====== OPC UA Integration with RcWare ======

This guide outlines the process for integrating OPC UA communication within the legacy RcWare Vision environment, including a brief overview of the communication architecture and instructions for project creation.

===== Communication Architecture using CloudAccess =====

When integrating legacy RcWare installations with modern Mervis infrastructure, CloudAccess acts as the secure gateway facilitating communication. By utilizing CloudAccess, the local OPC UA server endpoints are securely bridged to the overarching Mervis SCADA ecosystem without exposing the local network to direct inbound internet traffic. 

This architecture allows RcWare Vision to interact with OPC UA data points seamlessly. CloudAccess establishes a secure VPN tunnel, ensuring that telemetry data and control commands are routed safely between the legacy onsite hardware and the centralized visualization platform.

===== Project Creation in RcWare Vision =====

To create a project with OPC UA communication, you will need to extract the node information from your server and import it into RcWare.

==== Step 1: Export OPC UA Nodes ====

Use the provided command line tool, which reads variables/nodes info from the OPC UA server into a .CSV file. The tool is included in the standard RcWare Vision installation, but can also be downloaded separately.

  * **Local Installation Path:** `c:\RcWare\Utilities\OpcUaItemsReaderV2\`
  * **Direct Download:** [[https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nY4MJ0bXv3nhnQ8fK1WkzkNIlY0VShgN|OpcUaItemsReader via Google Drive]]

Run the executable with your server parameters. 

**Example Command:**
<code>
\OpcUaItemsReader.exe -serverUri opc.tcp://opc-server.somewhere.com:4321 -outputFile opc_nodes.csv -showConsoleOutput -startNodeId "ns=4;s=|var|CODESYS"
</code>

==== Step 2: Import into RcWare ====

Once you have generated the **.csv** file, you can bring the data points into your project:

  * Open the **RcWare text editor**.
  * Navigate to the **Import/Export** tab.
  * Select the **"OPC import Create DP from export file"** option.

==== Step 3: Configure for SCADA ====

To finalize the integration for visualization:

  * Navigate to the **Communication** tab.
  * For conversion to SCADA, check the **"Use OpcUa driver"** option.

**Driver String Format:**
<code>
[project_name|hw_channel_number|opc_server_uri|opc_items_prefix|user_name|password|async_mode];[...]
</code>

**Example Driver String:**
<code>
[OPC_UA_TEST|1|opc.tcp://opc-server.somewhere.com:4321||||true]
</code>