In industrial environments, not all problems are created equal, and not all alarms should be treated equally. That’s where Trigger OPC Events, a feature of OPC Expert, makes a difference. Instead of relying on generic, one-size-fits-all alarms, you can define your specific conditions—like bad quality readings, values that stop changing, or efficiency falling below a threshold—and let Trigger OPC Events take immediate action.
Detect the Right Problems at the Right Time
With Trigger OPC Events, you’re not stuck waiting for a value to hit a predefined limit. You can:
- Trigger based on data quality, including “Bad” or “Uncertain” readings.
- Detect frozen or stalled values, which may indicate sensor or network issues.
- Watch for sudden changes, or the lack of change, over time.
Respond Automatically and Intelligently
Once an event is triggered, Trigger OPC Events springs into action with your predefined response. You can:
- Play a sound, even customized audio, to instruct operators.
- Send detailed email alerts to supervisors and maintenance staff.
- Run a batch file, PowerShell script, or external application.
- If communications are lost, reconnect to the OPC server or fail over to a backup.
Here you see how to configure email notifications, including SMTP setup, dynamic variables (like item value and timestamp), and test messaging for validation.
Make Triggers as Simple or Sophisticated as You Like
Not every event is straightforward. Some require calculations based on multiple points. With Trigger OPC Events, you can create your expressions using existing OPC values. For example:
- Combine flow, pressure, and current to calculate pump efficiency.
- Trigger an event if efficiency drops below 60% for 3 seconds.
- Alert teams automatically before expensive damage occurs.
This shows the relevant OPC tags used to calculate pump efficiency—no coding is required; just drag, drop, and define the logic.
Monitor Multiple Points, From Any Server
OPC Expert supports monitoring data across different OPC servers simultaneously, including Siemens, Rockwell, ABB, and more.
The interface displays multiple OPC servers and structured devices, showing how easy it is to access and monitor any asset.
Simple Setup, Powerful Results
There is no installation or registry edits. You can download OPC Expert, place it in any folder, and run it.
- No admin privileges required
- Safe to run on production or test systems
- Ideal for engineers, system integrators, and maintenance techs
A simple output example shows that even complex monitoring can produce clear, actionable results.
Final Thoughts
With Trigger OPC Events, you get:
- A smarter alternative to blanket alarms
- Fine-tuned monitoring for your unique process
- Automated, real-time responses that reduce downtime
Whether you’re managing a SCADA system, optimizing a pump station, or monitoring plant-wide performance, OPC Expert’s trigger functionality gives you the flexibility and control to respond only when it truly matters.