ICP DAS’s OPC UA IIoT Communication Server Enables Cost-Effective and Encrypted Cross-Border Data Transmission
ICP DAS’s UA Series communication server securely transmits PLC data from the data center in Taiwan to the Singapore headquarters using the OPC UA communication protocol. This cost-effective solution ensures safe cross-border data transmission without the need for VPN setup.
Introduction:
In this case, the customer is a multinational tech firm headquartered in Singapore. They utilized a PC and an OPC DA server to monitor PLC data in the data center in Taiwan. Since OPC DA does not offer encryption functionality, the data transfer was exposed to risks, prompting the need for an additional VPN to ensure secure access to the data from the Singapore headquarters and mitigate the risk of data loss. However, this resulted in increased overall system costs, including the purchase of a PC, SCADA, and VPN setup.
This case study illustrates how ICP DAS’s UA Series communication server encrypts data transfer between the data center in Taiwan and the Singapore headquarters using OPC UA, eliminating the need for VPN setup.
Solution:
The client utilizes ICP DAS’s UA-5231 IIoT communication server to access PLC data via the Modbus TCP communication protocol in the data center located in Taiwan. The data is then securely and seamlessly transmitted to the SCADA system in the Singapore headquarters through a router, employing the OPC UA protocol for unified management and comprehensive analysis.
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ICP DAS’s Solution Structure
ICP DAS’s OPC UA communication server offers several benefits:
1. Stability and Low Power Consumption: The UA-5231 IIoT communication server is energy-efficient and stable, ensuring long-term operation while reducing the need for frequent manual inspections for maintenance.
2. Secure Connections: OPC UA facilitates secure connections without the need for a VPN, enhancing security capabilities.
3. Easy Installation: Headquarters staff can easily transition from OPC DA to OPC UA with a straightforward setup process using SCADA.
Benefits:
ICP DAS’s UA Series IIoT communication server seamlessly connects on-site OT devices, such as PLCs to the cloud, enabling rapid integration of IT, OT, Cloud, and Web Apps, thereby enhancing overall system performance. The key product features include:
1. Support for OPC UA, MQTT, SNMP, RESTful API communication services
2. Direct OT Data Logging to Database and Data Recovery Function: UA Series communication servers can read data from I/O modules at scheduled intervals. Subsequently, the collected data can be logged to CSV files locally on a Micro SD card or remotely to a SQL database.
3. Data Recovery Function: Typically, data logging entails the regular collection and storage of data in a database. However, in the event of a network failure, the acquired data may not be stored and becomes irretrievable. To tackle this issue, UA Series products feature a data recovery function that saves all data to the SD card during network downtime. Once the network connection is restored, the UA Series products retrieve the stored data from the SD card and log it to the database. This feature prevents the loss of history of previously recorded data.
4. Secure IT Data Exchange (Certificates/ Encryption): To ensure the security of I/O data uploads between UA Series and platforms, the UA Series supports the HTTPS communication protocol, which safeguards information transmitted between a web browser and a website. Additionally, it utilizes MQTT with SSL/TLS and OPC UA Server functions for encrypted real-time I/O data transfer and confidentiality. Through the certificates and data encryption mechanisms provided by UA, this series meets the users’ needs for cybersecurity protection when establishing IoT systems. Furthermore, the UA-2841M includes support for the SNMP (v3) agent.
5. Integration with IoT Cloud Platforms: UA Series products enable the real-time transmission of I/O data to cloud platforms for analysis. Moreover, users can edit MQTT messages (JSON) within the series and distribute them to specific clients.
6. IFTTT Logic Control & Mobile Notifications: In the event of detecting anomalies in I/O values, IFTTT (If This, Then That) executes logic control and sends real-time notifications to management staff through over 100 Apps such as LINE, Twitter, Gmail, Weibo, and others.
ICP DAS's U-7500 Series OPC UA I/O Modules:
In addition to the UA Series OPC UA communication server, ICP DAS provides the U-7500 Series OPC UA I/O modules for flexible deployment across various applications.
For more information about UA I/O modules, please follow the link below:
https://www.icpdas.com/en/product/guide+RemoteIOModuleandUnit+EthernetIOModules+OPCUAIOModule
For more UA I/O application cases, please follow the link below:
https://www.icpdas.com/en/product/guide+RemoteIOModuleandUnit+EthernetIOModules+OPCUAIOModule
Conclusion:
OPC UA is a critical component of industrial automation, fundamentally transforming data transfer and bolstering security measures. It facilitates vertical data transfer from Operational Technology (OT), such as manufacturing data, to Information Technology (IT) systems like MES and ERP. Additionally, OPC UA boasts high scalability for large-scale deployment and contributes to reducing overall operating costs in comparison to Modbus systems.
ICP DAS is dedicated to developing a wide range of industrial IoT solutions, including OPC UA solutions, and continually improving the performance and adaptability of these solutions to meet the evolving needs of industrial automation. Partnering with ICP DAS will provide you with more efficient and flexible production processes and planning.
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ICP DAS was established in 1993 and strongly focuses on innovation and the enhancement of industrial automation technology. ICP DAS continuously endeavors to develop a comprehensive selection of products ranging from remote I/O controllers, distributed I/O modules, I/O data acquisition boards, programmable automation controllers, industrial communication modules, web-related products, motion control systems, SCADA/HMI software to automation solutions for applications critical to energy management, motion automation, smart factories, intelligent buildings, and smart cities. Our ambition is to provide a wide range of high-quality products and versatile applications, together with prompt and efficient services, that can be implemented to assist in the continued success of our clients worldwide.