SUBNET SOLUTIONS INC.

OPC SERVER V2.12

PROFILE DOCUMENT

12/11/13

[Document Title] 1
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DOCUMENT VERSION CONTROL

Version Date Change record

2.1 June 16,2010
2.1 July 8, 2010 Added explanation of how OPC quality codes are set.
2.1 July 15, 2010 Removed OPC/DCOM Troubleshooting section.
2.2 November 5, 2010
Digital Items: Added Pass-through options popup window, to allow the specification of
2.2 November 18, 2010 additional information required for Control Pass-through.
Added Number of Events Allowed.
2.2 December 6, 2010 Add pass through options for both On True and On False.
2.2 January 24, 2011
2.3 March 2011
2.4 November 2011
2.5 April 09, 2012
2.6 June 15, 2012 Version number and date changed to line up with product package version
2.7 September 17, 2012 Version number and date changed to line up with product package version
2.8 October 17, 2012 Version number and date changed to line up with product package version
2.9 April 2, 2013 Version number and date changed to line up with product package version
2.10 July 10, 2013 Version number and date changed to line up with product package version
2.11 Sep 05, 2013 Version number and date changed to line up with product package version.
2.12 Nov 12, 2013 Version number and date changed to line up with product package version.
IMPLEMENTATION

The SubSTATION Server OPC Server is designed to provide OPC Clients read access to the data in SubSTATION
Server. It also allows OPC Clients to store data and to trigger controls inside SubSTATION Server.

The OPC Server supports the OPC Custom Data Access 1.0a, Data Access 2.05A, and Data Access 3.0 standards.

SUPPORTED INTERFACE

Specification Version Supported

OPC Alarms & Events
The OPC Alarms and Events Custom Interface Specification 1.1 No
OPC Batch
The OPC Batch Custom Interface Specification 1.0 No
The OPC Batch Custom Interface Specification 2.0 No
The OPC Batch Automation Interface Specification 1.0 No
OPC Data Access
The OPC Data Access Automation Interface Specification 2.02 No
The OPC Data Access Custom Interface Specification 3.0 Yes
The OPC Data Access Custom Interface Specification 2.05A Yes
The OPC Data Access Custom Interface Specification 1.0a Yes
OPC Complex Data
OPC Complex Data Specification 1.00 No
OPC Historical Data Access (HDA)
The OPC Historical Data Access Automation Interface Specification 1.0 No
The OPC Historical Data Access Custom Interface Specification 1.2 No
OPC Security
The OPC Security Custom Interface Specification 1.0 No
OPC XML-DA
OPC XML-DA Specification 1.01 No

PASS-THROUGH CONTROLS

The Control Pass-through feature allows incoming control commands to be passed directly through Master
reference points to a downstream device. These Master points can be referenced in various Master protocols. A
popup Pass-through options window allows the selection of any control command parameters that cannot be
derived from the incoming control command. More information on this topic can be found in the SubSTATION
Server 2 Installation and User Guide document.

OPC Server v2.12 - Profile Document 1

CONFIGURABLE OPTIONS

SubSTATION Server protocol drivers are designed to support a hierarchical configuration. The hierarchy for OPC
Server configurations is:

OPC Server
Points

COMMON PROPERTIES

All SubSTATION Server objects support storing a user-specified name and description. Each object records the
date and time that the object was created, and the date and time of the last user modification to the object.

DNP3 Slave Protocol Properties

Object Parameter Description Configurable Limits
Start/Stop Starts or stops the protocol driver.
OPC Server
Start this protocol Specifies whether to start the OPC Server service Checkbox
automatically when automatically when the computer is started.
system starts up

Event Log Table A time-stamped log of all messages generated by the Read-only
protocol driver.

ProgID: The ProgID for the SubSTATION Server OPC Server is SSNET.OPC.1

 By default, the OPC Server is installed to run using the LOCALSYSTEM account. The LOCALSYSTEM account
is a built-in internal account inside a Windows computer. This account has no network privileges. This
means that the OPC Server, as it is installed by default, will be unable to properly receive connections
from remote OPC Clients because it does not have permission to make network function calls back to the
client.

To configure the OPC Server to permit connections from OPC Clients on remote computers, a user needs
to go to the Services management console, select the SubSTATION Server OPC Server, and configure the
“Log On” settings to use an account that is allowed to access the network and is also allowed to access the
remote computer.

 SubSTATION Server contains an installation package which will install the SubSTATION Server OPC Server
registry keys on a client computer. This allows a user to setup a client computer without having to install
the full SubSTATION Server package. The installation setup is located at:

\Program Files\SUBNET Solutions Inc\Substation Server\OPCS Registry Key Install

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 Points Properties (Analog Items)
Object Parameter Description Configurable Limits
Analog Item Reference Specifies the Master point from which this point’s
value and quality flags will be obtained.
Note: All similar-type Master points can be used as
source Reference points.

Item ID Specifies a string that OPC Clients will use to identify

this particular point in the SS.NET OPC Server. This
string must be unique among all points configured in
the SS.NET OPC Server.

Variant Type Specifies the VARIANT type that will be used to Dropdown list:
report the data point. This type dictates the VT_I1,
maximum positive and negative values which can be VTI2,
reported by the point. VTI4,
VT_I8,
VT_UI1,
VT_UI2,
VT_UI4,
VT_UI8,
VT_R4,
VT_R8,
VT_CY,
VT_DECIMAL

Number of events Specifies the maximum number of events stored for 0 to 1000
allowed this point, before the oldest event is overwritten.

Analog Action Specifies the Action to be initiated when a control Dropdown list:
request is received for this point. <no reference>,
valid Actions…

Scaling Specifies the scaling that will be applied to the None,

point’s value before it is reported. Full-Scale to Full-Scale,
Note: Equation allows the creation of custom scaling Equation
equations.

OPC Server v2.12 - Profile Document 3

Points Properties (Analog Master Items)
Object Parameter Description Configurable Limits
Analog Master Item ID Specifies a string that OPC Clients will use to identify
Item this particular point in the SS.NET OPC Server. This
string must be unique among all points configured in
the SS.NET OPC Server.

Variant Type Specifies the VARIANT type that will be used to Dropdown list:
report this data point. This type dictates the VT_I1,
maximum positive and negative values which can be VTI2,
reported for the point. VTI4,
VT_I8,
VT_UI1,
VT_UI2,
VT_UI4,
VT_UI8,
VT_R4,
VT_R8,
VT_CY,
VT_DECIMAL

Number of events Specifies the maximum number of events stored for 0 to 1000
allowed this point, before the oldest event is overwritten.

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 Points Properties (Digital Items)
Object Parameter Description Configurable Limits
Digital Item Reference Specifies the Master point from which this point’s
value and quality flags will be obtained.
Note: All similar-type Master points can be used as
source Reference points.

Item ID Specifies a string that OPC Clients will use to identify

this particular point in the SS.NET OPC Server. This
string must be unique among all points configured in
the SS.NET OPC Server.

Variant Type Specifies the VARIANT type (VT_BOOL) that will be Read-only
used to report the data point.

On True Specifies the Action to be initiated when a FALSE Dropdown list:

value is written to this point. <no reference>,
Note: If <no reference> is selected, the parameters valid Actions…
specified in the Pass-through options, will be used to
initiate a control for the Master Reference point
(Control Pass Through).

On True Pass- Specifies the additional parameters required to Popup window:

through options complete the Control Pass Through command for the Control Type,
Master Reference point. Control Code,
Note: Only those parameters that cannot be derived Trip/Close,
from the incoming control command will be active in Set/Clear,
the popup window; all parameters that can be On Time,
derived from the incoming control command will be Off Time,
inactive (greyed-out). Count,
Clear

On False Specifies the Action to be initiated when a FALSE Dropdown list:

value is written to this point. <no reference>,
Note: If <no reference> is selected, the parameters valid Actions…
specified in the Pass-through options, will be used to
initiate a control for the Master Reference point
(Control Pass Through).

On False Pass- Specifies the additional parameters required to Popup window:

through options complete the Control Pass Through command for the Control Type,
Master Reference point. Control Code,
Note: Only those parameters that cannot be derived Trip/Close,
from the incoming control command will be active in Set/Clear,
the popup window; all parameters that can be On Time,
derived from the incoming control command will be Off Time,
inactive (greyed-out). Count,
Clear

Scaling Specifies the scaling that will be applied to the Y = X,

point’s value before it is reported. Y = !X
Note: Inversion of a point’s status is achieved by
using the equation Y=!X.

OPC Server v2.12 - Profile Document 5

Points Properties (Digital Master Items)
Object Parameter Description Configurable Limits
Digital Master Item ID Specifies a string that OPC Clients will use to identify
Item this particular point in the SS.NET OPC Server. This
string must be unique among all points configured in
the SS.NET OPC Server.

Variant Type Specifies the VARIANT type (VT_BOOL) that will be Read-only
used to report this data point.

Number of events Specifies the maximum number of events stored for 0 to 1000
allowed this point, before the oldest event is overwritten.

Points Properties (String Items)

Object Parameter Description Configurable Limits
String Item Item ID Specifies a string that OPC Clients will use to identify
this particular point in the SS.NET OPC Server. This
string must be unique among all points configured in
the SS.NET OPC Server.

Variant Type Specifies the VARIANT type (VT_BSTR) that will be Read-only
used to report this data point.

Number of events Specifies the maximum number of events stored for 0 to 1000
allowed this point, before the oldest event is overwritten.

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NOTES ON WRITING DATA TO THE OPC SERVER

OPC Clients can store data in the SubSTATION Server database through the OPC Server by using the Analog Master
Item and the Digital Master Item.

NOTES ON TRIGGERING CONTROLS BY WRITING DATA TO THE OPC SERVER

The primary purpose of Analog Items and Digital Items is to map data from other protocols to the OPC Server so
that OPC Clients can read it. These points have a secondary function which is to allow an OPC Client to trigger
controls by writing data to these points.

Data written to an Analog Item is converted to VT_R8 and used to trigger the mapped Analog action. Data written
to a Digital Item is converted to VT_BOOL and then used to trigger either the TRUE or FALSE action.

NOTES ON QUEUING OF DIGITAL EVENTS

The OPC Server will queue events for Digital Input points and report them to connected OPC Clients through
asynchronous I/O. If synchronous I/O is used to connect to OPC Server, the events are cleared to prevent memory
usage increasing.

NOTES ON QUALITY CONVERSION

Since the definition of SSNET quality bits does not exactly match the definition of OPC quality codes, there must be
some conversion of the SSNET quality of a reference point to an OPC quality code. Below is a table of how quality is
converted.

SSNET Quality OPC Quality code

Locally forced Good, Local override (0x000000d8)
Comm. Lost Bad, Communication failure (0x00000018)
Restart Uncertain, Non-specific (0x00000040)
Online Good, Non-specific (0x000000c0)
Offline Bad, Non-specific (0x00000000)
All other quality bits Undefined

OPC Server v2.12 - Profile Document 7

APPENDIX A - SYNCHRONOUS & ASYNCHRONOUS DATA ACCESS SUPPORT

The following is a simplified description of the connections involved in Synchronous and Asynchronous Data
Exchange.

SYNCHRONOUS DATA EXC HANGE

The SubSTATION Server OPC Server supports the OPC Data Access 2.0 Synchronous Data Exchange. When making a
synchronous read, the OPC Client makes a DCOM connection to the SubSTATION Server OPC Server. In order for
this DCOM connection to be successful, the OPC Client process must be running under a user account that has
permission to access the SubSTATION Server OPC Server process. A user will typically use DCOMCNFG on the
SubSTATION Server OPC Server computer to specify DCOM access permissions for the SubSTATION Server OPC
Server process.

Request initiated
by OPC Client
Computer SubSTATION Server Computer
(eg. Laptop) 3rd Party OPC Client OPC Server (eg. SEL-3332)
(subopcserver.exe)

For additional help using the DCOMCNFG utility, please refer to the OPC Troubleshooting Section in your
SubSTATION Server Reference Guide, or consult with your Windows network administrator.

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ASYNCHRONOUS DATA EXCHANGE

The SubSTATION Server OPC Server also supports OPC Data Access 2.0 Asynchronous Data Exchange. When
performing an asynchronous read, the OPC Client makes a DCOM connection to the SubSTATION Server OPC
Server. Some period of time later when the SubSTATION Server OPC Server has the requested data available, it
will make a DCOM connection back to the OPC Client to deliver the data.

In order for Asynchronous Data Exchange to work, the OPC Client process must be running under a user account
that has permission to make a DCOM connection to the SubSTATION Server OPC Server process. In addition, the
SubSTATION Server OPC Server must be configured to run under a user account that has permission to make a
DCOM connection back to the OPC Client. Users will typically use DCOMCNFG on both the OPC Server and OPC
Client computers to configure DCOM access permissions and to setup the SubSTATION Server OPC Server service
to run under a user account with network permissions.

Read request
initiated by OPC
Client

Computer SubSTATION Server Computer

(eg. Laptop) 3rd Party OPC Client OPC Server (eg. SEL-3332)
(subopcserver.exe)

OPC Server
connects back to
OPC Client with
data

For additional help using the DCOMCNFG utility, please refer to the OPC Troubleshooting Section in your
SubSTATION Server Reference Guide, or consult with your Windows network administrator.

OPC Server v2.12 - Profile Document 9

TROUBLESHOOTING OPC SERVER V2.12

This table contains a list of errors that are unique to the OPC Server v2.12service. If the error is reported as coming
from subopcserver, it is generated by the OPC Server v2.12service. Common errors are listed in the General and
Executive Troubleshooting document.

TROUBLESHOOTING OPC SERVER

ID Type Description Resolution (if required)
1000 Configuration Duplicate ItemID found during Ensure that no two OPC items have the same ItemIDs.
Error construction of the address
space: itemID
1001 Status OPC Server Service is not To obtain a license for this module, e-mail
Message licensed to run licensing@subnet.com.

1002 Configuration Empty ItemID is not allowed Ensure that all OPC Server items have ItemIDs.
Error for OPC Server Service

OPC Server v2.12 - Profile Document 11