Softing dataFEED OPC Suite Extended: Bringing Brownfield PLCs into OPC UA Without Program Changes

This article explains Softing dataFEED OPC Suite Extended from Softing Industrial Automation GmbH, an industrial data integration solution that combines OPC UA and OPC Classic communication, controller connectivity, data processing, and cloud integration in a single software product.

Source: Softing Industrial Automation Official Website
(https://industrial.softing.com/products/opc-opc-ua-software-platform/opc-server-middleware/datafeed-opc-suite-extended.html)

Challenges Softing dataFEED OPC Suite Can Help Solve

Helps Connect Mixed-Vendor Controllers
Without Rewriting PLC Programs

Softing dataFEED OPC Suite provides access to controllers from manufacturers including Siemens, Rockwell Automation, Mitsubishi Electric, B&R, FANUC, and vendors supporting Modbus TCP. Existing controllers that do not have a built-in OPC UA server can be incorporated into an OPC UA environment without modifying their control programs. This can reduce the workload required to connect brownfield equipment to SCADA, MES, ERP, historian, and analytics systems.

Helps Integrate OT Data
with IT Systems and Cloud Platforms

The software supports OPC UA, OPC Classic, MQTT, REST, HTTPS web services, SQL and NoSQL databases, and file-based data exchange. Production data collected from controllers can therefore be delivered to cloud and IT applications without building a separate interface for every destination. It can also connect process data to platforms such as Microsoft Azure, Amazon AWS, and MPDV MIP.

Helps Improve Reliability and Security
Across OT and IT Networks

Softing dataFEED OPC Suite includes SSL/TLS communication, certificate-based security, OPC UA Reverse Connect, OPC UA Tunnel, and Store and Forward functions. Store and Forward temporarily retains data when communication is interrupted and forwards it after the connection is restored. The tunnel functions also help transfer OPC data across network boundaries without relying on complex DCOM configurations.

What Types of Sites Is Softing dataFEED OPC Suite Suitable For?

Brownfield Manufacturing Sites
Requiring IT/OT Integration

Softing dataFEED OPC Suite is well suited to manufacturing sites where controllers from multiple manufacturers and generations must be connected to common upper-level systems. Its support for OPC UA, OPC Classic, PLC protocols, databases, MQTT, REST, and web services makes it suitable for projects that need to consolidate factory-floor data before transferring it to MES, ERP, cloud, or analytics applications.

It is also a potential option for companies that want to continue using existing OPC Classic systems while gradually introducing OPC UA. The gateway and tunnel functions allow existing OPC Classic components to be incorporated into a more modern architecture without replacing every device and application at once.

Project challenges differ, from high-mix production where product changeovers are an issue to multi-site integration, audit readiness, and regulatory compliance. The article below features selected OPC server products by need, each with specifications suited to solving specific challenges. Please use it for comparison and evaluation.

Key Specifications
of Softing dataFEED OPC Suite

Supported Devices
and Connection Targets:

Softing dataFEED OPC Suite supports controllers including Siemens SIMATIC S5 and S7, Siemens SINUMERIK, FANUC CNC, Rockwell SLC-500, PLC-5, ControlLogix and CompactLogix, Mitsubishi MELSEC-Q, B&R controllers, and Modbus TCP-compatible devices. It can also connect to controllers and devices that have an integrated OPC UA server or MQTT publisher.

Supported Functions
and Scope of Use:

In addition to OPC server and client functions, the software provides data preprocessing, Lua scripting, mathematical and logical operations, data type conversion, data logging, recipe management, data exchange, filtering, and Store and Forward. It supports reading and writing XML, TXT, and CSV files and can connect to ODBC-compatible databases and NoSQL databases such as MongoDB, CouchDB, and InfluxDB.

Implementation Requirements
and Pricing Structure:

Softing dataFEED OPC Suite operates as either a Windows application or Windows service. Supported environments include Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows 10 IoT Enterprise, Windows 11 IoT, and several Windows Server editions. Licensing is based on a runtime license for each computer.

The dataFEED OPC Suite Extended V5.x license includes the supported PLC and CNC protocols, IT and cloud connectivity protocols, OPC UA with Store and Forward, and simultaneous access to a total of up to 100 OPC UA servers, OPC Classic servers, and OPC Tunnel servers. The official website does not publish a general price list, so pricing must be confirmed with Softing or its sales contact.

Softing dataFEED OPC Suite Case Study

Global Food Manufacturer: Standardized Machine Connectivity Across More Than 150 Sites

Challenges Before Implementation

This case study covers an American multinational food manufacturer operating at more than 150 locations worldwide. The company had a heterogeneous brownfield environment combining Siemens, Rockwell, and other PLCs. Operational data was also separated across different sites and applications, making it difficult to compare factory performance and use the data for centralized analysis.

The company required a standardized machine-connectivity architecture that could be deployed across its locations. It also wanted to use OPC UA as the common interface for cloud-based and on-premises applications while continuing to use existing automation networks and controllers.

Outcome After Implementation

The company used Softing dataFEED OPC Suite and OPC Tunnel to collect data from its PLCs. The connectivity layer was used with applications including a Shoplogix OEE application on AWS, a Schneider Electric energy-management application, and an InfinityQS quality-management application.

By sharing the same machine-connectivity platform across multiple applications and locations, the company established a standards-based architecture that could be expanded as additional applications were introduced. Softing states that the system could be operated by shop-floor personnel and implemented without changes to the existing PLCs or automation network.

Fit with Indian Manufacturing, as Seen in the Case Study

The case study suggests that Softing dataFEED OPC Suite can be a practical option for Indian manufacturers operating multiple plants or brownfield production lines with a mix of Siemens, Rockwell, Mitsubishi, Modbus, and other controllers. A standardized OPC UA and cloud-connectivity layer can help such companies consolidate data without replacing each existing PLC or developing a separate connection for every application.

Its Store and Forward functionality may also be useful for distributed manufacturing environments where data must continue to be collected during temporary network interruptions and transferred after connectivity is restored.

Is a Softing dataFEED OPC Suite Trial or Demo Available?

The official website provides a trial version of dataFEED OPC Suite V5.70 with 72 hours of runtime. According to the official product documentation, the demo version includes the full functionality of dataFEED OPC Suite Extended but is limited by the available runtime.

The trial can be used to verify communication with controllers, OPC UA and OPC Classic connections, cloud integration, data processing, and configuration procedures before purchasing a runtime license.

Manufacturer Information

Softing Industrial Automation GmbH is a German industrial communication and data-connectivity company. Softing Industrial states that it has more than 40 years of experience in industrial data communication and participates in technical organizations and working groups including the OPC Foundation.