Included OPC Test Client Eases Testing to Ensure Your Setup Works

Use the OPC Quick Client as a testing tool

The OPC Quick Client allows you to perform OPC DA read and write operations on the TOP Server at the Server, Group and Item level. This allows you to test out the functionality of the TOP Server prior to configuring your final HMI, SCADA, Historian, MES and other programs that will ultimately interface with the TOP Server.

OPC Quick Client Test Mode helps ensure the best performance

The OPC Quick Client also includes a test mode to run on projects. Projects must contain at least one server connection with one group that contains one item.

This makes the OPC Quick Client an invaluable tool for testing server configurations and getting the server-to-device communications running properly. That way, any troubleshooting necessary when configuring the HMI software can be narrowed to the HMI side once the communication to the device has been tested through TOP Server.

This saves time by narrowing the number of possible problem zones to be considered. The OPC Quick Client will also work with any other OPC Data Access (DA) Server.

OPC Quick Client Performance Tests

Performance tests in the OPC Quick Client measure the amount of time it takes to execute a specified operation for each item configured in the OPC Quick Client. You can define the number of times to perform the test or a maximum duration for the test, after which the results will be displayed, providing the average time, maximum time and minimum time per iteration and the number of times the test was performed.

Not using an OPC DA client? No problem - testing is still applicable

Even if you are not using OPC methods to connect your final client programs to TOP Server, the OPC Quick Client is a fast way to verify device communications. If communications work with OPC Quick Client, then communications will work with your own client, regardless of the client interface used.

This is why we always recommend configuring at least one known good tag for each device in your TOP Server configuration. Since you can launch the OPC Quick Client from the TOP Server toolbar, it will automatically populate and subscribe to any configured devices and their tags by default.

Precise testing with ability to launch from Channel, Device or Tag Group

Starting with TOP Server V6.13, you can now launch the OPC Quick Client as a right-click menu option for any Channel, Device or Tag Group in your TOP Server Configuration. Why is this important?

For many years, it's been possible to launch the OPC Quick Client from the TOP Server toolbar, automatically subscribing to all configured static tags and systems for all configured Channels, Devices and Tag Groups in the TOP Server project. Which has always been convenient but for large projects, that can be a lot of tags that can impact normal communications for your HMI, SCADA or other client, depending on the configured default update rate.

Now, you can more precisely choose which Channel, Device or Tag Group you're interested in testing and the OPC Quick Client will only automatically subscribe to those specific static tags and system tags under the selected branch.

Important Notes:

The default OPC group update rate in the OPC Quick Client is 1000 ms. For some control networks, that might be too fast and could have adverse effects on your network if you have a lot of tags configured in TOP Server.
- It is recommended to increase the Default group update rate (ms) setting if you plan to use the OPC Quick Client with a lot of tags to prevent any issues.
- This setting is accessible in the OPC Quick Client under Tools -> Options.
To launch the OPC Quick Client with a blank project, go to Start -> Programs -> Software Toolbox -> OPC Quick Client.
Starting with V6.13.250.0, it's possible to launch the OPC Quick Client by right-clicking at the Channel, Device or Tag Group level, automatically subscribing to all static tags and systems tags for the channel, device and/or tag groups beneath that selected branch.
- This will be useful to avoid having to subscribe to all tags in your TOP Server project, providing more precise testing during startup and troubleshooting.
Don't forget to configure at least one known good tag for each of your devices in TOP Server if you plan to use the OPC Quick Client for easy testing - this makes it easy to simply launch the OPC Quick Client from the TOP Server toolbar.