Problem with NodeName on Classic OPC Client

[ralf01]

We have developed an OPC UA Server with the C++ SDK from Unified Automation.
The server is running an we can connect with the UA Expert an browse the Namespace and read and write variables.
No whe have installed the UA Gateway to connect via a classic OPC Client to our UA Server. This works fine.
We can connect for example with the softing demo client to the gateway and read and write the variables.

Now whe have installed the neuberger ProGrafNT to connect to the gateway.
The ProGrafNT Software has an classic opc client interface to connect to classic opc Servers.
The connection can be established, but we can not browse for the variables.
We have contacted the support team from neuberger. They told us that there may be is a problem with a special caracter in the node name of the variable.

Here is an example of the nodename for a variable:
OPC_WINET/http://wildeboer.de/WI_NET_OPC/|1_Subnet 1BS2-MO-XX 1Motor 1.Open

The problem seems to be the "|"- character in the nodename of the variables. Each node contains this character.

Is it possible to change the "|" - character in the name of the variables?
Or do you have another solution for me for this problem?

TIA
Ralf

[Support Team]

Hello Ralf,

the ItemID on a classik OPC COM DA Server is ment to be a fully qualified identifier. In the OPC Specification there is NO LIMITATION in the range of string characters that can be used. Hence, your COM DA Client "ProGrafNT" CAN NOT make any assumption or exclusion on any used characters within an ItemID. You should ask the supplier to go for "OPC DA Compliance Testing and Certification". It seems that they have never attended any compliance nor interoperability meeting, where poor programming typically is discovered very quickly.

In the UaGateway you can select ONE namespace to be mapped directly, that is the so called "Default NameSpace" (AdminDialog -> OPC DA (COM) tab). When you select the namespace "OPC_WINET/http://wildeboer.de/WI_NET_OPC/" of your underlying UA server here, the UaGateway will use this one namespace for default mapping. The result is that the COM ItemID can directly be used (same as being directly connected), in your case "1_Subnet 1BS2-MO-XX 1Motor 1.Open". However, the UaGateway can only have ONE default namespace.

Furthermore the UaGateway (since version 1.4.0) has the option to "replace" the prefix within the ItemID with some self-configured alias. See AdminDialog -> OPC COM ItemIDs tab for details. This optional feature can be used to configure your own (unique) alias when customized mapping is needed for more than one namespace.

Best Regards
Support Team

[ralf01]

Hello Support Team,

thank you for quick Information. We have mapped one namespace directly as default Namespace.
This has solved our Problem.

Thanks,
Ralf