GUIDE5 min readUpdated Jun 2026

Raspberry Pi OPC-UA

The modern, secure interoperability standard for OT — and a Pi makes a capable OPC-UA server or client.

SHORT ANSWER

OPC-UA is the modern, platform-independent standard for industrial interoperability, with built-in security and a rich information model. A Raspberry Pi runs an OPC-UA server (e.g. via open62541 or asyncua) or client comfortably, so it can expose its data to SCADA/MES securely or consume data from PLCs that speak UA — a cleaner, more future-proof path than raw Modbus where both ends support it.

OPC-UA
IEC 62541 interoperability standard
OPC Foundation
TLS
encryption & auth built in
OPC-UA
Server/client
a Pi can be either
open62541

01Why OPC-UA over Modbus

Modbus moves registers; OPC-UA moves structured, typed, secured information with a self-describing model. When both ends support it, UA gives you encryption, authentication and a model that MES/SCADA understand without a custom register map.

02On a Pi

Open stacks like open62541 (C) and asyncua (Python) run well on a Pi, so it can publish its sensor and AI results as a secure UA server, or pull from UA-capable PLCs. It bridges naturally: Modbus on the field side, OPC-UA up to the enterprise.

Common questions

The ones we're asked on every first call.

Yes, when configured properly — UA's security profiles give you encryption and certificate-based auth. Combined with a hardened, signed Pi image and network segmentation, it's a defensible OT endpoint.

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