OPC Toolbox 2.1.4

Using the Hierarchical OPC Data Access Object

When used in MATLAB, the toolbox employs an intuitive, hierarchical object structure to help you manage connections to OPC servers and collections of server items, or tags. You create an OPC Data Access Client object to connect to an OPC server. This connection lets you browse the server namespace and retrieve properties of each item stored on the server. You create Data Access Group objects to control sets of Data Access Item objects, which represent server items. The toolbox lets you configure and control all client, group, and item objects by modifying their properties.

OPCTool enables easy browsing of server namespace, configuring of objects, and reading and writing of OPC data. It also lets you log OPC data into MATLAB for analysis and plotting. Click on image to see enlarged view.

In Simulink, the toolbox uses a configuration block to specify the OPC clients to use in the model, define the behavior for OPC errors and events, and set the real-time behavior.  During simulation, the model executes in pseudo real-time, matching the system clock as closely as possible by automatically slowing the simulation.  You can use the configuration block to define the toolbox’s behavior should the simulation run more slowly than the system clock.

The OPC Configuration Block for Simulink lets you specify and configure settings for your OPC clients in your Simulink model. Click on image to see enlarged view.