quasar - A Generic Framework for Rapid Development of OPC UA Servers

This paper describes a new approach for generic design and efficient development of OPC Unified Architecture (UA) servers. Development starts with creation of a design XML file, describing an OO information model of the target system or device. Using this model, the framework generates an executable OPC UA server exposing the per-design address space without writing a single line of code while supporting standalone or embedded platforms. Further, the framework generates skeleton code for the interface logic of the target system or device. This approach allows both novice and expert developers to create servers for the systems they are experts in while greatly reducing design and development effort as compared to developments based on COTS OPC UA toolkits. Higher level software such as SCADA systems may benefit from using the design description to generate client connectivity configuration and data representation as well as validation tools. In this contribution, the concept and implementation of this framework is detailed along with examples of actual production-level usage in the detector control system of the ATLAS Experiment at CERN and beyond.