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OPC Classic

The legacy family of Microsoft COM/DCOM-based OPC specifications for industrial interoperability.

Definition

OPC Classic is the collective term for the original family of OPC interoperability specifications based on Microsoft COM/DCOM technology. It includes the OPC Data Access (DA), Historical Data Access (HDA) and Alarms and Events (A&E) specifications, which standardized communication between industrial control systems, devices and software applications.

Why It Matters

OPC Classic established the first widely adopted vendor-independent standards for industrial interoperability.

In Practice

Although largely superseded by OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA), OPC Classic remains widely deployed in existing industrial facilities and continues to be supported by many automation vendors.

Common Misuse

OPC Classic comprises the original COM/DCOM-based OPC specifications, whereas OPC Unified Architecture provides a modern, platform-independent interoperability framework.

Term Details
Synonyms:
OPC Classic; Classic OPC; Legacy OPC; COM/DCOM OPC
Classification:
Standards, Codes & Regulations
Standard
Intermediate
Applications

Industrial Automation; Information Management; System Integration.

Where It's Used

Process automation.; Manufacturing.; Oil and gas.; Utilities.; Industrial control systems.

References

OPC Foundation

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