Here is the next installment of ‘Coffee Break OPC’.  OPC is used for system connectivity in many aspects of the Oil and Gas Industry.  Let’s take a look at how OPC can help in the downstream oil business.

GoAnimate.com: 02. Coffee Break OPC – Downstream Oil and Gas by MatrikonOPC

Hope you learned something new with your brew. Anyone who wants to follow up on the topics presented in a bit more detail might be interested in:

Look before You Leap: Implementing Successful OPC Projects

Creating Secure OPC Architectures

Get Closer To History With OPC: OPC Technology Helps Maximize Return on Process Historian Assets

Just saw this announcement on the Register, Iron-pumping Microsoft SQL Server due this summer regarding the new SQL server, code-named Kilimanjaro.  One of the most popular topics on the blog is OPC vs SQL.  A common argument in the whole ‘historian or relational database’ discussion is the speed of SQL databases.  Seems like these new puppies have lots of power. The technical gap between historian and relation databases gets smaller every day. Also, there are many folk who end up using both.  When relational databases and plant data historians are deployed together, companies have access to all the data they need to improve performance, integrate the plant floor with business systems, and reduce the cost of meeting industry regulations. If you’re using OPC HDA to pull data out of your system, it doesn’t really matter what’s under the hood.  Anyone pumping up their relational databases this summer might want to look at how OPC fits into their plans.  Just because the new database is codenamed after a mountain, doesn’t mean implementing OPC connections should be like climbing one!

OPC Gets Relational with Databases: Accessing SQL Server, Oracle and other Relational Databases Using OPC

Will you be attending Connectivity Week, Santa Clara, California: June 8-11, 2009?  If so, make sure to attend the OPC Expo.  (I’ll be speaking and am looking to pack the room with an attentive OPC audience J  )

ConnectivityWeek 2009 is the only event focused on the intersection of energy and information technology.  IndConn the Industrial Automation is part of ConnectivityWeek a focus on the application of information technology for solving critical energy issues across all segments of industries. The OPC Expo is an opportunity for end-users and vendors explore the interoperability possibilities between industrial automation and other domains , including building automation, security and the smart grid initiative.  Read more on the OPC Expo here

If you’re looking for a primer on using OPC with Building Automation, give “If These Walls Could Talk” a try.

Speaking of expos, save the date Aug 21^st, for the MatrikonOPC Expo in Singapore.

Hope to meet up with lots of OPC readers in sunny California!

Reports like this “GM burns $10 billion in 1st quarter as deadline looms” really highlight the crunch manufacturers are facing these days.  The more cuts and layoffs that hit means the more people left behind to do more with less with an increased focus on the bottom line. Productivity, energy usage, project implementation, process execution, etc. all must be made more effective. These pressures often mean that automation picks up pace faster than during periods of economic growth. With increased automation means increased need for system connectivity, and OPC.

There are a lot of automation folks out there trying to figure out the best, fastest and smartest way to do their job. Is OPC part of that thinking?

Lack of Access to Data Hinders Competitiveness for Pulp & Paper Company  (Sound familiar?)

Look before You Leap: Implementing Successful OPC Projects  (Need any OPC implementation advice?)

5 OPC Questions Integrators Need To Ask  (Never hurts to ask questions)