The Power of a Custom Driver without the Cost, Maintenance and Reliability Issues of Custom Code Solutions
OmniServer gives you the ability to access data from non-standard devices that would likely otherwise be unavailable to your process and business systems. OmniServer does this by taking care of all the polling and data parsing from those devices for you without the use of a programming language.
You need OmniServer because it gives you access to more of your process data, helping you make better and more informed decisions with the potential to lower costs and downtime while increasing efficiency and profitability.
OmniServer Can Exchange Data with Many Software Applications
For connecting client applications such as HMI, SCADA, MES or historians, the following standard interfaces are supported:
- OPC Unified Architecture (DA Profile)
- OPC Data Access
- FastDDE / AVEVA (formerly Wonderware) SuiteLink
- Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)
In addition to those, the MQTT plug-in (formerly called a wedge) in OmniServer Professional Edition enables publishing data to brokers such as Cogent DataHub, HiveMQ, and others.
All of these interfaces can be used at the same time if desired.
OmniServer Device Connectivity Support
For connecting devices, serial port, Ethernet, LPT printer port and USB (via virtual COM port, where available) are supported for connecting to:
Barcode scanners- Weigh scales/bridges
- Barcode printers
- Message displays
- Measuring systems
- RFID systems
- More
OmniServer's Easy-to-Use Interface Makes Custom Code Obsolete
Unlike most OPC servers that can communicate with specific devices and no others, OmniServer can be configured to communicate with virtually any one device or multiple devices.
OmniServer's easy-to-use visual protocol editor lets you build a description of the data stream used to communicate with the device (referred to as a "Protocol") using documentation from your device manufacturer for the details of the communication protocol.
Once the protocol is configured, OmniServer takes care of the communications with the device and the delivery of the data to your client application.
Drag-and-Drop Custom Protocol Creation
OmniServer's Visual Protocol Editor is so much easier than learning how to write custom code - With drag-and-drop support for building protocol messages, table-based configuration for items and other protocol components, configurable "favorite" protocol message sequences and more.
Intuitive User Interface Features for Easier and More Efficient Configuration
Through our continuous improvements process, OmniServer gets better and easier to use each year. Ease-of-use features to enabling you to configure OmniServer as efficiently as possible include:
Topic Wizard - steps you through the configuration of an OmniServer topic, used by your client applications to access a specific device. Click Here to Watch the How-To Video- CSV Import/Export - allows easy mass configuration and transfer of topics, devices and protocol items, registers, topic variables and command/response messages - Click Here to Read the How-To Blog Post
- Unified Tree View - easy configuration of OmniServer devices and topics without having to launch separate configuration windows.
Includes Common Error Detection Codes and a Custom Builder for Everything Else!
Error Detection Codes (EDC) are sequences sometimes included in a message that perform some calculation on the bytes of the message to ensure that it has arrived complete, correct and hasn't been altered or tampered with in any way.
An EDC can include Checksums, CRCs and LRCs. OmniServer includes a large selection of the most common EDCs. And there is a custom EDC builder for EDCs that aren't covered by those common ones.
Click Here to Read More About Error Detection Codes in OmniServer
OmniServer online documentation covers release history, how to get started, details on menus and settings, best practices, troubleshooting tools, and more.
Click for Application Notes / Guides
Click for Current / Past Release Notes
Click for End User License Agreement (EULA)
From real-world use cases and step-by-step how-to's to video tutorials, our blog contains useful resources and information to help you get connected to all of your process automation systems.
OmniServer Specific Blog Posts
Overall Software Toolbox Blog Posts
We know that sometimes it helps to see someone showing you how to do things. We have a wide range of videos available for OmniServer from short how-to videos to detailed on-demand webinars. Click to view the videos list
OmniServer includes several built-in tools for debugging protocol messages and troubleshooting issues.
The OmniServer Troubleshooting Brief covers the basics of those troubleshooting tools and how to use them.
Additionally, our online troubleshooting flowchart is a good way to step through what might be causing an issue.
OmniServer is a true server application - a client connection requesting at least one piece of data from at least one device is required. To that end, a flexible and powerful OPC Test Client installs with OmniServer for getting up and running with your non-standard devices. This is especially useful if your final client application is not yet available.
OPC Test Client Video Tutorial
OmniServer installs with a selection of sample protocols ranging from barcode scanners to weigh scales. These free samples are a good examples if you're connecting to a similar device type.
Also, we have accumulated a number of other samples for protocols created for various devices in OmniServer.
Click Here to Request Sample Protocols
Don't see your protocol/device listed? Contact our technical support team with the make/model of your device and any protocol information you may have and we can assist you.
One of the trickiest questions to answer when a user asks it is "What specific devices does OmniServer connect to?". It's tricky because OmniServer is so versatile that it connects to hundreds of device types - barcode scanners, weigh scales and bridges, RFID systems, intercom system and so many more.
So one of the best ways to explain what OmniServer connects to is with some real-world examples.
It’s always great working with your team and you have the best product support ever.
I just wanted to say thanks for the great work on our OmniServer project. I spoke with the end-user and he was very happy to work with you and they are happy with the work you accomplished - so that makes me happy as well.
Your support team has been EXTREMELY helpful, some of the best technical assistance that I have ever received. Thanks for the knowledge sharing – and this great protocol!
The ease and flexibility with which OmniServer provides actionable information to be easily integrated into existing SCADA host systems is extremely valuable to our users in industries where downtime can be extremely expensive.
Just a note to let you know OmniServer is awesome!
