As an OPC HDA server, WinCC makes historical data from the WinCC archive system available to other applications. An OPC HDA client (e.g. a reporting tool) can define the time interval for the required data by entering a start and end time. OPC HDA servers also support the generation of a variety of aggregate functions on the server itself (e.g. standard deviation, variance, mean values, integral values, etc.), thereby helping to relieve the load on the network, as only preprocessed data are transmitted.

OPC A&E servers are used to forward WinCC messages (along with all associated process values) to any client at production or enterprise control level. Filter mechanisms and subscriptions ensure that only selected modified data are transmitted. Acknowledgement is of course also supported.

The WinCC OPC XML DA server makes cross-platform communication between Windows and non-Windows systems possible, even via the Internet. This enables read and write WinCC online values (external and internal WinCC variables) to be exchanged with non-Siemens systems.

WinCC OLE-DB makes standardized and user-friendly access to WinCC archive data possible (MS SQL Server). In exactly the same way as access via the OPC HDA and OPC A&E interfaces, access via the WinCC OLE DB provider makes all WinCC archive data available along with the associated process values and message/user texts. The WinCC OLE-DB provider also supports analysis functions such as minimum, maximum, message hit list, etc.

The WinCC Connectivity Station was designed as a stand-alone gateway to WinCC server data. It supports access to WinCC server data over the OPC channels described as well as those for process values (not alarms) over OLE DB . Access to WinCC data is transparent, i.e. independent of which server of a redundant pair is active or whether data have already been transferred to the central archive server.

Connectivity Station

If no visualization is required at a station, any Windows computer with access to WinCC via OPC and OLE-DB can be configured via the Connectivity Station. This permits access to WinCC stations with server packages from a central computer without WinCC installation. The WinCC stations can be accessed via the following interfaces:

• OPC interfaces of the Connectivity Station
• OLE DB interface of the Connectivity Pack

The two access variants are autonomous access options with different ranges of functions.

OPC interfaces of the Connectivity Station

The Connectivity Station provides interfaces via which you can access the following using an OPC-Client.

• OPC-DA-Server: tags, e.g. process values
• OPC-HDA-Server: archived process values
• OPC-A&E-Server: alarms

Licensing

You require the "WinCC Connectivity Station" license in order to utilize the OPC interfaces of the Connectivity Station on a computer without WinCC installed.

If you only use the OPC interfaces of a WinCC installation, you only need the "Connectivity Pack" license.

The following table shows the combinations:

The Connectivity Station is planned over NCM PC Manager or SIMATIC Manager. In the versions 7.0 and higher, the Connectivity Station does not run as a service.