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OPC (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OLE_for_process_control) is a an industry standard to allow a unified access to a varied number of devices, be it controller of any kind, sensors, whatever. Many specialized hardware components have their own OPC Server (e.g. WinCC, ABB, ...), but there are quite a few implementors which provide generic "OPC servers" which provide access to devices via a wealth of protocols. Prominent examples are Matrikon (http://www.matrikonopc.de/opc-server/) or Software Toolbox's TOP Server (http://www.toolboxopc.com/index.html).
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- Windows computer to install the OPC Server (note that Home Editions of Windows might not work due to restrictions on the Windows operating system)
- on the development computer a functional JDK (6 or 7)
- on the development computer a running Eclipse 3.x 5+ or 4.x
Setting up TOP Server
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