An Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC UA) aggregation server for aggregating at least one OPC UA server in a remote address space is described. The at least one OPC UA aggregation server is configured to support data reduction and/or redundancy mechanisms.

A system for data transmission between a client device, a server device and a plurality of automation devices, wherein the server device includes a descriptive representation of each of the plurality of automation devices, wherein the server device includes a server instance, which server instance is configured to load one of the descriptive representations based on a hostname identifying one of the plurality of automation devices, and wherein the server instance is configured to transmit data from the automation device to a client application on the client device based on the loaded descriptive representation of the automation device.

A method for providing clients with access to a service of a server in a network using an OPC-UA, the server service making available varying values of at least one variable to the clients, wherein a client registers for the server service by sending a subscription request for the server service to the server which sets up a subscription structure including a unique subscription ID as well as a TCP/IP multicast group associated with the subscription structure and including a unique multicast address, and there server communicates the multicast address and the subscription ID to every client submitting a subscription request to register for the server service, the server additionally sends each change in value of each variable of the server service to the multicast address over a network via a multicast message so that all clients registered for the server service receive the same multicast message.

A system and method for connecting a process controller to one or more peer devices includes providing a process controller interface for bidirectional communication; using a peer device interface for bidirectional OPC UA communication with the peer devices; and providing a logic unit that determines one or more to-be-performed actions from the one or more inputs according to a predetermined logic; determines, according to the predetermined logic, one or more outputs which, when supplied to the process controller, and/or to the peer devices, cause the to-be-performed actions to be performed; and supply these outputs to the process controller, and/or to the one or more peer devices.

The process control unit is configured to execute a plurality of control processes, wherein a first control process executed on the process control unit is configured such that there is no provision for direct exchange of process variables with a second control process, but rather this exchange takes place via an interposed association module. An association specification is used to ascertain the control process(es) to which the process variable needs to be handed over. One advantage includes the increased flexibility in the exchange of process variables, which now takes place in the individual control processes by an association module. Restarts of the process control unit and associated production losses advantageously become unnecessary. Additional resources in the process control unit or in an engineering system may be reduced or avoided. The decreased complexity means that the control systems and engineering systems are developed more easily and hence also more quickly.

A method for calling an industrial controller control program function block having an OPC UA server and using the OPC UA communication protocol to communicate with an OPC UA client, the function block requested from an OPC UA call of the OPC UA client. The method further comprising: a call step directed to the method of the OPC UA server sent from the OPC UA client to the OPC UA server; a stored step, the OPC UA call is stored by the industrial controller OPC UA server; a transfer step, IN Parameters are transferred together with the OPC UA call from the OPC UA client to the OPC UA server, and copied to corresponding control program function block IN parameters; and a called step, the control program function block is called at a previously defined point within a industrial controller control task, and the function block IN parameters are processed.

A real-time automation device includes a real-time databus, and a memory device, wherein the databus is configured to transmit values associated with defined bus variables and configured to communicate a value associated with a bus variable from a bus variable source in accordance with a bus database via a databus to a bus variable receiver associated with the bus variable in accordance with the bus database such that, following transfer of the value from the bus variable source to the databus, the value is transferred within a predefined time period to the bus variable receiver, wherein the memory device also includes a software application which receives values associated with the bus variable from the databus or sends values associated with the bus variable to the databus, and wherein the automation device registers the software application as a bus variable receiver or as a bus variable source for the bus variables.

An interconnection device, a communication method, and a system including a robot are disclosed. In an embodiment, the interconnection device includes a first OPC UA interface, configured to establish connection between the interconnection device and an OPC UA device; and an ROS interface, in communication with the first OPC UA interface. The ROS interface includes: at least one ROS node module, configured to perform communication between the OPC UA device and an ROS device; an ROS client library module, configured to provide a function library to be called when the ROS node module performs the communication; and an ROS core module, configured to manage the ROS node module in the ROS interface unit and a node module in the ROS device. Communication between the OPC UA device and the ROS device is achieved via the interconnection device and the communication method.

The process control unit is configured to execute a plurality of control processes, wherein a first control process executed on the process control unit is configured such that there is no provision for direct exchange of process variables with a second control process, but rather this exchange takes place via an interposed association module. An association specification is used to ascertain the control process(es) to which the process variable needs to be handed over. One advantage includes the increased flexibility in the exchange of process variables, which now takes place in the individual control processes by an association module. Restarts of the process control unit and associated production losses advantageously become unnecessary. Additional resources in the process control unit or in an engineering system may be reduced or avoided. The decreased complexity means that the control systems and engineering systems are developed more easily and hence also more quickly.

A real-time automation. device includes a real-time databus, and a memory device, wherein the databus is configured to transmit values associated with defined bus variables and configured to communicate a value associated with a bus variable from a bus variable source in accordance with a bus database via a databus to a bus variable receiver associated with the bus variable in accordance with the bus database such that, following transfer of the value from the bus variable source to the databus, the value is transferred within a predefined time period to the bus variable receiver, wherein the memory device also includes a software application which receives values associated with the bus variable from the databus or sends values associated with the bus variable to the databus, and wherein the automation device registers the software application as a bus variable receiver or as a bus variable source for the bus variables.