Communicating Between Two Red Lion Devices via OPC UA

06 Jun 2025

Abstract

This document describes setting up a connection that allows two Red Lion devices to communicate via OPC UA.

Products

FlexEdge series,  CR3000 HMIs,  and Graphite HMIs

Use Case

Establishing communication between two Red Lion devices with one device set up as an OPC UA Client and the other set up as an OPC UA Server.

Required Software

Crimson 3.1 and Crimson 3.2

Introduction

There are three different methods to get two Red Lion devices to communicate. They are Modbus TCP/IP, OPC Proxy TCP/IP Master and OPC UA. This tech note will talk about how to use OPC UA to get two Red Lion devices to communicate.

OPC UA Setup:

 

In this example, we are using a Graphite G12 HMI (Crimson 3.1) as an OPC UA Client and a FlexEdge DA50A(Crimson 3.2) running as an OPC UA server.

 

Make sure you connect the two Red Lion devices and your PC to the same Ethernet switch.

 

Below are the settings that are needed in Crimson 3.2 for the FlexEdge DA50A running as an OPC UA Server

OPCUA10.png

OPCUA11.png

OPCUA12.png

 

 

Download the database with the settings above to the FlexEdge DA50A unit.

 

Below are the settings for the G12 HMI which is running as OPC UA Client

OPCUA13.png

Go to Protocol 1 and pick OPC UA Client driver

OPCUA14.png

Enter the IP Address of the FlexEdge DA50A device (OPC UA server) in the Host Name section as seen below

OPCUA15.png

 

Now, download this database to the G12 HMI unit by doing a link -> update or send.

Once the database is successfully downloaded, click on "Download Data Model from Device" in the Crimson 3.1 database as seen below

OPCUA16.png

You will be asked to save under a name. I am calling it as “OPCServerTags”.

OPCUA17.png

Once you hit save, the software is going to pull up all the tags from the Flexedge DA50A unit (OPC UA Server).

OPCUA18.png

Go to the data tags section in the Crimson 3.1 database, create a new tag, and map to any of the OPC UA Server tags.

OPCUA19.pngOPCUA20.png

 

Once you have finished creating tags and mapped them to OPC UA server tags, you can download the database by doing a link -> update or send after which the G12 HMI should be able to read from or write to the Flexedge DA50A unit via OPC UA successfully.

Attached are the two Crimson databases referenced in this tech note.

 

Disclaimer

It is the customer's responsibility to review the advice provided herein and its applicability to the system. Red Lion makes no representation of specific knowledge about the customer's system or the specific performance of the system. Red Lion is not responsible for any damage to equipment or connected systems. The use of this document is at your own risk. Red Lion's standard product warranty applies.

HMS Technical Support

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