The OPC Foundation has recently updated their web page on OPC Certification to include more information on the new logos and enhanced process. I’ve posted before on the revamped OPC Compliance program, and in the article “Winning the Battle for Interoperability”, give an overview of what the new Enhanced OPC Certification program entails.
If you read these sources, you should get a good sense of what involved the process, and the key parts of Compliance Testing, Interoperability Testing and the Independent Certification Test Labs. Still, there are those that will say “Certification, Schmertitfication. What do I get out of it?”. Good question. What’s in it for you, depends on who you are, but everyone gets something worthwhile from each level of the program. The main winners are the End-users. This is good, since it was based on feedback from the end user community, that the Enhance OPC Certification program was created in the first place.
End-Users:
Participation:
For a product to be OPC Certified implies the vendor is a member of the OPC Foundation and is serious about OPC implementation.
Compliance Testing:
The user has confidence that the OPC Server at least conforms to the basics of the interface specifications and should operate as expected. All OPC Servers are tested against the same Compliance tool, and need to perform the way it is outlined the specifications. This at least rules out the first troubleshooting question of “Is it supposed to do that?”
Interoperability Testing:
The user has confidence that the OPC Server or OPC client is compatible with at least some other OPC products, and has been tested beyond the functionality outlined in the specifications. Industrial grade OPC products typically support an additional level of ‘expected’ functionality that also gets validated during these test sessions. Interoperability ensures that a particular OPC vendor’s product has successfully communicated with multiple other OPC implementations ranging from competitor’s products, testing tools, generic applications, and specialized OPC functionality products. OPC vendors who participate in the Interoperability sessions often represent majority market share holders in OPC products, control systems and industrial automation applications.
Independent Certification Test Labs:
The Independent Certification testing incorporates and extends the testing outlined at the Compliance and Interoperability Levels. This impartial, third party testing provides end users with comparable, ‘apples-to-apples’ level of test results. The testing at this level enters into the realm of ‘real world’ environments and adds behavior tests for normal and exceptional operating scenarios, performance tests for long term and loading, unreliable operating environment and failure recovery testing, as well as usability, installation and configuration testing. The final results reports are written to be meaningful and relevant to the End Users, not a programmer.
OPC Vendors:
Participation:
Again, participation implies OPC Foundation membership, and membership has it’s privileges, including access to the testing tools, debug support and quality assurance benefits.
Compliance Testing:
The key benefit to OPC Vendors is access to self-certification and testing tools to validate the correct implementation and interpretation of the OPC specifications. Successful testing also allows for the use and display of the OPC Certification Logos, which signify a quality product. OPC Vendors also gain marketing benefits via listing in the OPC Foundation product catalog, and website.
Interoperability Testing:
In addition to access to additional testing tools, OPC vendors also gain the opportunity to validate their product against a wide range of OPC products, including their direct competitors. The Interoperability sessions not only offer a chance to verify the correct operation of their product, it also is a chance to see what other products offer, and how they perform. Interoperability sessions are more than testing, it is also provides a chance to meet personally with other OPC developers, colleagues, competitors and fellow members of the OPC Foundation.
Independent Certification Test Labs:
Beyond the obvious marketing benefits of achieving a higher level of OPC Certification, the Independent Test Labs offer OPC vendors additional test coverage. The comprehensive Test Lab coverage provides additional System level testing, error handling scenarios, and unbiased enterprise integration testing. The more any product is tested, the better it becomes, the less will be spent after the fact on correcting issues. Experience shows, an unresolved bug grows exponentially in cost, the later it is detected and rectified.
OPC Foundation:
Of course the OPC Foundation reaps some benefits as well. Participation means membership, membership means a larger OPC community, the bigger the community the more input, influence and adoption that is crucial to any specifications success and longevity. Compliance tests set the base quality standard, and provides validation and clarification of the OPC specifications. Interoperability sessions not only validate the mandate of interoperability, it provides a good opportunity for direct feedback from OPC developers, and grows and strengthens the OPC community. The Independent Test Labs provide the critical component of unbiased, third-party quality assurance and specification validation. In addition it allows the OPC Foundation with the ability to offer multiple opportunities for accredited certification testing.
It’s also important to remember that the OPC Certification process applies not only to existing OPC specifications and product, but also upcoming OPC UA implantations. This is even more important since OPC UA offers multiple conformance Profiles, instead of the black-and-white Compliant/Non-Compliant (or black-white and grey if you include the Optional things).
OPC Certification means more that a rubber stamp, and has many obvious benefits. Serious vendors will strive for the highest levels of certification, and serious end-users will demand nothing less.
