In the world of industrial automation, few terms evoke nostalgia and simultaneous IT headaches quite like "FactorySoft." For a significant period in the late 1990s and early 2000s, FactorySoft was a premier provider of OPC (OLE for Process Control) tools. Their client software allowed operators to connect HMIs, spreadsheets, and custom applications to PLCs and DCS systems with ease.
Getting your FactorySoft OPC Client up and running is a straightforward process that bridges the gap between your Windows applications and industrial hardware. Whether you are testing a new PLC connection or building a custom HMI, this guide will walk you through the installation steps. 1. System Requirements & Preparation Before starting, ensure your environment is ready: factorysoft opc client install
If the OPC Server is on the same PC as the FactorySoft Client, you might connect immediately. If the Server is on a different PC, you must configure DCOM permissions. Whether you are testing a new PLC connection
Because OPC is based on COM (Component Object Model), the installation writes extensively to the registry. You must run the installer as Administrator. If the Server is on a different PC,
The OPC DA (Data Access) protocol uses RPC. You must allow:
OPC Core Components: Install the OPC Core Components (redistributables provided by the OPC Foundation) to ensure the necessary DLLs for DCOM/DA communication are present.