is the integrated security mechanisms. These include authentication, authorization and encryption of the data. Among other things, this prevents the data from being intercepted or manipulated.
OPC UA communicates via the Ethernet interface and can communicate via an existing network or via a direct point-to-point connection.

In order to speak a common “language,” so-called “companion specifications” are constantly being developed and published for a wide variety of unit types. This means that the data to be exchanged in an industry (e.g. laboratory devices) is standardized and all information is thus made available in the same form across all units and manufacturers. The specifications are developed in cooperation between the OPC Foundation, various professional associations (e.g. SPECTARIS for optics, photonics, analysis and medical technology) and machine manufacturers.
Upon customer request, JULABO can equip any refrigerated and heating circulators of the MAGIO series with the OPC UA communication interface.

External URL: https://www.julabo.com/en-gb/products/accessories/software-laboratory-automation/opc-ua-interface-8901120