DeviceXPlorer OPC Server Adds Sparkplug B Client Support

OPC at the Core of Industrial Connectivity

For decades, OPC technologies such as OPC UA and OPC Classic have provided a reliable and standardized foundation for industrial communication. OPC is essential for deterministic data exchange between devices, control systems, and enterprise applications. As industries adopt IIoT strategies, the challenge is to extend the reach of OPC into new architectures that emphasize scalability and interoperability. This is especially relevant when bridging data between OT systems at production sites with cloud-based IT systems.

What Sparkplug B Brings to the Table

As industries embrace IIoT and seek to bridge OT and IT systems, new challenges emerge, such as scalability, efficient data transport over constrained networks, and interoperability across diverse devices. MQTT addresses these by offering a lightweight publish/subscribe protocol ideal for IIoT architectures, but it lacks standardized payloads and state awareness. Sparkplug fills these gaps by defining a common data model and adding session management, ensuring reliable, structured, and interoperable communication between edge devices, control systems, and cloud applications. While MQTT is known for its lightweight publish/subscribe model, Sparkplug B introduces features that align well with OPC principles:

State Awareness: Devices and applications maintain knowledge of system states, ensuring reliable monitoring and control.
Structured Payloads: A defined format for data exchange, reducing ambiguity and improving interoperability.
Interoperability Across Systems: Sparkplug B enables consistent communication between gateways, edge devices, and enterprise applications.

DeviceXPlorer OPC Server’s New Sparkplug B Client Support

Takebishi’s latest update to DeviceXPlorer OPC Server introduces Sparkplug B Client functionality, creating a direct bridge between OPC and MQTT ecosystems. For OPC users, this development offers several practical benefits:

Direct Publishing of OPC Data: OPC UA and OPC Classic tags can now be published to MQTT brokers using Sparkplug B without additional middleware or custom gateways.
Simplified Integration with IIoT Platforms: Cloud services, edge analytics, and enterprise dashboards can consume OPC data through Sparkplug B, reducing complexity in system design.
Future-Proof Architecture: By combining OPC’s structured approach with MQTT’s scalability, organizations can extend existing investments while adopting modern connectivity strategies.

This enhancement reflects a broader industry trend: moving from isolated architectures toward interconnected systems that leverage both OPC and MQTT for maximum flexibility.

Conclusion

In order to take advantage of the benefits of Pub/Sub communication methods such as Sparkplug B, the OPC Foundation is also developing the OPC UA PubSub specification. Pub/Sub communication is allowing existing OPC infrastructures to integrate seamlessly with IIoT platforms without sacrificing reliability. OPC is the backbone of industrial communication, and Pub/Sub communication provides a complementary path to connect that backbone to cloud services, edge computing, and enterprise analytics.

Leveraging existing OPC infrastructure while embracing MQTT-based scalability.
Reducing integration overhead and improving system resilience.
Positioning for a future where state-aware, interoperable messaging becomes the norm in industrial automation.

In IT/OT connectivity, OPC UA Pub/Sub represents another leap forward, bringing real-time, secure, and scalable data exchange to industrial systems. By embracing these initiatives, the industry can unlock richer insights, accelerate digital transformation, and ensure that production data flows effortlessly from the shop floor to enterprise and cloud applications. Together, these standards pave the way for a truly connected, intelligent manufacturing ecosystem. As manufacturers continue to balance legacy systems with digital transformation initiatives, solutions like Sparkplug B support in DeviceXPlorer OPC Server provide a practical and forward-looking approach.

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