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Web Studio OPC UA Client Configuration

Indusoft Web Studio

Web Studio can be run on any of Maple Systems Industrial Panel PCs. If you are new to Web Studio, you can download the development software here:

Download Link

Web Studio will run as a full unlocked version for 40 hours before it must be licensed. You can find a number of videos and documents on the Indusoft website on how to set up OPC UA clients and servers:

http://www.indusoft.com/Marketing/Article/PID/684/CategoryID/127/CategoryName/OPC

This overview will walk you through creating a simple Web Studio test project to act as an OPC UA client and connect to the cMT project created in EasyBuilder Pro as described above.

Web Studio Project Set Up

Before setting up the Web Studio project, the EasyBuilder Pro project must be downloaded to a running cMT device. The cMT unit must be accessible on the same Local Area Network (LAN) as the machine running the Web Studio development tools to ensure that the tags created on the cMT device can be discovered by the Web Studio application.

How to set up the Web Studio project

Follow these steps to set up your project in Web Studio.

Instructions: How to set up the Web Studio project
  1. Create new Web Studio Project

    Create a new Web Studio project and click OK
    New Web Studio Project. We have named our project "OPC_UA_Client_Example"
  2. Configure OPC UA Client

    To configure the OPC UA client click the communication tab at the bottom of the project explorer window:
    COMM Tab at the bottom of the Project Explorer Window. Click this to configure the OPC UA Client
  3. Insert New Connection

    Expand the OPC UA folder in the project tree and right click the Connections folder to insert a new connection
    Right-click the Connections folder and insert New Connection
  4. Enter Connection Details

    In the Server Configuration window enter the Connection Name and End point.

    The End point should match the entry under OPC TCP in the OPC UA Server settings window in EasyBuilder Pro with the cMT device’s actual IP address replacing the field:

    Configure the Connection Name and Endpoint in the Server Configuration Window
  5. Configure anonymous access (optional)

    If anonymous access is restricted, a User Name and Password must be entered that matches one of the accounts set up in the security tab of the System Parameter Settings window in EasyBuilder Pro (Edit > System Parameters > Security).

    If anonymous access is unrestricted, make sure that write access is allowed in the OPC Server settings in EasyBuilder Pro.

  6. Test the connection

    Once the End point is entered, the Test Connection button can be used to check the connection to the cMT unit
    Testing the connection to the OPC UA Server. In our case, we used a cMT3151 unit as our OPC UA Server.
  7. Exit the Server Configuration Window

    Click OK to exit the Server Configuration window.
  8. Connection shown in Project Tree

    The cMT connection should now be listed under the Connections folder in the project tree:
    Project Explorer Window, Project Tree shows our cMT3151 OPC UA Server in the Connections subfolder.
  9. Insert OPC UA Client Driver

    Right click the OPC UA folder in the project tree and select Insert from the context menu. This will open an OPC UA client driver sheet:
    Right-Click the OPC UA Folder and select Insert. This opens a driver sheet
  10. Select the cMT unit

    Select the cMT entry from the Connection dropdown list.
  11. Enter a tag to use

    In the Tag Name column of the driver sheet, enter a tag name to use for the first tag. This is the name of the tag in the Web Studio project.
    If no tag with the entered name exists, a popup window will allow a new tag to be created. Make sure the tag’s data type matches the data type of the tag in EasyBuilder Pro.
    Mixer status tag does not exist, we can create this tag now.
    Mixer Status Tag being created. Define the parameters of the tag and then click OK.
  12. Find the Tag in the driver sheet

    Double click the Browse Path column of the driver sheet. A browser window will appear. The tag will be located under the Objects > Local HMI > Tags folder. Any other groups created on the HMI will be available under the Objects folder, as well as tags containing information about the HMI:
    UA Browser dialog, with the newly created Mixer status tag selected.
  13. Select tag and click OK

    Select the desired tag and click OK. The selected path will be added to the driver sheet.
    Repeat this process until all desired tags are added to the driver sheet.
    Driver sheet with 4 tags added. These can now be referenced within the Web Studio Project.
  14. Done!

    Now these tags may be used in the Web Studio project. A simple test screen can be created and run on the OPC UA Client PC to connect to the cMT OPC UA Server.