Advanced OPC Tunnel configuration in Freelance
Hello,
using Freelance 2016, I'd like to connect the OPC server running on the engineering station to a remote client (for a proof-of-concept).
Having read some questions here about the OPC tunnel software shipped with Freelance, I'm getting the impression the tunnel tool only allows making an OPC server available in the LAN.
The underlying software for the ABB OPC tunnel, "Softing OPC Easy Connect", seems to allow more. Using the Advanced Configurator however it seems possible to set the tunnel up for both ends. I'll elaborate after stating my desired setup:
- Engineering station (ES) runs Freelance Engineering, OPC server and OPC tunnel
- Client station (CS) runs third-party OPC client (MATLAB OPC toolbox) and OPC tunnel
- With the right setup, it should be possible for the client on CS to contact the server on ES through the tunnel.
So for my setup I tried the following:
- On the server, use the "New project wizard", selecting
- OPC Tunnel
- Server side
- Port 56765
- Diagnostic port 8090, separator ".", own diag. checked
- Add server connection
- DA server
- Expand "Local", "Data Access" => Nothing happens.
At the last step, I expect the running DA server to show up.
Strangely, if I select "AE server" instead of "DA server", I can find the AE part of the OPC server and finish configuration successfully (connection test works).
But -- setting up the client on the other end fails. Steps I took:
- On the client, use the "New project wizard", selecting
- OPC Tunnel
- Client side
- Diagnostic port 8090, separator ".", own diag. checked
- Add server connection
- Tunnel AE server
- Enter IP address, Port 56765
- No prefix
- "Connection test" says: "please wait ...", "tpae://host.example.com:56765", "connecting ...", "connection failed"
... even though a telnet to the same host/port works. netstat -ao shows the process OCTsvc.exe listening on port 56765 TCP. Wireshark shows that the client transmits a few bytes, and the server closes the connection (RST).
For me the following questions arise:
- Is my setup feasible, or are there any flaws?
- Is the OPC tunnel software "cut" feature-wise so that the configuration I'm trying to employ will never work because it isn't supported?
Looking forward to your suggestions.
Best Regards
Björn Schließmann
Voted best answer
Hello Björn,
the OPC Tunnel installation delivered with Freelance delivers a customized Softing OPC Easy connect software.
The OPC Tunnel in Freelance is only used to connect the OPC Clients in Freelance Operation and Engineering to OPC Servers (our own Trendserver and OPC Gateway and 3rd party OPC servers via the OPC Server object). The OPC Tunnel client side is already bound to Freelance Operation and Engineering. The customization also contains the limiting which clients to connect to.
The Setup of the OPC Tunnel only contains the server side.
Those restrictions prevent you from using it in the way you intend to do it.
You may try to use the standard Softing Easy OPC Connect product instead to connect to the MATLAB OPC Toolbox. Instead of installing the OPC Tunnel delivered with Freelance install the Softing standard product.
Another way (without the OPC Tunnel) would be to install the Freelance OPC Gateway on the MATLAB PC.
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