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Dynamic OPC UA tags

When using the OPC UA Subscriber module, you usually define some tags manually in the UI or reference a resource file, when using large amounts of tags. This concept is recommended and works well as long as your data structure on the OPC UA Server remains untouched.

Nowadays, this is not always the case anymore. Changing requirements on the factory floor are often represented in a change in the data structure / NodeIds on the OPC UA Server. In these cases it might get tricky to modify the resource files every time and update the flows.

To address this you can combine the OPC UA Browser module with the OPC UA Subscriber module. You can send in a tag-list to the OPC UA Subscriber to refresh the NodeIds you want to subscribe to. Use the Array Filter or Array RegEx module to limit down the list to the tags that you are really interested in.

Example:


Crosser Example Flow

The same concept also works with the OPC UA Reader, make sure to adjust the target property of the OPC UA Browser.


Crosser Example Flow

Keep in mind that the ingested tag-list will be combined with any manually added tags (UI or resource file).

Note: Tag-lists as above can also be fetched from other systems like files or databases.

About the author

David Nienhaus | Senior Solution Engineer

David is a Senior Solution Engineer at Crosser. He has over 10 years experience working with software integration and digitization projects for critical infrastructure.
His engineering background gives him the understanding and focus needed to solve customer use cases in the most efficient and successful way.