# Problems connecting to OPC Server

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/problems-connecting-to-opc-server/1624>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Created:** [March 10, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/problems-connecting-to-opc-server/1624 "2010-03-10T20:36:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![diat150](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a587f6/32.png) [@diat150](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/diat150)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/problems-connecting-to-opc-server/1624/1 "2010-03-10T20:36:53Z")

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OPC Server is Standard Automation Universal Server. I can connect to it no problem using matrikon opc explorer. I go thru the setup and everything seems to go fine until I try and add a tag. when I try and browse down in the folders it gives me this error

`com.inductiveautomation.ignition.client.gateway_interface.GatewayException: Gateway Error 500: COM object method returns error code: 0x80004005; E_FAIL (Unspecified error)
	at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.client.gateway_interface.GatewayInterface.newGatewayException(GatewayInterface.java:236)
	at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.client.gateway_interface.GatewayInterface.sendMessage(GatewayInterface.java:211)
	at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.client.gateway_interface.GatewayInterface.sendMessage(GatewayInterface.java:201)
	at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.client.gateway_interface.GatewayInterface.invoke(GatewayInterface.java:587)
	at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.designer.sqltags.opcbrowser.OPCFolderNode.loadChildren(OPCFolderNode.java:48)
	at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.client.util.gui.tree.AbstractAsynchronousTreeNode$Loader.run(AbstractAsynchronousTreeNode.java:65)
	at java.util.concurrent.Executors$RunnableAdapter.call(Unknown Source)
	at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask$Sync.innerRun(Unknown Source)
	at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(Unknown Source)
	at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(Unknown Source)
	at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(Unknown Source)
	at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)
Caused by: com.jniwrapper.win32.com.ComException: COM object method returns error code: 0x80004005; E_FAIL (Unspecified error)
	at com.jniwrapper.win32.com.impl.IUnknownImpl.invokeStandardVirtualMethod(SourceFile:744)
	at com.jniwrapper.win32.com.impl.IUnknownImpl.invokeStandardVirtualMethod(SourceFile:723)
	at com.inductiveautomation.opccom.interop.opcda.impl.IOPCItemPropertiesImpl.getItemProperties(IOPCItemPropertiesImpl.java:79)
	at com.inductiveautomation.opccom.wrapper.browsing.BrowserDA2$BrowseJob2.getItemDataType(BrowserDA2.java:211)
	at com.inductiveautomation.opccom.wrapper.browsing.BrowserDA2$BrowseJob2.browseItems(BrowserDA2.java:189)
	at com.inductiveautomation.opccom.wrapper.browsing.BrowserDA2$BrowseJob2.internalRun(BrowserDA2.java:117)
	at com.inductiveautomation.opccom.wrapper.OleJob.run(OleJob.java:45)
	at com.jniwrapper.win32.MessageLoopThread$ThreadSynchronizedAction.run(MessageLoopThread.java:566)
	at com.jniwrapper.win32.MessageLoopThread$LoopThread.run(MessageLoopThread.java:508)
`

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**Author:** ![Travis.Cox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Travis.Cox](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Travis.Cox)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 11:53pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/problems-connecting-to-opc-server/1624/2 "2010-04-08T23:53:47Z")

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First, what version of Ignition do you have? Second, does your OPC server connection in the Ignition Gateway configuration say it is CONNECTED?

If not we have a connection issue to the PLC?

If so, try to add a tag manually in the SQLTags browser by right clicking and selecting New -\> OPC Tag. There you can select your OPC server and type in the full path (address) to your tag. This will let us know if it is a browsing problem or a problem all together.

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**Author:** ![diat150](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a587f6/32.png) [@diat150](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/diat150)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/problems-connecting-to-opc-server/1624/3 "2010-04-09T18:22:23Z")

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Travis, I spoke with you on the phone about this. We found that the $ at the beginning of some of the tagnames that are internal to the OPC server was giving us problems. I got a email from you the other day stating that yall are working on the problem and expect to have it resolved in a upcoming update.
