OPC UA (OPC Unified Architecture)
A platform-independent standard from the OPC Foundation for exchanging industrial data with information models, built-in security, and both client/server and publish/subscribe communication.
The network analogy
Closer to a secured, self-describing API for machines than to a fieldbus: data travels with its type and context, and sessions are authenticated and can be encrypted.
Why it matters for wireless
OPC UA flows can share a radio with cyclic control traffic, so you need to know which OPC UA flows are time-critical and which are bulk or supervisory before you set priorities.
The OPC Foundation calls OPC the interoperability standard for the secure and reliable exchange of data in the industrial automation space. OPC UA runs on hardware from PCs and cloud servers to PLCs and microcontrollers, offers client-server services and a publish-subscribe mechanism, and includes encryption, message signing, and X.509 certificate authentication1.
PI notes that OPC UA is described in a series of IEC standards and gained publish/subscribe for use with TSN. Neither feature makes its traffic time-critical by default; the application decides that.
About this page
Built from 3 sources: 3 protocol owners and alliances. Researched and drafted with AI assistance, then reviewed and approved by Ben Rutter on . How pages are made
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Cite this page
Plain
Ben Rutter. "OPC UA (OPC Unified Architecture)." OT Wireless, published October 5, 2026. https://otwireless.com/glossary/opc-ua/
APA 7
Rutter, B. (2026, October 5). OPC UA (OPC Unified Architecture). OT Wireless. https://otwireless.com/glossary/opc-ua/
BibTeX
@misc{rutter2026opcua,
author = {Rutter, Ben},
title = {{OPC UA (OPC Unified Architecture)}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://otwireless.com/glossary/opc-ua/}},
organization = {OT Wireless},
}