Connect a LabVIEW OPC UA Client to an OPC DA Server Using a Gateway Bridge

Issue Details

I am developing a universal communication method for my hardware lineup using LabVIEW. I planned to use OPC UA since it integrates well with LabVIEW and fits the newer hardware. However, some of my older camera models only support OPC DA, which is now considered an obsolete protocol. Given this mix of protocols, I need to communicate with both OPC UA and OPC DA devices from LabVIEW.

Can LabVIEW communicate with both OPC UA and OPC DA devices? And if so, what’s the best approach to make that work?

Solution

The LabVIEW OPC UA Toolkit does not support direct communication with OPC DA devices. To bridge the two protocols, use an OPC UA DA Gateway/Bridge. This type of tool sits between the OPC DA server and your LabVIEW OPC UA client, translating OPC DA traffic into OPC UA.

1. Determine which OPC UA DA Gateway/Bridge software to use. Common options include:
   • Kepware KEPServerEX™
   • Softing UA Gateway
   • MatriconⓇ OPC UA Wrapper
2. Install the selected gateway software on the same machine as your OPC DA server or on a machine that has network access to it.
3. Configure the gateway to connect to your OPC DA server. Specify the OPC DA server's ProgID or CLSID in the gateway configuration. Refer to the gateway vendor's documentation for exact steps.
4. Enable the OPC UA endpoint in the gateway. Note the endpoint URL (for example, opc.tcp://localhost:4840) as you will need it when configuring the LabVIEW client.
5. Open LabVIEW and use the OPC UA Toolkit to create a client session. Pass the gateway's OPC UA endpoint URL to the UA Client Create Session VI.
6. Browse or specify the NodeIDs exposed by the gateway and read/write the desired tags as you would with any standard OPC UA server.

LabVIEW communicates with the legacy OPC DA devices through the gateway, using the standard OPC UA Toolkit VIs. No additional OPC DA libraries are needed in LabVIEW.

Additional Information

• Check if there is limitation on installing such a wrapper or if the camera vendor provides UA support.
• Some gateway products require a paid license for production use. Check vendor documentation for licensing details before deploying.