A short presentation about how the OPC UA information models are used from the viewpoint of a developer. I presented this at OPC and MES Day 2013 (organized by Finnish Society of Automation).

1. Practical usage of OPC
UA information models
Eero Laukkanen

2. Why to model?

3. Interoperability with
common information
models

4. Information
organization with
types and relations

5. How to model?
(server-side example)

6. Address space
Types Objects

7. 1. Create types
Types Objects

8. Model

9. UaModeler

10. <UAObjectType NodeId="ns=1;i=1001" BrowseName="1:ValveType">
<DisplayName>ValveType</DisplayName>
<References>
<Reference ReferenceType="HasProperty">ns=1;i=6012</Reference>
<Reference ReferenceType="HasComponent">ns=1;i=6010</Reference>
<Reference ReferenceType="HasComponent">ns=1;i=6011</Reference>
<Reference ReferenceType="HasSubtype" IsForward="false">i=58</Reference>
</References>
</UAObjectType>
<UAVariable DataType="Date" ParentNodeId="ns=1;i=1001" NodeId="ns=1;i=6012" Browse
<DisplayName>BestBefore</DisplayName>
<References>
<Reference ReferenceType="HasModellingRule">i=78</Reference>
<Reference ReferenceType="HasTypeDefinition">i=68</Reference>
<Reference ReferenceType="HasProperty" IsForward="false">ns=1;i=1001</Refe
</References>
</UAVariable>
<UAVariable DataType="Double" ParentNodeId="ns=1;i=1001" NodeId="ns=1;i=6010" Brow
XML

11. TypesTypes

12. Model XML Types
<UAObjectType NodeId="ns=1;i=1001" BrowseName="1:ValveType">
<DisplayName>ValveType</DisplayName>
<References>
<Reference ReferenceType="HasProperty">ns=1;i=6012</Reference>
<Reference ReferenceType="HasComponent">ns=1;i=6010</Reference>
<Reference ReferenceType="HasComponent">ns=1;i=6011</Reference>
<Reference ReferenceType="HasSubtype" IsForward="false">i=58</Reference>
</References>
</UAObjectType>
<UAVariable DataType="Date" ParentNodeId="ns=1;i=1001" NodeId="ns=1;i=6012"
BrowseName="1:BestBefore" UserAccessLevel="3" AccessLevel="3">
<DisplayName>BestBefore</DisplayName>
<References>
<Reference ReferenceType="HasModellingRule">i=78</Reference>
<Reference ReferenceType="HasTypeDefinition">i=68</Reference>
<Reference ReferenceType="HasProperty"
IsForward="false">ns=1;i=1001</Reference>
</References>
</UAVariable>
<UAVariable DataType="Double" ParentNodeId="ns=1;i=1001" NodeId="ns=1;i=6010"
BrowseName="1:Flow" UserAccessLevel="3" AccessLevel="3">
<DisplayName>Flow</DisplayName>
<References>
<Reference ReferenceType="HasTypeDefinition">i=63</Reference>
<Reference ReferenceType="HasModellingRule">i=78</Reference>
<Reference ReferenceType="HasComponent"
IsForward="false">ns=1;i=1001</Reference>
</References>
</UAVariable>
<UAVariable DataType="Boolean" ParentNodeId="ns=1;i=1001" NodeId="ns=1;i=6011"
BrowseName="1:IsOpen" UserAccessLevel="3" AccessLevel="3">
<DisplayName>IsOpen</DisplayName>
<References>
<Reference ReferenceType="HasTypeDefinition">i=63</Reference>
<Reference ReferenceType="HasModellingRule">i=78</Reference>
<Reference ReferenceType="HasComponent"
IsForward="false">ns=1;i=1001</Reference>
</References>
</UAVariable>
MANUAL

13. 2. Create objects
Types Objects

15. Java
classes
Application
code Objects
Model XML Types
MANUAL
MANUAL MANUAL

16. Problems?


17. Manual work


18. Error-prone


19. Solution?


20. Create objects
from the types


22. XML
Application
code
Objects
Model XML Types
MANUAL
MANUAL

23. Generate
Java classes


24. // using "pure" nodes
UaNode valve = …;
double flow = (Double) valve.getComponent("Flow").getValue();
boolean isOpen = (Boolean) valve.getComponent("IsOpen").getValue();
DateTime bestBefore = (DateTime)
valve.getProperty("BestBefore").getValue();
// using generated Java class
ValveType valve = …;
double flow = valve.getFlowValue();
Boolean isOpen = valve.getIsOpenValue();
DateTime bestBefore = valve.getBestBefore();

25. XML
Application
code
Objects
Model XML TypesXML
Java
classes
Application
code 
MANUAL
MANUAL

26. Ready yet?

27. Code generator

28. XML Templates
Generator
Java classes

29. public class {{name}} {
{{#fields}}
{{type}} {{name}};
{{/fields}}
}

30. public class ValveType {
double flow;
boolean isOpen;
DateTime bestBefore;
}

31. Creating objects

32. // create valve object
NodeManagerUaNode manager = …;
NodeId valveTypeId = …;
ValveType valve =
manager.createNodeWithTypeAndName(valveTypeId, "Valve1");
// add object to the address space
UaObject objects = manager.getNode(Identifiers.ObjectsFolder);
objects.addComponent(valve);
// use the object
valve.setFlowValue(0.674);
valve.setIsOpenValue(true);
DateTime bestBefore = DateTime.parseDateTime("2024-11-16");
valve.setBestBeforeValue(bestBefore);

34. Questions?
eero@prosysopc.com
prosysopc.com