1 Scope
This part of the OPC UA specification extends the overall OPC UA series by defining the information model for global positioning and the integration of local and global coordinate systems. This document describes three models that build upon one another as follows:
Global Positioning Model: Defines the core elements - GlobalPositionType, GlobalLocationType, and ZoneType. These elements capture key parameters such as latitude, longitude, elevation, and accuracy in a global context.
Coordinate Transformation Model: Adds the means to convert local coordinate systems into global ones (e.g., GPS and EPSG-based coordinates) and vice-versa. This model enables a precise and seamless mapping between local and global spatial data.
Integration Model: Provides the rules and additional elements needed for OPC UA systems to manage and exchange position information. It ensures that data from both local and global coordinate systems can be interpreted consistently.
OPC Foundation
OPC is the interoperability standard for the secure and reliable exchange of data and information in the industrial automation space and in other industries. It is platform independent and ensures the seamless flow of information among devices from multiple vendors. The OPC Foundation is responsible for the development and maintenance of this standard.
OPC UA is a platform independent service-oriented architecture that integrates all the functionality of the individual OPC Classic specifications into one extensible framework. This multi-layered approach accomplishes the original design specification goals of:
Platform independence: from an embedded microcontroller to cloud-based infrastructure
Secure: encryption, authentication, authorisation, and auditing
Extensible: ability to add new features including transports without affecting existing applications
Comprehensive information modelling capabilities: for defining any model from simple to complex
PROFINET Standardization Group (PNO)
The PROFIBUS and PROFINET user organization (PNO: Profibus Nutzerorganisation e.V.) was founded in 1989 and is the largest automation community in the world and responsible for PROFIBUS and PROFINET, the two most important enabling technologies in automation today. The PNO is member of PROFIBUS and PROFINET International (PI).
The common interest of the PNO global network of vendors, developers, system integrators and end users covering all industries lies in promoting, supporting, and using PROFINET. Regionally and globally about 1,400 member companies are working closely together to the best automation possible. No other fieldbus organization in the world has the same kind of global influence and reach.
AIM
AIM (including AIM Global) is the leading industry association and worldwide authority on automatic identification & data capture technologies (AIDC/AutoID), which comprise barcode, OCR, 2D code, RFID, NFC, RTLS, sensors and mobile computing. It is serving members around the globe as a trusted resource for more than 40 years. AIM actively supports the development of standards through its own Technical Symbology Committee (TSC), Global Standards Advisory Groups, the US and European RFID Experts Groups (REG / EREG) and the IoT Experts Group. Furthermore, AIM experts take a leading role at working groups at standardisation organisations like ISO, ANSI, CEN, CENELEC, ETSI and DIN. AIM Germany (AIM-D e.V., Lampertheim, Germany: www.AIM-D.de) is the regional chapter for central Europe (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). AIM members include technology providers, systems integrators, consulting firms, research institutes and other associations. AIM's general goal is to facilitate the market dissemination of AIDC technologies on a reliable basis for the benefit of solution providers and users.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments and errata) applies.
NOTE The OPC UA core specifications are regularly published as IEC 62541.
OPC 10000-1, OPC Unified Architecture - Part 1: Overview and Concepts
http://www.opcfoundation.org/documents/10000-1/
OPC 10000-2, OPC Unified Architecture - Part 2: Security Model
http://www.opcfoundation.org/documents/10000-2/
OPC 10000-3, OPC Unified Architecture - Part 3: Address Space Model
http://www.opcfoundation.org/documents/10000-3/
OPC 10000-4, OPC Unified Architecture - Part 4: Services
http://www.opcfoundation.org/documents/10000-4/
OPC 10000-5, OPC Unified Architecture - Part 5: Information Model
http://www.opcfoundation.org/documents/10000-5/
OPC 10000-6, OPC Unified Architecture - Part 6: Mappings
http://www.opcfoundation.org/documents/10000-6/
OPC 10000-7, OPC Unified Architecture - Part 7: Profiles
http://www.opcfoundation.org/documents/10000-7/
OPC 10000-210, OPC Unified Architecture - Part 210: Relative Spatial Location
http://www.opcfoundation.org/documents/10000-210/
| PNO | Omlox HUB Specification API and Behavior https://www.profibus.com/download/omlox-hub-specification-api-and-behavior |
3 Terms, abbreviated terms and conventions
3.1 Overview
It is assumed that basic concepts of OPC UA information modelling are understood in this document. This document will use these concepts to describe the Global Positioning Information Model. For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in OPC 10000-1, OPC 10000-3, OPC 10000-4, OPC 10000-5, OPC 10000-7, OPC 10000-210 as well as the following apply.
Note that OPC UA terms and terms defined in this document are italicized in the document.
3.2 OPC UA for Global Positioning terms
3.2.1 Global Position
Defines the spatial data representing a point in a global coordinate system, including longitude, latitude, elevation, and accuracy.
Note: This term comprises all parameters required to uniquely locate an object globally.
|
EXAMPLE 1: | A GPS sensor reporting a complete set of coordinates. EXAMPLE 2: An asset tracking system providing full spatial data. |
3.2.2 Global Location
| Refers to a spatial representation that extends a global position by including orientation or directional information. Note: Global Location is used when both position and heading are necessary. EXAMPLE 1: | A mobile robot reporting its position along with its heading. EXAMPLE 2: A navigation system integrating position data with directional readings. |
3.2.3 Zone
| Represents a defined area wherein positioning data is collected and can be transformed into global coordinates, or vice versa. EXAMPLE 1: | A manufacturing floor segmented into zones for localized tracking. EXAMPLE 2: An area designated for converting local sensor data into global coordinates. |
3.2.4 SourceId
| Describes the unique identifier that indicates the origin of the positioning data, such as the Zone of an RTLS or self-localizing device that computed the position. Note: The SourceId may represent either a Zone identifier or the unique identifier of a device (e.g. a GPS tracker). EXAMPLE 1: | An identifier for a GPS device generating global position data. EXAMPLE 2: A reference to the Zone of an RTLS system providing the location. |
3.2.5 Local Coordinate System
A local cartesian coordinate system defined within a limited, specific area, such as a manufacturing floor or a building.
Note: Unlike global coordinate systems that use standardized projections (e.g., EPSG codes) to reference positions on Earth, a local system uses a relative, often arbitrarily defined, origin and axes for the specific environment.
| EXAMPLE 1: | A mobile robot using a local coordinate system within the production area to navigate and perform tasks. |
3.3 Abbreviated terms
| EPSG | European Petroleum Survey Group Geodesy |
| ERP | Enterprise Resource Planning |
| GPS | Global Positioning System |
| CRS | Coordinate Reference System |
| HMI | Human Machine Interface |
| HTTP | Hypertext Transfer Protocol |
| IP | Internet Protocol |
| MES | Manufacturing Execution System |
| PMS | Production Management System |
| RTLS | Real Time Locating System |
| TCP | Transmission Control Protocol |
| UML | Unified Modelling Language |
| URI | Uniform Resource Identifier |
| XML | Extensible Markup Language |
3.4 Conventions used in this document
3.4.1 Conventions for Node descriptions
3.4.1.1 Node definitions
Node definitions are specified using tables (see Table 2).
Attributes are defined by providing the Attribute name and a value, or a description of the value.
References are defined by providing the ReferenceType name, the BrowseName of the TargetNode and its NodeClass.
If the TargetNode is a component of the Node being defined in the table the Attributes of the composed Node are defined in the same row of the table.
The DataType is only specified for Variables; “[<number>]” indicates a single-dimensional array, for multi-dimensional arrays the expression is repeated for each dimension (e.g. [2][3] for a two-dimensional array). For all arrays the ArrayDimensions is set as identified by <number> values. If no <number> is set, the corresponding dimension is set to 0, indicating an unknown size. If no number is provided at all the ArrayDimensions can be omitted. If no brackets are provided, it identifies a scalar DataType and the ValueRank is set to the corresponding value (see OPC 10000-3). In addition, ArrayDimensions is set to null or is omitted. If it can be Any or ScalarOrOneDimension, the value is put into “{<value>}”, so either “{Any}” or “{ScalarOrOneDimension}” and the ValueRank is set to the corresponding value (see OPC 10000-3) and the ArrayDimensions is set to null or is omitted. Examples are given in Table 1.
| Notation | DataType | ValueRank | ArrayDimensions | Description |
| 0:Int32 | 0:Int32 | -1 | omitted or null | A scalar Int32. |
| 0:Int32[] | 0:Int32 | 1 | omitted or {0} | Single-dimensional array of Int32 with an unknown size. |
| 0:Int32[][] | 0:Int32 | 2 | omitted or {0,0} | Two-dimensional array of Int32 with unknown sizes for both dimensions. |
| 0:Int32[3][] | 0:Int32 | 2 | {3,0} | Two-dimensional array of Int32 with a size of 3 for the first dimension and an unknown size for the second dimension. |
| 0:Int32[5][3] | 0:Int32 | 2 | {5,3} | Two-dimensional array of Int32 with a size of 5 for the first dimension and a size of 3 for the second dimension. |
| 0:Int32{Any} | 0:Int32 | -2 | omitted or null | An Int32 where it is unknown if it is scalar or array with any number of dimensions. |
| 0:Int32{ScalarOrOneDimension} | 0:Int32 | -3 | omitted or null | An Int32 where it is either a single-dimensional array or a scalar. |
The TypeDefinition is specified for Objects and Variables.
The TypeDefinition column specifies a symbolic name for a NodeId, i.e., the specified Node points with a HasTypeDefinition Reference to the corresponding Node.
The ModellingRule of the referenced component is provided by specifying the symbolic name of the rule in the ModellingRule column. In the AddressSpace, the Node shall use a HasModellingRule Reference to point to the corresponding ModellingRule Object.
If the NodeId of a DataType is provided, the symbolic name of the Node representing the DataType shall be used.
Note that if a symbolic name of a different namespace is used, it is prefixed by the NamespaceIndex (see 3.4.2.2).
Nodes of all other NodeClasses cannot be defined in the same table; therefore, only the used ReferenceType, their NodeClass and their BrowseName are specified. A reference to another part of this document points to their definition. Table 2 illustrates the table. If no components are provided, the DataType, TypeDefinition and Other columns may be omitted and only a Comment column is introduced to point to the Node definition.
Each Type Node or well-known Instance Node defined shall have one or more ConformanceUnits defined in 0 that require the Node to be in the AddressSpace.
The relations between Nodes and ConformanceUnits are defined at the end of the tables defining Nodes, one row per ConformanceUnit. The ConformanceUnits are reflected in the Category element for the Node definition in the UANodeSet (see OPC 10000-6).
The list of ConformanceUnits in the UANodeSet allows Servers to optimize resource consumption by using a list of supported ConformanceUnits to select a subset of the Nodes in an Information Model.
When a Node is selected in this way, all dependencies implied by the References are also selected.
Dependencies exist if the Node is the source of HasTypeDefinition, HasInterface, HasAddIn or any HierarchicalReference. Dependencies also exist if the Node is the target of a HasSubtype Reference. For Variables and VariableTypes, the value of the DataType Attribute is a dependency. For DataType Nodes, any DataTypes referenced in the DataTypeDefinition Attribute are also dependencies.
For additional details see OPC 10000-5.
| Attribute | Value | ||||
| Attribute name | Attribute value. If it is an optional Attribute that is not set “--” is used. | ||||
| References | NodeClass | BrowseName | DataType | TypeDefinition | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ReferenceType name | NodeClass of the target Node. | BrowseName of the target Node. | DataType of the referenced Node, only applicable for Variables. | TypeDefinition of the referenced Node, only applicable for Variables and Objects. | Additional characteristics of the TargetNode such as the ModellingRule or AccessLevel. |
| NOTE Notes referencing footnotes of the table content. | |||||
| Conformance Units | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name of ConformanceUnit, one row per ConformanceUnit |
Components of Nodes can be complex that is containing components by themselves. The TypeDefinition, NodeClass and DataType can be derived from the type definitions, and the symbolic name can be created as defined in 3.4.3.1. Therefore, those containing components are not explicitly specified; they are implicitly specified by the type definitions.
The Other column defines additional characteristics of the Node. Examples of characteristics that can appear in this column are show in Table 3.
| Name | Short Name | Description |
| 0:Mandatory | M | The Node has the Mandatory ModellingRule. |
| 0:Optional | O | The Node has the Optional ModellingRule. |
| 0:MandatoryPlaceholder | MP | The Node has the MandatoryPlaceholder ModellingRule. |
| 0:OptionalPlaceholder | OP | The Node has the OptionalPlaceholder ModellingRule. |
| ReadOnly | RO | The Node AccessLevel has the CurrentRead bit set but not the CurrentWrite bit. |
| ReadWrite | RW | The Node AccessLevel has the CurrentRead and CurrentWrite bits set. |
| WriteOnly | WO | The Node AccessLevel has the CurrentWrite bit set but not the CurrentRead bit. |
If multiple characteristics are defined, they are separated by commas. The name or the short name may be used.
3.4.1.2 Additional References
To provide information about additional References, the format as shown in Table 4 is used.
| SourceBrowsePath | Reference Type | Is Forward | TargetBrowsePath |
| SourceBrowsePath is always relative to the TypeDefinition. Multiple elements are defined as separate rows of a nested table. | ReferenceType name | True = forward Reference. | TargetBrowsePath points to another Node, which can be a well-known instance or a TypeDefinition. You can use BrowsePaths here as well, which is either relative to the TypeDefinition or absolute. If absolute, the first entry needs to refer to a type or well-known instance, uniquely identified within a namespace by the BrowseName. |
References can be to any other Node.
3.4.1.3 Additional sub-components
To provide information about sub-components, the format as shown in Table 5 is used.
| BrowsePath | References | NodeClass | BrowseName | DataType | TypeDefinition | Others |
| BrowsePath is always relative to the TypeDefinition. Multiple elements are defined as separate rows of a nested table | NOTE Same as for Table 2 | |||||
3.4.1.4 Additional Attribute values
The type definition table provides columns to specify the values for required Node Attributes for InstanceDeclarations. To provide information about additional Attributes, the format as shown in Table 6 is used.
| BrowsePath | <Attribute name> Attribute |
| BrowsePath is always relative to the TypeDefinition. Multiple elements are defined as separate rows of a nested table | The values of attributes are converted to text by adapting the reversible JSON encoding rules defined in OPC 10000-6. If the JSON encoding of a value is a JSON string or a JSON number then that value is entered in the value field. Double quotes are not included. If the DataType includes a NamespaceIndex (QualifiedNames, NodeIds or ExpandedNodeIds) then the notation used for BrowseNames is used. If the value is an Enumeration the name of the enumeration value is entered. If the value is a Structure then a sequence of name and value pairs is entered. Each pair is followed by a newline. The name is followed by a colon. The names are the names of the fields in the DataTypeDefinition. If the value is an array of non-structures then a sequence of values is entered where each value is followed by a newline. If the value is an array of Structures or a Structure with fields that are arrays or with nested Structures then the complete JSON array or JSON object is entered. |
There can be multiple columns to define more than one Attribute.
3.4.2 NodeIds and BrowseNames
3.4.2.1 NodeIds
The NodeIds of all Nodes described in this standard are only symbolic names. Annex A defines the actual NodeIds.
The symbolic name of each Node defined in this document is its BrowseName, or, when it is part of another Node, the BrowseName of the other Node, a “.”, and the BrowseName of itself. In this case “part of” means that the whole has a HasProperty or HasComponent Reference to its part. Since all Nodes not being part of another Node have a unique name in this document, the symbolic name is unique.
The NamespaceUri for all NodeIds defined in this document is defined in Annex A. The NamespaceIndex for this NamespaceUri is vendor-specific and depends on the position of the NamespaceUri in the server namespace table.
Note that this document not only defines concrete Nodes, but also requires that some Nodes shall be generated, for example one for each Session running on the Server. The NodeIds of those Nodes are Server-specific, including the namespace. But the NamespaceIndex of those Nodes cannot be the NamespaceIndex used for the Nodes defined in this document, because they are not defined by this document but generated by the Server.
3.4.2.2 BrowseNames
The text part of the BrowseNames for all Nodes defined in this document is specified in the tables defining the Nodes. The NamespaceUri for all BrowseNames defined in this document is defined in 12.2.
For InstanceDeclarations of NodeClass Object and Variable that are placeholders (OptionalPlaceholder and MandatoryPlaceholder ModellingRule), the BrowseName and the DisplayName are enclosed in angle brackets (<>) as recommended in OPC 10000-3.
If a BrowseName is not defined by this document, a namespace index prefix is added to the BrowseName (e.g., prefix '0' leading to ‘0:EngineeringUnits’ or prefix '2' leading to ‘2:DeviceRevision’). This is typically necessary if a Property of another specification is overwritten or used in the OPC UA types defined in this document. Table 32 provides a list of namespaces and their indexes as used in this document.
3.4.3 Common Attributes
3.4.3.1 General
The Attributes of Nodes, their DataTypes and descriptions are defined in OPC 10000-3. Attributes not marked as optional are mandatory and shall be provided by a Server. The following tables define if the Attribute value is defined by this document or if it is server-specific.
For all Nodes specified in this document, the Attributes named in Table 7 shall be set as specified in the table.
| Attribute | Value |
| DisplayName | The DisplayName is a LocalizedText. Each Server shall provide the DisplayName identical to the BrowseName of the Node for the LocaleId “en” unless specified differently in the specification. Whether the Server provides translated names for other LocaleIds is server-specific. |
| Description | Optionally a server-specific description is provided. |
| NodeClass | Shall reflect the NodeClass of the Node. |
| NodeId | The NodeId is described by BrowseNames as defined in 3.4.2.1. |
| WriteMask | Optionally the WriteMask Attribute can be provided. If the WriteMask Attribute is provided, it shall set all non-server-specific Attributes to not writable. For example, the Description Attribute may be set to writable since a Server may provide a server-specific description for the Node. The NodeId shall not be writable, because it is defined for each Node in this document. |
| UserWriteMask | Optionally the UserWriteMask Attribute can be provided. The same rules as for the WriteMask Attribute apply. |
| RolePermissions | Optionally server-specific role permissions can be provided. |
| UserRolePermissions | Optionally the role permissions of the current Session can be provided. The value is server-specific and depends on the RolePermissions Attribute (if provided) and the current Session. |
| AccessRestrictions | Optionally server-specific access restrictions can be provided. |
3.4.3.2 Objects
For all Objects specified in this document, the Attributes named in Table 8 shall be set as specified in the Table 8. The definitions for the Attributes can be found in OPC 10000-3.
| Attribute | Value |
| EventNotifier | Whether the Node can be used to subscribe to Events or not is server-specific. |
3.4.3.3 Variables
For all Variables specified in this document, the Attributes named in Table 9 shall be set as specified in the table. The definitions for the Attributes can be found in OPC 10000-3.
| Attribute | Value |
| MinimumSamplingInterval | Optionally, a server-specific minimum sampling interval is provided. |
| AccessLevel | The access level for Variables used for type definitions is server-specific, for all other Variables defined in this document, the access level shall allow reading; other settings are server-specific. |
| UserAccessLevel | The value for the UserAccessLevel Attribute is server-specific. It is assumed that all Variables can be accessed by at least one user. |
| Value | For Variables used as InstanceDeclarations, the value is server-specific; otherwise, it shall represent the value described in the text. |
| ArrayDimensions | If the ValueRank does not identify an array of a specific dimension (i.e., ValueRank <= 0) the ArrayDimensions can either be set to null or the Attribute is missing. This behaviour is server-specific. If the ValueRank specifies an array of a specific dimension (i.e., ValueRank > 0) then the ArrayDimensions Attribute shall be specified in the table defining the Variable. |
| Historizing | The value for the Historizing Attribute is server-specific. |
| AccessLevelEx | If the AccessLevelEx Attribute is provided, it shall have the bits 8, 9, and 10 set to 0, meaning that read and write operations on an individual Variable are atomic, and arrays can be partly written. |
3.4.3.4 VariableTypes
For all VariableTypes specified in this document, the Attributes named in Table 10 shall be set as specified in the table. The definitions for the Attributes can be found in OPC 10000-3.
| Attributes | Value |
| Value | Optionally a server-specific default value can be provided. |
| ArrayDimensions | If the ValueRank does not identify an array of a specific dimension (i.e., ValueRank <= 0) the ArrayDimensions can either be set to null or the Attribute is missing. This behaviour is server-specific. If the ValueRank specifies an array of a specific dimension (i.e., ValueRank > 0) then the ArrayDimensions Attribute shall be specified in the table defining the VariableType. |
3.4.3.5 Methods
For all Methods specified in this document, the Attributes named in Table 11 shall be set as specified in the table. The definitions for the Attributes can be found in OPC 10000-3.
| Attributes | Value |
| Executable | All Methods defined in this document shall be executable (Executable Attribute set to “True”), unless it is defined differently in the Method definition. |
| UserExecutable | The value of the UserExecutable Attribute is server-specific. It is assumed that all Methods can be executed by at least one user. |
3.4.4 Structures
OPC 10000-3 differentiates between different kinds of Structures. The following conventions explain, how these Structures shall be defined.
The first kind are Structures without optional fields where none of the fields allows subtype (except fields with abstract DataTypes). Its definition is in Table 12.
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| <someStructure> | structure | Subtype of <someParentStructure> defined in … |
SP1 | 0:Byte[] | Setpoint 1 |
SP2 | 0:Byte[] | Setpoint 2 |
The second kind are Structures with optional fields where none of the fields allows subtypes (except fields with abstract DataTypes). Its definition is in Table 13.
Structures with fields that are optional have an “Optional” column. Fields that are optional have True set, otherwise False.
| Name | Type | Description | Optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| <someStructure> | structure | Subtype of <someParentStructure> defined in … | |
SP1 | 0:Byte[] | Setpoint 1 | False |
Optional Field_1 | 0:String | Some Text | True |
The third kind are Structures without optional fields where one or more of the fields allow subtypes. Its definition is in Table 14.
Structures with fields that allow subtypes have an “Allow Subtypes” column. Fields that allow subtypes have True set, otherwise False. Fields with abstract DataTypes can always be subtyped.
| Name | Type | Description | Allow Subtypes |
|---|---|---|---|
| <someStructure> | structure | Subtype of <someParentStructure> defined in … | |
SP1 | 0:Byte[] | Setpoint 1 | False |
Allow Subtypes | 0:ByteString | Some Bytestring | True |
4 General information to Global Positioning and OPC UA
4.1 Introduction to Global Positioning
This document defines an extension to the existing OPC UA location models to support global positioning information. This extension addresses the need to integrate global positioning data (e.g., GPS and EPSG-based coordinates) into industrial systems.
Modern industrial applications increasingly require the ability to correlate local spatial data with globally referenced coordinates. For example, asset tracking, multi-site logistics, and remote monitoring benefit from a seamless highly precise transformation between the local coordinate system of a manufacturing environment and geographic locations in navigation and mapping. The extension defined herein introduces new data types, object models, and reference relationships - most notably the GlobalPositionType, GlobalLocationType and ZoneType - that capture parameters such as latitude, longitude, elevation, and positional accuracy in a global context and allow for a precise transformation between the coordinate systems.
This extension ensures that systems built on OPC UA can reliably exchange and interpret position information, regardless of whether it originates from a local or global coordinate system. It thereby enables a coherent and interoperable approach to managing spatial data across both local and global domains within industrial environments.
4.2 Introduction to OPC Unified Architecture
4.2.1 What is OPC UA?
OPC UA is an open and royalty free set of standards designed as a universal communication protocol. While there are numerous communication solutions available, OPC UA has key advantages:
A state of art security model (see OPC 10000-2).
A fault tolerant communication protocol.
An information modelling framework that allows application developers to represent their data in a way that makes sense to them.
OPC UA has a broad scope which delivers for economies of scale for application developers. This means that a larger number of high-quality applications at a reasonable cost are available. When combined with semantic models such as Global Positioning, OPC UA makes it easier for end users to access data via generic commercial applications.
The OPC UA model is scalable from small devices to ERP systems. OPC UA Servers process information locally and then provide that data in a consistent format to any application requesting data - ERP, MES, PMS, Maintenance Systems, HMI, Smartphone, or a standard Browser, for examples. For a more complete overview see OPC 10000-1.
4.2.2 Basics of OPC UA
As an open standard, OPC UA is based on standard internet technologies, like TCP/IP, HTTP, Web Sockets.
As an extensible standard, OPC UA provides a set of Services (see OPC 10000-4) and a basic information model framework. This framework provides an easy manner for creating and exposing vendor defined information in a standard way. More importantly all OPC UA Clients are expected to be able to discover and use vendor-defined information. This means OPC UA users can benefit from the economies of scale that come with generic visualisation and historian applications. This specification is an example of an OPC UA Information Model designed to meet the needs of developers and users.
OPC UA Clients can be any consumer of data from another device on the network to browser based thin clients and ERP systems. The full scope of OPC UA applications is shown in Figure 1.
OPC UA provides a robust and reliable communication infrastructure having mechanisms for handling lost messages, failover, heartbeat, etc. With its binary encoded data, it offers a high-performing data exchange solution. Security is built into OPC UA as security requirements become more and more important especially since environments are connected to the office network or the internet and attackers are starting to focus on automation systems.
4.2.3 Information modelling in OPC UA
4.2.3.1 Concepts
OPC UA provides a framework that can be used to represent complex information as Objects in an AddressSpace which can be accessed with standard services. These Objects consist of Nodes connected by References. Different classes of Nodes convey different semantics. For example, a Variable Node represents a value that can be read or written. The Variable Node has an associated DataType that can define the actual value, such as a string, float, structure etc. It can also describe the Variable value as a variant. A Method Node represents a function that can be called. Every Node has a number of Attributes including a unique identifier called a NodeId and non-localized name called as BrowseName. An Object representing a ‘Reservation’ is shown in Figure 2.
Object and Variable Nodes represent instances and they always reference a TypeDefinition (ObjectType or VariableType) Node which describes their semantics and structure. Figure 3 illustrates the relationship between an instance and its TypeDefinition.
The type Nodes are templates that define all of the children that can be present in an instance of the type. In the example in Figure 3 the PersonType ObjectType defines two children: First Name and Last Name. All instances of PersonType are expected to have the same children with the same BrowseNames. Within a type the BrowseNames uniquely identify the children. This means Client applications can be designed to search for children based on the BrowseNames from the type instead of NodeIds. This eliminates the need for manual reconfiguration of systems if a Client uses types that multiple Servers implement.
OPC UA also supports the concept of sub-typing. This allows a modeller to take an existing type and extend it. There are rules regarding sub-typing defined in OPC 10000-3, but in general they allow the extension of a given type or the restriction of a DataType. For example, the modeller may decide that the existing ObjectType in some cases needs an additional Variable. The modeller can create a subtype of the ObjectType and add the Variable. A Client that is expecting the parent type can treat the new type as if it was of the parent type. Regarding DataTypes, subtypes can only restrict. If a Variable is defined to have a numeric value, a subtype could restrict it to a float.
References allow Nodes to be connected in ways that describe their relationships. All References have a ReferenceType that specifies the semantics of the relationship. References can be hierarchical or non-hierarchical. Hierarchical references are used to create the structure of Objects and Variables. Non-hierarchical are used to create arbitrary associations. Applications can define their own ReferenceType by creating subtypes of an existing ReferenceType. Subtypes inherit the semantics of the parent but may add additional restrictions. Figure 4 depicts several References, connecting different Objects.
The figures above use a notation that was developed for the OPC UA specification. The notation is summarized in Figure 5. UML representations can also be used; however, the OPC UA notation is less ambiguous because there is a direct mapping from the elements in the figures to Nodes in the AddressSpace of an OPC UA Server.
A complete description of the different types of Nodes and References can be found in OPC 10000-3 and the base structure is described in OPC 10000-5.
The OPC UA specification defines a very wide range of functionality in its basic information model. It is not required that all Clients or Servers support all functionality in the OPC UA specifications. OPC UA includes the concept of Profiles, which segment the functionality into testable certifiable units. This allows the definition of functional subsets (that are expected to be implemented) within a companion specification. The Profiles do not restrict functionality, but generate requirements for a minimum set of functionalities (see OPC 10000-7).
4.2.3.2 Namespaces
OPC UA allows information from many different sources to be combined into a single coherent AddressSpace. Namespaces are used to make this possible by eliminating naming and id conflicts between information from different sources. Each namespace in OPC UA has a globally unique string called a NamespaceUri which identifies a naming authority and a locally unique integer called a NamespaceIndex, which is an index into the Server's table of NamespaceUris. The NamespaceIndex is unique only within the context of a Session between an OPC UA Client and an OPC UA Server- the NamespaceIndex can change between Sessions and still identify the same item even though the NamespaceUri's location in the table has changed. The Services defined for OPC UA use the NamespaceIndex to specify the Namespace for qualified values.
There are two types of structured values in OPC UA that are qualified with NamespaceIndexes: NodeIds and QualifiedNames. NodeIds are locally unique (and sometimes globally unique) identifiers for Nodes. The same globally unique NodeId can be used as the identifier in a node in many Servers – the node's instance data may vary but its semantic meaning is the same regardless of the Server it appears in. This means Clients can have built-in knowledge of what the data means in these Nodes. OPC UA Information Models generally define globally unique NodeIds for the TypeDefinitions defined by the Information Model.
QualifiedNames are non-localized names qualified with a Namespace. They are used for the BrowseNames of Nodes and allow the same names to be used by different information models without conflict. TypeDefinitions are not allowed to have children with duplicate BrowseNames; however, instances do not have that restriction.
4.2.3.3 Companion Specifications
An OPC UA companion specification for an industry specific vertical market describes an Information Model by defining ObjectTypes, VariableTypes, DataTypes and ReferenceTypes that represent the concepts used in the vertical market, and potentially also well-defined Objects as entry points into the AddressSpace.
5 Use cases
5.1 Global Asset Tracking
Industrial operators can track assets across multiple facilities or even across international borders. Local sensors provide detailed positioning within a site, and the extension transforms these into global coordinates, enabling a unified view of asset locations.
5.2 Robotic Navigation and Relative Spatial Localization
Robots operating in industrial environments rely on relative spatial data for tasks like navigation and object manipulation. By integrating local positioning data with global coordinates, this specification extension allows robots to accurately determine their relative position within an area and relate it to a broader, globally referenced environment. This bridges the gap to support precise robotic control, collision avoidance, and coordinated operations among multiple robots and heterogenous environments.
5.3 Remote Monitoring and Field Operations
Operators in remote or outdoor environments can monitor equipment and infrastructure by fusing local sensor data with globally referenced positioning information. This allows for rapid decision-making and efficient resource allocation in maintenance, emergency response, or field service operations.
6 Global Positioning Information Model overview
6.1 Overview
The information model provides different levels of providing global position and location information.
6.2 Global Position
The global position provides information about the latitude, longitude and optionally the elevation of a position, according to a coordinate reference system for the latitude and longitude, and an elevation reference for the elevation. The coordinate reference system can for example be EPSG:4326 as used by GPS. The elevation reference is typically relative to a floor level.
In order to provide the global position, the GlobalPositionType VariableType is used (see 8.1). In Figure 6, the GlobalPositionType is shown, providing the main information as value (in the GlobalPositionDataType) as well as subvariables for individual access, and additional information like the coordinate reference system. The SourceId Variable provides the identifier indicating which tracking system or device generated the position data.
The SourceId Variable plays a critical role in this context by identifying the origin of the position data. It represents a unique identifier that indicates which tracking system or self-localizing device generated the location information. This identifier may correspond to a zone or foreign identifier associated with a real-time location system, or it may denote the unique identifier of a device capable of self-localization (for example, a UWB (Ultra-Wideband) tag operating in GPS mode).
6.3 Global Location
The global location uses the global position as base to provide the global position and adds information about the orientation in the GlobalLocationType VariableType (see 8.2). It provides the main information as value (in the GlobalLocationDataType) and in addition, the position and orientation as subvariables with additional meta data. The orientation is used as defined in OPC 10000-210. In Figure 7, the GlobalLocationDataType is shown.
6.4 Zones
A zone defines an area in which a location is computed. A zone translates local locations related to the area of the zone to global geographic locations. A zone is defined by the ZoneType ObjectType (see 7.1). In Figure 8, the ObjectType is shown.
The relation between zones and the global position and global location is shown in an example in Figure 9. The global position Variable X:MyPosition references with its SourceId Variable the X:Zone123, and the global location Variable X:MyLocation with the SourceId Variable of its position the X:Zone234. The GlobalLocations Object defined in 10.1 is the standardized entry point to zones provided by a Server.
6.5 Connecting trackable Assets to global position and location information
You can put the variable GlobalPositionType or GlobalLocationType on the object you are tracking. The value should relate to the current and most significant location of the tracked object. E.g., if the object is tracked using multiple different locating technologies, the location with the highest accuracy should be assigned.
7 OPC UA ObjectTypes
7.1 ZoneType definition
7.1.1 Overview
The ZoneType defines an area, in which a local location is computed, e.g. via a RTLS or a proximity based system like RFID. For that reason, it might either have a set of GroundControlPoints defining the extent for RTLS or just a point and a radius for proximity based systems. It is formally defined in Table 15.
7.1.2 ObjectType definition
| Attribute | Value | ||||
| BrowseName | ZoneType | ||||
| IsAbstract | False | ||||
| Description | Defines an area, in which a local location is computed, e.g. via a RTLS or an proximity based system like RFID. For that reason it might have a set of GroundControlPoints defining the extent or just a point and a radius. | ||||
| References | Node Class | BrowseName | DataType | TypeDefinition | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subtype of the 0:BaseObjectType | |||||
| 0:HasProperty | Variable | ZoneId | 0:String | 0:PropertyType | M |
| 0:HasProperty | Variable | Building | 0:String | 0:PropertyType | O |
| 0:HasProperty | Variable | Floor | 0:String | 0:PropertyType | O |
| 0:HasProperty | Variable | Site | 0:String | 0:PropertyType | O |
| 0:HasComponent | Variable | GroundControlPoints | GroundControlPointDataType[] | 0:BaseDataVariableType | O |
| 0:HasComponent | Variable | Position | 3DGeographicCoordinateDataType | 0:BaseDataVariableType | O |
| 0:HasComponent | Variable | Radius | 0:Double | 0:BaseDataVariableType | O |
| 0:HasProperty | Variable | IncompleteConfiguration | 0:Boolean | 0:PropertyType | O |
| Conformance Units | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPOS Zones |
The child Nodes of the ZoneType have additional Attribute values defined in Table 16.
| BrowsePath | Description Attribute |
| ZoneId | A unique identifier of the zone (e.g. a GUID). |
| Building | Name of the building |
| Floor | Name of the floor |
| Site | Name of the site |
| GroundControlPoints | Points defining the extent of the zone |
| Position | Describes a point (i.e. a position) in 2 or 3 dimensions. |
| Radius | For proximity-based systems. Describes the zone as a circular region with a given radius in meters around the position. |
| IncompleteConfiguration | Indicates if the configuration is complete. FALSE if configuration is complete. |
8 OPC UA VariableTypes
8.1 GlobalPositionType
The GlobalPositionType is a subtype of the BaseDataVariableType. It describes a point (i.e. a position) in 2 or 3 dimensions. Important: A Point object shall be interpreted according to the CoordinateReferenceSystem.
Note: A GlobalPositionType may also reference itself as a source for the position instead of a zone. For example, a GPS device does not require a zone to translate its position into a geographic coordinate.
It is formally defined in Table 17.
| Attribute | Value | |||||
| BrowseName | GlobalPositionType | |||||
| IsAbstract | False | |||||
| ValueRank | −1 (−1 = Scalar) | |||||
| DataType | GlobalPositionDataType | |||||
| Description | Describes a point (i.e. a position) in 2 or 3 dimensions. Important: A Point object shall be interpreted according to the CoordinateReferenceSystem. | |||||
| References | NodeClass | BrowseName | DataType | TypeDefinition | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subtype of the 0:BaseDataVariableType | ||||||
| 0:HasComponent | Variable | Longitude | 0:Double | 0:BaseDataVariableType | M | |
| 0:HasComponent | Variable | Latitude | 0:Double | 0:BaseDataVariableType | M | |
| 0:HasComponent | Variable | Elevation | 0:Double | 0:BaseDataVariableType | O | |
| 0:HasComponent | Variable | Accuracy | 0:Double | 0:BaseDataVariableType | O | |
| 0:HasComponent | Variable | Floor | 0:Float | 0:BaseDataVariableType | O | |
| 0:HasProperty | Variable | SourceId | 0:NodeId | 0:PropertyType | M | |
| 0:HasComponent | Variable | CoordinateReferenceSystem | 0:UInt32 | 0:MultiStateValueDiscreteType | M | |
| 0:HasComponent | Variable | ElevationReference | 0:Byte | 0:MultiStateValueDiscreteType | O | |
| Conformance Units | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPOS GlobalPosition | ||||||
The child Nodes of the GlobalPositionType have additional Attribute values defined in Table 18.
| BrowsePath | Value Attribute | Description Attribute |
| Longitude | MUST be interpreted according to the CoordinateReferenceSystem | |
| Latitude | MUST be interpreted according to the CoordinateReferenceSystem | |
| Elevation | MUST be interpreted according to the ElevationReference. If floor, the height relative to specific floor in meter | |
| Accuracy | The horizontal accuracy of the position in meters. | |
| Floor | A logical and non-localized representation for a building floor. Floor 0 represents the floor designated as 'ground'. Negative numbers indicate floors below the ground floor and positive numbers indicate floors above the ground floor. When implemented, the floor value MUST match described logical numbering scheme, which can be different from any numbering used within a building. Values can be expressed as an integer value, or as a float as required for mezzanine floor levels. | |
| SourceId | Reference to the zone or provider calculating the position | |
| CoordinateReferenceSystem | A projection identifier defining the projection of the provided location coordinate. The CoordinateReferenceSystem shall be either a valid EPSG identifier (https://epsg.io) or 'local' if the location is provided as a relative coordinate of the floor plan. For best interoperability and worldwide coverage, WGS84 (EPSG:4326) should be the preferred projection (as used also by GPS). | |
[ {"Value": 0, "DisplayName": "local", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 4326, "DisplayName": "GPS", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32601, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 1N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32602, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 2N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32603, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 3N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32604, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 4N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32605, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 5N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32606, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 6N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32607, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 7N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32608, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 8N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32609, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 9N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32610, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 10N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32611, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 11N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32612, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 12N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32613, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 13N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32614, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 14N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32615, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 15N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32616, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 16N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32617, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 17N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32618, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 18N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32619, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 19N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32620, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 20N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32621, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 21N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32622, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 22N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32623, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 23N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32624, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 24N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32625, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 25N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32626, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 26N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32627, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 27N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32628, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 28N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32629, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 29N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32630, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 30N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32631, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 31N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32632, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 32N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32633, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 33N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32634, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 34N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32635, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 35N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32636, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 36N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32637, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 37N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32638, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 38N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32639, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 39N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32640, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 40N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32641, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 41N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32642, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 42N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32643, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 43N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32644, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 44N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32645, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 45N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32646, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 46N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32647, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 47N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32648, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 48N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32649, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 49N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32650, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 50N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32651, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 51N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32652, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 52N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32653, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 53N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32654, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 54N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32655, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 55N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32656, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 56N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32657, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 57N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32658, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 58N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32659, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 59N", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32661, "DisplayName": "UPS North (N,E)", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32701, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 1S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32702, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 2S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32703, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 3S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32704, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 4S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32705, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 5S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32706, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 6S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32707, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 7S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32708, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 8S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32709, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 9S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32710, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 10S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32711, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 11S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32712, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 12S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32713, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 13S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32714, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 14S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32715, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 15S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32716, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 16S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32717, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 17S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32718, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 18S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32719, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 19S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32720, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 20S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32721, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 21S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32722, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 22S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32723, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 23S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32724, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 24S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32725, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 25S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32726, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 26S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32727, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 27S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32728, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 28S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32729, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 29S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32730, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 30S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32731, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 31S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32732, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 32S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32733, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 33S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32734, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 34S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32735, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 35S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32736, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 36S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32737, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 37S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32738, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 38S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32739, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 39S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32740, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 40S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32741, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 41S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32742, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 42S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32743, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 43S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32744, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 44S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32745, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 45S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32746, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 46S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32747, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 47S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32748, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 48S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32749, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 49S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32750, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 50S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32751, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 51S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32752, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 52S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32753, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 53S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32754, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 54S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32755, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 55S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32756, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 56S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32757, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 57S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32758, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 58S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32759, "DisplayName": "UTM zone 59S", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 32761, "DisplayName": "UPS South (N,E)", "Description": ""} ] | ||
| ElevationReference | An elevation reference hint for the position's Elevation. If present it shall be either 'floor' or 'wgs84'. If set to 'floor' the Elevation shall be assumed to be relative to the floor level in meter. If set to 'wgs84' the Elevation shall be treated as WGS84 ellipsoidal height. For the majority of applications an accurate geographic height may not be available. Therefore ElevationReference shall be assumed 'floor' by default if it is not present. | |
[ {"Value": 0, "DisplayName": "floor", "Description": ""}, {"Value": 1, "DisplayName": "wgs84", "Description": ""} ] |
8.2 GlobalLocationType
The GlobalLocationType is a subtype of the BaseDataVariableType. It defines the location of an object - in a global coordinate reference system. It is formally defined in Table 17.
| Attribute | Value | |||||
| BrowseName | GlobalLocationType | |||||
| IsAbstract | False | |||||
| ValueRank | −1 (−1 = Scalar) | |||||
| DataType | GlobalLocationDataType | |||||
| Description | Defines the location of an object - in a global coordinate reference system | |||||
| References | NodeClass | BrowseName | DataType | TypeDefinition | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subtype of the 2:SpatialLocationType | ||||||
| 0:HasComponent | Variable | 2:Orientation | 0:3DOrientation | 0:3DOrientationType | O | |
| 0:HasComponent | Variable | 2:Position | GlobalPositionDataType | GlobalPositionType | M | |
| Conformance Units | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPOS GlobalLocation | ||||||
The child Nodes of the GlobalLocationType have additional Attribute values defined in Table 18.
| BrowsePath | Value Attribute | Description Attribute |
| 2:Orientation | Informs about an orientation typically with respect to a position. In mathematics, orientation defines a geometric notion. |
9 OPC UA DataTypes
9.1 3DGeographicCoordinateDataType
This structure represents a geographic coordinate. The structure is defined in Table 21.
| Name | Type | Description | Optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DGeographicCoordinateDataType | structure | ||
Longitude | 0:Double | MUST be interpreted according to the CoordinateReferenceSystem | False |
Latitude | 0:Double | MUST be interpreted according to the CoordinateReferenceSystem | False |
Elevation | 0:Double | MUST be interpreted according to the ElevationReference. If floor, the height relative to specific floor in meter | True |
Its representation in the AddressSpace is defined in Table 22.
| Attribute | Value | |||||
| BrowseName | 3DGeographicCoordinateDataType | |||||
| IsAbstract | False | |||||
| Description | Represents a geographic coordinate | |||||
| References | NodeClass | BrowseName | DataType | TypeDefinition | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subtype of 0:Structure | ||||||
| Conformance Units | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPOS GlobalPosition | ||||||
9.2 GlobalPositionDataType
This structure represents a global position. It is a subtype of the 3DGeographicCoordinateDataType inheriting the fields Longitude, Latitude , and the optional Elevation. The structure is defined in Table 23.
| Name | Type | Description | Optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| GlobalPositionDataType | structure | ||
Accuracy | 0:Double | The horizontal accuracy of the position in meters. | True |
Floor | 0:Float | A logical and non-localized representation for a building floor. Floor 0 represents the floor designated as 'ground'. Negative numbers indicate floors below the ground floor and positive numbers indicate floors above the ground floor. When implemented, the floor value MUST match described logical numbering scheme, which can be different from any numbering used within a building. Values can be expressed as an integer value, or as a float as required for mezzanine floor levels. | True |
Its representation in the AddressSpace is defined in Table 24.
| Attribute | Value | |||||
| BrowseName | GlobalPositionDataType | |||||
| IsAbstract | False | |||||
| Description | Represents a global position | |||||
| References | NodeClass | BrowseName | DataType | TypeDefinition | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subtype of 3DGeographicCoordinateDataType | ||||||
| Conformance Units | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPOS GlobalPosition | ||||||
9.3 GlobalLocationDataType
This structure represents a global location. The structure is defined in Table 25.
| Name | Type | Description | Optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| GlobalLocationDataType | structure | ||
Position | GlobalPositionDataType | False | |
Orientation | 0:3DOrientation | Informs about an orientation typically with respect to a position. In mathematics, orientation defines a geometric notion. | True |
Its representation in the AddressSpace is defined in Table 26.
| Attribute | Value | |||||
| BrowseName | GlobalLocationDataType | |||||
| IsAbstract | False | |||||
| Description | Represents a global location | |||||
| References | NodeClass | BrowseName | DataType | TypeDefinition | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subtype of 0:Structure | ||||||
| Conformance Units | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPOS GlobalLocation | ||||||
9.4 GroundControlPointDataType
This structure defines a pair of coordinates - local and global - to allow geo-references from local coordinate to a global coordinate system. The structure is defined in Table 27.
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| GroundControlPointDataType | structure | |
GlobalPosition | 3DGeographicCoordinateDataType | Position in a global coordinate reference system |
LocalPosition | 0:3DCartesianCoordinates | Local position in metric coordinates (in meter) |
Its representation in the AddressSpace is defined in Table 28.
| Attribute | Value | |||||
| BrowseName | GroundControlPointDataType | |||||
| IsAbstract | False | |||||
| Description | Defines a pair of coordinates - local and global - to allow geo-references from local coordinate to a global coordinate system | |||||
| References | NodeClass | BrowseName | DataType | TypeDefinition | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subtype of 0:Structure | ||||||
| Conformance Units | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPOS Zones | ||||||
10 Instances
10.1 GlobalLocations
The GlobalLocations Object provides an entry point to access information about global positions, more precise about the zones provided by the Server. It is formally defined in Table 29. The Object should directly or indirectly reference all zone Objects of the Server. If referenced directly, 0:Organizes References should be used.
| Attribute | Value | |||
| BrowseName | GlobalLocations | |||
| References | NodeClass | BrowseName | DataType | TypeDefinition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OrganizedBy by the 0:Locations Object | ||||
| 0:HasTypeDefinition | ObjectType | 0:FolderType | ||
| Conformance Units | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPOS Zones | ||||
11 Profiles and Conformance Units
Meaning and significance of Profiles and ConformanceUnits are described in OPC 10000-7.
The Profiles and ConformanceUnits for this specification are maintained in an online database and accessible via https://profiles.opcfoundation.org/?pg=GlobalPos%201.0.
12 Namespaces
12.1 Namespace Metadata
Table 30 defines the namespace metadata for this document. The Object is used to provide version information for the namespace and an indication about static Nodes. Static Nodes are identical for all Attributes in all Servers, including the Value Attribute. See OPC 10000-5 for more details.
The information is provided as Object of type NamespaceMetadataType. This Object is a component of the Namespaces Object that is part of the Server Object. The NamespaceMetadataType ObjectType and its Properties are defined in OPC 10000-5.
The version information is also provided as part of the ModelTableEntry in the UANodeSet XML file. The UANodeSet XML schema is defined in OPC 10000-6.
| Attribute | Value | ||
| BrowseName | http://opcfoundation.org/UA/GPOS/ | ||
| Property | DataType | Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NamespaceUri | String | http://opcfoundation.org/UA/GPOS/ | |
| NamespaceVersion | String | 1.0.0 | |
| NamespacePublicationDate | DateTime | 2025-09-25 | |
| IsNamespaceSubset | Boolean | False | |
| StaticNodeIdTypes | IdType[] | 0 | |
| StaticNumericNodeIdRange | NumericRange [] | ||
| StaticStringNodeIdPattern | String | ||
Note: The IsNamespaceSubset Property is set to False as the UANodeSet XML file contains the complete Namespace. Servers only exposing a subset of the Namespace need to change the value to True.
12.2 Handling of OPC UA Namespaces
Namespaces are used by OPC UA to create unique identifiers across different naming authorities. The Attributes NodeId and BrowseName are identifiers. A Node in the UA AddressSpace is unambiguously identified using a NodeId. Unlike NodeIds, the BrowseName cannot be used to unambiguously identify a Node. Different Nodes may have the same BrowseName. They are used to build a browse path between two Nodes or to define a standard Property.
Servers may often choose to use the same namespace for the NodeId and the BrowseName. However, if they want to provide a standard Property, its BrowseName shall have the namespace of the standards body although the namespace of the NodeId reflects something else, for example the EngineeringUnits Property. All NodeIds of Nodes not defined in this document shall not use the standard namespaces.
Table 31 provides a list of namespaces typically used in a Global Positioning OPC UA Server.
| NamespaceURI | Description |
| http://opcfoundation.org/UA/ | Namespace for NodeIds and BrowseNames defined in the OPC UA specification. This namespace shall have namespace index 0. |
| Local Server URI | Namespace for nodes defined in the local server. This namespace shall have namespace index 1. |
| http://opcfoundation.org/UA/RSL/ | Namespace for NodeIds and BrowseNames defined in OPC 10000-210. The namespace index is Server specific. |
| http://opcfoundation.org/UA/GPOS/ | Namespace for NodeIds and BrowseNames defined in this document. The namespace index is Server specific. |
| Vendor specific types | A Server may provide vendor-specific types like types derived from ObjectTypes defined in this document in a vendor-specific namespace. |
| Vendor specific instances | A Server provides vendor-specific instances of the standard types or vendor-specific instances of vendor-specific types in a vendor-specific namespace. It is recommended to separate vendor specific types and vendor specific instances into two or more namespaces. |
Table 32 provides a list of namespaces and their indices used for BrowseNames in this document. The default namespace of this document is not listed since all BrowseNames without prefix use this default namespace.
| NamespaceURI | Namespace Index | Example |
| http://opcfoundation.org/UA/ | 0 | 0:EngineeringUnits |
| http://opcfoundation.org/UA/RSL/ | 2 | 2:SpatialLocationType |
Annex A Global Positioning Namespace and mappings (Normative)
A.1 NodeSet and supplementary files for Global Positioning Information Model
The Global Positioning Information Model is identified by the following URI:
http://opcfoundation.org/UA/GPOS/
Documentation for the NamespaceUri can be found here.
The NodeSet associated with this version of specification can be found here:
https://reference.opcfoundation.org/nodesets/?u=http://opcfoundation.org/UA/GPOS/&v=1.0.0&i=1
The NodeSet associated with the latest version of the specification can be found here:
https://reference.opcfoundation.org/nodesets/?u=http://opcfoundation.org/UA/GPOS/&i=1
Supplementary files for the Global Positioning Information Model can be found here:
https://reference.opcfoundation.org/nodesets/?u=http://opcfoundation.org/UA/GPOS/&v=1.0.0&i=2
The files associated with the latest version of the specification can be found here:
https://reference.opcfoundation.org/nodesets/?u=http://opcfoundation.org/UA/GPOS/&i=2
A.2 Capability Identifier
| The capability identifier for this document shall be: | GPOS |
Agreement of Use
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