Interview Question : What is OPC? Basic concept of OPC (OLE for process control )

What is OPC (OLE for Process control )?

OPC is an industry standard created in collaboration of a number of worldwide leading automation hardware and software manufacturing in cooperation with Microsoft.The standard creates common interface for communication between various devices controlling technological process. The objective is to prevent the given monitoring or control software from being dependent on the hardware manufacturer .OPC is based on OLE/DCOM/COM technology of Microsoft. OPC server gets data from data source and communicate data to any client application .There is no need for knowledge of internal structure and communication protocols

An OPC server and OPC client can reside on same on the same computed or on different computer.

Advantages of OPC

Hardware manufactures only have to use one set of software component for all customers to utilize in their application

Software developers will not have to rewrite drivers because of features changes or addition in a new hardware release

Customers have freedom of choice between manufactures of various components

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