MineSensors OPC UA Mining Integration Demo

Empowering mining operations with standards-based, real-time ore intelligence

🎯 Project Vision

This demo showcases how an AI-augmented MineSensors platform can surface shovel-level grade data, feed fleet management systems (FMS) within seconds, and meet the OPC UA Mining Companion Specification – all wrapped in a modern, interactive UI that delights executives and engineers alike.

🏗️ Architecture

graph TB
    subgraph "Frontend (Next.js 14)"
        UI[3D Real-Time Dashboard]
        EXP[OPC UA Explorer]
        INT[Integration Hub]
        COMP[Compliance View]
    end
    
    subgraph "Backend (Node.js + TypeScript)"
        OPC[OPC UA Server<br/>node-opcua]
        WS[WebSocket Bridge<br/>ws://4841]
        API[REST API<br/>:3001]
    end
    
    subgraph "Mining Equipment"
        EXC[Hydraulic Excavator<br/>Grade Data]
        TRUCK[Mining Trucks<br/>Fleet Data]
        CONV[Conveyors<br/>Throughput]
    end
    
    subgraph "External Systems"
        FMS[Fleet Management<br/>REST/SOAP]
        SCADA[Mine SCADA<br/>OPC UA Client]
        ERP[Enterprise Systems<br/>ISA-95 L4]
    end
    
    UI --> WS
    EXP --> WS
    INT --> API
    COMP --> API
    
    WS --> OPC
    API --> OPC
    
    OPC -.->|opc.tcp://4840| EXC
    OPC -.->|opc.tcp://4840| TRUCK
    OPC -.->|opc.tcp://4840| CONV
    
    API <--> FMS
    OPC <--> SCADA
    API <--> ERP
    
    style UI fill:#2563eb,color:#fff
    style OPC fill:#dc2626,color:#fff
    style EXC fill:#16a34a,color:#fff

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🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Node.js ≥ 18.0.0
• pnpm ≥ 8.0.0
• Docker (optional, for containerized deployment)

Development Setup

1. Clone and install dependencies

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd mining-opc-demo
   pnpm install

2. Start development servers

   # Start both frontend and backend
   pnpm dev
   
   # Or start individually
   pnpm --filter backend dev    # OPC UA server on :4840, API on :3001
   pnpm --filter frontend dev   # Next.js on :3000

3. Access the demo

   • Web UI: http://localhost:3000
   • OPC UA Server: opc.tcp://localhost:4840/mining-demo
   • WebSocket: ws://localhost:4841

Docker Deployment

# Build and start all services
docker-compose up --build

# Access services
# - Web UI: http://localhost:3000
# - OPC UA Server: opc.tcp://localhost:4840
# - WebSocket Bridge: ws://localhost:4841

📊 Key Features

1. OPC UA Server (Port 4840)

• Node-OPCUA powered server modeling MiningEquipmentType
• Historical trend surface and alarm simulation
• Compliance with OPC UA Mining Companion Specification v1.0

2. 3D Real-Time Dashboard

• Three.js Visualization: Interactive 3D mine pit with equipment models
• Equipment Tracking: Real-time positioning of excavators, trucks, conveyors
• Grade Heatmap: Toggle-able 20x20 grid overlay with color-coded ore grades
• Camera Controls: Keyboard shortcuts (R=reset, G=grade toggle, E=equipment focus, H=help, F=fullscreen)
• Performance Optimized: LOD rendering, frustum culling, 30+ FPS on Intel UHD Graphics

3. OPC UA Explorer

• Tree Navigation: Hierarchical address space browser with virtual scrolling
• Live Subscriptions: Real-time value updates with subscription management
• Node Details: Complete OPC UA node information with data type interpretation
• Code Examples: Auto-generated JavaScript, Python, and REST API examples
• Search & Filter: Debounced search with fuzzy matching for large node trees

4. Integration Hub

• ISA-95 swim-lane visualization
• FMS connectivity cards showing throughput
• Multi-protocol integration (REST, SOAP, OPC UA)

5. Compliance View

• Checklist against OPC UA Mining standards
• Regional regulatory compliance tracking
• Audit trail and certification status

6. Educational Features

• Mining Glossary: 50+ industry terms with search and explanations
• Interactive Tooltips: Contextual help for mining concepts and values
• Help Mode: Guided tutorial with click targets for new users
• Progress Tracking: Remembers which educational content has been viewed

7. Demo Scenarios

• Trigger "high-grade discovery" events
• Simulate equipment failure scenarios
• Performance metrics and KPI tracking
• Real-time 3D equipment movement and status changes

🛠️ Technology Stack

Backend

• Runtime: Node.js 18+ with TypeScript
• OPC UA: node-opcua (industrial automation)
• WebSocket: ws (real-time communication)
• API: Express.js with REST endpoints
• Testing: Jest with ts-jest

Frontend

• Framework: Next.js 15.4.0 with App Router
• Styling: Tailwind CSS + Radix UI
• 3D Graphics: Three.js with @react-three/fiber, @react-three/drei
• State Management: React Query + Context API
• WebSocket: Native WebSocket API with reconnection
• Syntax Highlighting: react-syntax-highlighter for code examples
• Performance: Virtual scrolling, LOD rendering, frustum culling

Infrastructure

• Containerization: Docker + Docker Compose
• Package Manager: pnpm workspaces
• Code Quality: ESLint + Prettier + Husky

📈 Performance Goals

• < 2s Latency: End-to-end data flow from equipment to UI
• 30+ msgs/s: FMS integration throughput
• < 60fps: WebGL rendering on Intel UHD Graphics
• 8GB RAM: Complete stack running on laptop

🔒 Security & Standards

OPC UA Security

• X.509 certificate-based authentication
• 256-bit encryption for data transmission
• Secure channels with message signing
• Configurable security policies (None/Basic256Sha256)

Standards Compliance

• OPC UA Mining Companion Spec v1.0: Equipment information models
• ISA-95 / IEC 62264: Enterprise-control integration
• Industry 4.0: Secure sensor-to-cloud connectivity

🎮 3D Controls & Interaction

Keyboard Shortcuts

• R - Reset camera to default position
• G - Toggle grade heatmap overlay
• E - Focus camera on selected equipment
• H - Toggle help mode for educational features
• F - Toggle fullscreen mode
• Double-click - Focus on equipment or terrain feature

Mouse Controls

• Left drag - Rotate camera around mine pit
• Right drag - Pan camera view
• Scroll wheel - Zoom in/out
• Hover - Show equipment tooltips with live data

📡 WebSocket Message Formats

Equipment Position Updates

{
  "type": "equipment_positions",
  "data": [
    {
      "id": "excavator-001",
      "x": 245.6, "y": 12.3, "z": -87.4,
      "status": "operational",
      "type": "excavator",
      "currentLoad": 85,
      "efficiency": 92.5
    }
  ]
}

Grade Heatmap Data

{
  "type": "grade_data",
  "data": {
    "timestamp": 1703123456789,
    "grid": [
      [2.1, 2.3, 2.8, ...],
      [1.9, 2.1, 2.4, ...],
      ...
    ]
  }
}

OPC UA Node Updates

{
  "type": "opcua_updates",
  "data": [
    {
      "nodeId": "ns=2;s=Equipment.Excavator001.OreGrade",
      "value": 3.45,
      "timestamp": 1703123456789,
      "dataType": "Double",
      "unit": "g/t Au"
    }
  ]
}

🧪 Testing & Validation

OPC UA Client Testing

# Test with UA Expert (Windows)
# Endpoint: opc.tcp://localhost:4840/mining-demo
# Security: None (demo) or Basic256Sha256 (production)

# Test with opcua-commander (CLI)
npx opcua-commander -e opc.tcp://localhost:4840/mining-demo

Automated Testing

# Run all tests
pnpm test

# Backend unit tests
pnpm --filter backend test

# Frontend component tests
pnpm --filter frontend test

# Phase 4 validation (requires both servers running)
node validation/phase4-puppeteer.js

📁 Project Structure

mining-opc-demo/
├── backend/                 # OPC UA server & API
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── server.ts       # Main OPC UA server
│   │   ├── addressSpace/   # Mining OPC UA models
│   │   ├── api/            # REST API endpoints
│   │   ├── simulation/     # Grade & equipment simulation
│   │   └── websocket/      # WebSocket message handlers
│   ├── tests/              # Backend unit tests
│   ├── Dockerfile          # Backend container
│   └── package.json        # Backend dependencies
├── frontend/               # Next.js web application
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── app/            # App router pages
│   │   ├── components/     # React components
│   │   │   ├── three/      # 3D visualization
│   │   │   ├── opcua/      # OPC UA explorer
│   │   │   └── educational/ # Learning features
│   │   ├── hooks/          # Custom React hooks
│   │   ├── providers/      # Context providers
│   │   └── types/          # TypeScript definitions
│   ├── tests/              # Frontend tests
│   ├── Dockerfile          # Frontend container
│   └── package.json        # Frontend dependencies
├── validation/             # Puppeteer validation scripts
│   ├── phase3-puppeteer.js # Phase 3 validation
│   └── phase4-puppeteer.js # Phase 4 validation
├── docs/                   # Documentation
│   ├── standards/          # OPC UA & ISA-95 research
│   ├── tooling/            # Technology decisions
│   └── research/           # Economic analysis
├── specs/                  # Requirements & tasks
├── spikes/                 # Proof-of-concept code
├── docker-compose.yml      # Multi-service deployment
└── package.json            # Workspace configuration

🎯 Demo Scenarios

Scenario 1: High-Grade Discovery

• Excavator discovers high-grade ore (>3.5g/t Au)
• Real-time alert triggers in dashboard
• FMS rerouting recommendations appear
• Grade heatmap updates immediately

Scenario 2: Equipment Health Alert

• Conveyor vibration exceeds threshold
• Maintenance notification sent via OPC UA
• Downtime impact calculated and displayed
• Alternative routing suggestions provided

Scenario 3: Production Optimization

• Fleet coordination for optimal truck dispatch
• Real-time throughput monitoring
• Grade control feedback loop
• Economic KPI tracking ($/tonne processed)

🔍 Monitoring & Observability

• OPC UA Metrics: Connection status, message throughput, error rates
• Performance HUD: Latency, memory usage, WebGL frame rate
• Business KPIs: Production volume, grade recovery, equipment utilization
• Compliance Status: Standards adherence, audit readiness

🤝 Contributing

1. Follow the Phase-based development approach (see specs/)
2. Maintain OPC UA compliance and security best practices
3. Use conventional commits and automated testing
4. Document mining domain knowledge and technical decisions

📞 Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues for bug reports and feature requests
• Documentation: See docs/ for technical specifications
• Demo Questions: Contact the mining technology team

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