OPC Connectivity Studio is built for .NET developers creating industrial connectivity applications—whether building OPC UA servers, integrating PLCs with SCADA systems, or bridging OT data to the cloud. The latest release of Software Toolbox’s OPC Connectivity Studio 2026.1 (v5.84) continues to push forward in two areas that matter most to modern industrial developers: keeping pace with the evolving Microsoft ecosystem and strengthening security in OPC UA applications.
This release introduces full support for .NET 10 and Visual Studio 2026, along with a significant expansion of OPC UA Server access control capabilities. Together, these updates make it easier to build high-performance applications while giving developers far greater control over how data is secured and accessed.
Building on the Latest .NET Platform
As .NET continues to evolve, staying current isn’t just about new features, it’s about long-term stability, performance, and security. With OPC Connectivity Studio 2026.1, developers can now target .NET 10, using Visual Studio 2026 as the primary development environment.
This alignment ensures that applications built with OPC Connectivity Studio can take full advantage of the latest improvements in the .NET runtime. For industrial applications, where reliability and performance are critical, these enhancements can translate directly into more efficient data handling and more responsive systems.
Equally important is the improved development experience. Code analyzers, which were previously tied to a Visual Studio extension, are now delivered through a NuGet package. This change makes them available not only in Visual Studio, but also in Visual Studio Code and command-line builds. The result is a more consistent development workflow, where code quality checks can be applied across different tools and environments without additional setup.
At the same time, Software Toolbox has retired older operating system versions from the supported list. While this may require some environments to upgrade, it allows the product to focus on modern platforms and take advantage of newer system capabilities and security improvements.
A New Level of Control for OPC UA Server Security (OPC-Wizard)
While platform modernization is important, the most impactful changes in this release are around OPC UA Server access control.
Security in OPC UA has always been a core strength, but real-world applications often require more than standard configurations. Developers need flexibility, both in how users are authenticated and in how permissions are enforced across the address space. This release introduces a comprehensive set of features designed to meet those needs.
At the authentication level, developers now have direct control over which identity token types the server exposes. This means you can explicitly enable or disable anonymous access or username/password authentication depending on the requirements of your system. For environments where stricter access policies are required, this provides an immediate way to reduce the attack surface.
User management has also been significantly enhanced. A built-in framework now allows applications to manage users and their roles directly, including creating, modifying, and persisting user accounts. The default implementation supports storing user data in JSON, making it straightforward to integrate with configuration files or deployment workflows.
For more advanced scenarios, the server can now incorporate custom authentication logic. Events such as user verification and role assignment allow developers to plug in their own logic, whether that involves validating credentials against an external system or dynamically assigning roles based on context. This makes it possible to align OPC UA security with broader enterprise identity strategies.
Fine-Grained Permissions Where They Matter
Beyond authentication, this release introduces a much more flexible model for authorization and permissions.
Permissions can now be assigned at the node level and tied to specific roles, allowing precise control over who can read, write, or subscribe to data. These permissions can also be inherited, either from parent nodes or from the namespace, reducing the effort required to manage large address spaces while still maintaining consistency.
For developers who need even more control, the server now exposes the security context during operations such as reads, writes, and subscriptions. This makes it possible to implement custom logic based on the identity of the connected user, enabling scenarios like conditional data access or detailed auditing.
Taken together, these capabilities represent a major step forward. Instead of working around fixed security models, developers can now shape the behavior of the OPC UA server to match the exact needs of their application.
Beyond the headline features, this release includes several additional updates worth noting. OpcCmd, UADemoPublisher, and SparkplugCmd are now published as Docker images on Docker Hub, making deployment in containerized environments more straightforward. Over 20 new code examples have been added for working with TOP Server/KEPServerEX using both OPC Classic and OPC UA, providing a practical starting point for common integration scenarios. Sparkplug support also received bug fixes and a new example demonstrating offline data storage at the edge, with automatic sync to the broker when connectivity is restored.
Moving Forward
OPC Connectivity Studio 2026.1 provides a meaningful shift toward modern development and more robust security practices.
By embracing .NET 10 and Visual Studio 2026, the product ensures that developers can build on a current and well-supported foundation. At the same time, the expanded OPC UA Server access control features provide the flexibility needed to secure increasingly complex industrial systems.
Whether you are developing new applications or enhancing existing ones, this release gives you the tools to build solutions that are both future-ready and secure by design.
To explore the full release notes and get started, visit: https://help.softwaretoolbox.com/faq/connectivity-studio-2026-1
