Update 2: OPC Xi is now called OPC .NET 3.0.
Original post: In an earlier post, Secure, Firewall Friendly Communications, I described the new OPC Express Interface (Xi) standard. It overcomes some of the inherent issues in securely communicating information between process automation and asset management systems with other applications in a process manufacturing facility.
I asked Emerson’s Lee Neitzel, who was the technical lead for the Xi project, if he would consider doing a slidecast presentation to provide an Xi technical overview of the standard. He agreed, so without further adieu, here is a 15-minute, narrated overview. The presentation is also available for download.
In this presentation, Lee provides a layman’s overview of what OPC Xi is, why it was developed, and how it is a common interface for the OPC Data Access (DA), OPC Alarms & Events (A&E), and OPC Historical Data Access (HDA). He describes the security and performance models.
After this introduction, the presentation gets more specific and provides more detail for software developers. I found Lee’s clear descriptions easy to follow even as a non-software developer.
You can also find out more about the OPC Xi specification and sample code at the Express Interface site.
Update and bump:The OPC Foundation has officially endorsed the Xi interface and it is known as OPC Express Interface or OPC Xi for short. I’ve updated the post to reflect the new name.
