OPC UA server browser

Owned by Katya Raykova
Last updated: Mar 27, 2024
4 min read

Download the latest version of the OPC UA Data Access and Alarms & Condition server browser:

Senseforce OPC UA Data Access & Alarms and Condition browsers:

The following steps are used to create subscriptions for Data Access. The process for Alarms and Conditions is similar - simply use the Senseforce Alarms and Conditions browser instead of the Senseforce Data Access browser.

  1. Optional: Set username and password for connecting with the OPC UA server. Open the file "Senseforce.DataAccessClient.exe.config" with your XML editor. Change Username and Password in the "userSettings"-Section.

 

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  1. Start Senseforce.DataAccessClient.exe

  2. Discover your server endpoint:

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  1. Enter the hostname where the server is located. Press "Find". Select the endpoint starting with "opc.tcp" and press ok.

  1. Optional: If no server can't be found with the discovery process, you might also enter the server address in the format opc.tcp://servernameOrIp:port to the server browser URL bar (see next step)

  2. After successfully connecting to the server, the server's address space will be displayed on the left.

Troubleshooting: If the connection fails, make sure to check the server's IP address and check, if the certificate of the server browser is trusted by the OPC UA server and the server's certificate is trusted by the OPC UA server browser. See the OPC UA Plugin page for more details on certificate handling.

  1. Select the nodes you want to subscribe to.

Use SHIFT to mark several elements at once.

Use STRG to subsequently select several elements at once.

If you use the SHIFT or STRG key to select several elements at once make sure to keep the key pressed while pressing the right mouse button. Otherwise, the right mouse button will only highlight the element which is directly below the mouse arrow.

  1. Press the right mouse button and select "Monitor" to add the node(s) to your subscription

All subscribed nodes can be seen in the lower section of the tool:

You may press the "Monitor"-button several times to add nodes to already created subscriptions. Right-clicking on one (or more) of the subscribed nodes allows setting the Monitoring Mode, Sampling Interval, and Deadband (-> Hysteresis filter setting) of the subscribed nodes.

  1. If all the nodes are added to the subscription, press "Monitored Items" and "Save..." to persist the subscription.

Set opcuasubscriptions.xml as file name and replace the original configuration file in the SF Edge OPC UA plugin configuration folder.

OPC UA Plugin

How to add monitored items to an existing subscription

If you already have a subscription file it might be cumbersome to create the file from scratch if you only want to add one or two new items.

  1. Connect to the OPC UA server as described above

  2. Click on "Monitored Items" -> "Load"

  1. Select the existing subscription.xml --> All existing monitored items are placed in the lower section of the user interface. Simply add additional items and save the subscription as described in the section above.