Live Binding Model for OPC Data (Classic and UA)

Live Binding is supported to OPC data points, i.e. identified values (items, nodes) that are changing over time. Live Binding is currently not available for other types of OPC data, such as OPC alarms, events or conditions.

Do not confuse the live binding model with live mapping, also provided by OPC Data Client. The main differences between the two are that

live binding is for UI (User Interface), and is therefore visual, both in design and in runtime, and
live binding works with individual object members, and not on whole types.

Following resources will help you get started with Live Binding:

The Getting Started section in this document: Contains instructions on how to create an application with live binding in a few steps.
For OPC-DA in Windows Forms, the “Live Binding Demo” application that is installed with the product; its source code is contained in the WindowsForms\LiveBindingDemo project. The application contains annotated live binding configurations for typical scenarios.
For OPC-UA in Windows Forms, the “UA Live Binding Demo” application that is installed with the product; its source code is contained in the WindowsForms\UALiveBindingDemo project. The application contains annotated live binding configurations for typical scenarios.

The features discussed here, or some of them, may not be available in all editions of the product. Check the Product Editions page for differences between the editions. The trial license has all features enabled (and is limited in period for which it provides valid data), but licenses for specific commercial editions may have functionality limitations.

In runtime, all user interface features (such as controls, dialogs, and live binding; Windows Forms and WPF) and nonvisual components are supported both under .NET Framework and .NET 6+. However, "designing" them (this includes tasks like dragging from the Toolbox, or configuring in Properties window) in Visual Studio is only possible in .NET Framework projects. In order to achieve visual design for .NET 6+ projects, the developer can make two project files over the same set of source files, one targeting .NET Framework and one targeting .NET 6+, and use the project that targets .NET Framework for visual design tasks.

WPF design-time features are not available in OPC Data Client version 2024.1. This affects the ability to use Visual Studio to configure Live Binding in WPF applications, and to configure properties of OPC Data Client WPF controls.

You can still use XAML editing to configure properties of OPC Data Client WPF controls. OPC Data Client version 2024.1 still fully supports WPF in run-time, i.e. the functionality of OPC Data Client WPF controls in run-time is not affected, and also existing applications that use WPF Live Binding run correctly.

We are evaluating the feasibility of supporting the WPF design-time features in a future version.