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Understanding External TagProviders

The External TagProviders refer to the tool which allows to access Communication Device Data Model from any place inside the Solution Designer without creating solution Tags. Data from External Tag Providers can be used in displays, alarms, historian storage, and as communication points, allowing integration of external device data within the solution. It can also be incorporated into the Asset Modeling structure for organization. The External TagProviders feature allows you to access Data Models definitions from external systems, using those variables and structures in any of the platform's modules directly, without having to create any local definition of Tags inside your solutionallows connections with external System, to read our write from those system, without the need the create local Tags. Displays and other modules can directly access the data from remote systems, which can have its structure changing dynamicalu.

Automatic & Tagless Connections!

• Connect to external data sources and consume their Data Models in Unified Namespace.
• Automatically access all tags and data structures by connecting to the provider with a simple configuration
• The connected provider’s Tags and Data model will be available for use in various Modules (Displays, Scripts, Reports, and more)
• Providers to various systems: Protocols, Historians or Devices
• When connecting with Historians, you can easily plot Trend Charts, as well archived data on that external Historian.

Supported TagProviders 

This feature is available for

Children Display
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Configuring the External TagProviders

All TagProviders have common configuration items: Provider, Access Mode, Name, Description, and Test. The Provider specifies the platform the TagProvider will interface with. Access Mode determines permissions for tag interaction: Read allows data reading, Write permits data writing, and ReadWrite enables both. The Name is a user-defined identifier for the TagProvider instance, aiding in identifying the specific configuration within the software platform. The Description explains the TagProvider's purpose or the platform it interfaces with, providing context for its usage. The Test button verifies the connection settings to ensure successful communication with the specified device or data source.

While some parameters address common needs like connection settings and data access modes, others are unique in that they cater to each system's particular functionalities and technical characteristics. Each External TagProvider has its own configuration parameters tailored to meet specific technical requirements and specifications. These unique parameters ensure that each TagProvider can interface with the platform, enabling data integration according to individual operational requirements.

Configuration Workflow

To connect to external data sources to use its data definitions models, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Identify the appropriate External TagProviders based on the communication protocol of the external data source (e.g., OPC UA, Modbus, Custom).

Step 2: In the software, navigate to the External TagProviders configuration section and create a new ExternalTags Sources instance. Provide necessary information such as the provider's name, communication settings, and any required authentication credentials.

Step 3: Configure the ExternalTags Sources settings to ensure proper communication with the external data source. This may include specifying the IP address, port number, or other communication parameters specific to the data source or protocol.

Step 4: Test the connection between the ExternalTags Sources and the external data source. If the connection is successful, the software will be able to access and process the data from the external source.

Creating a new ExternalTags Source

In your Engineering Environment, navigate to Unified Namespace / External TagProviders. 

Click on the 'New Item' button to launch a dialog window titled 'Create New External TagProvider'. From the provided list, select a Communication Protocol and assign an appropriate name.

After you select a Protocol, you will see a configuration table with columns that are similar to the ones in the Channels, Nodes, and Points pages. However, the columns will all be grouped on a single page. For this example, we will use MQTTspB.

The configuration settings are detailed below:

• Name: Name of the provider. This will be used to access elements from this namespace.
• Provider: Communication Protocol of choice.
• Parameters: Char separator for the communication protocol of choice.
• Primary/Backup Station: Connection String information used to establish a communication (same as on Devices / Nodes).
• Access: AccessType for this connection (Read/Write/ReadWrite).
• ReadTime: Read Pooling Rate.
• WriteTime: Write Rate.

The Primary/Backup Station will be configured according to the communication protocol.

For more information, please refer to the specific protocol documentation.

Working with External TagProviders

Access Elements in Engineering

Once you finish your configuration and establish a successful connection, you will be able to access the variables from the Device in various places within the Engineering Environment.

Browsing the tags

You can start by clicking on the Object Selectionbutton (1). In the left portion of the popup window, you should see a list of objects from every Solution Namespace. Use the name that you defined in the ExternalTags Sources configuration (2) to search for the namespace. 

Expand the list so you can see all the variables from that Device. By selecting an element, you can see the current value read from the Device (3).

Directly accessing tags

You can also access your variables directly through their addresses, following the same syntax used in Devices / Points: <ProviderName>.("<Type>:<Address>").

E.g.:

• ControlLogix.("DINT:PROGRAM:MAINPROGRAM.MYDINT")
• ControlLogix.("DINT:MyArray1DimDINT[0]")

E.g.2:

To read and write the asset with data received from the PLC, you can use the following code with VB.NET:

The tag address can be found under "Edit > Tag > Providers > Browse Values..."

You can also add a Remote Tag to your Display. Go to the Draw Environment, select a TextBox element (or any other component/symbol), and add it to your display. Double-click it and add a TextIO Dynamic with the same method as if you were assigning a tag. 

In the ObjectName field, select the Browse button and search for the desired variables. By doing this, you can display the information from the Communication Protocol directly in you Display, without the need to create a Tag and Communication Point.

The expression field will be filled with the syntax: ?ExternalTags SourcesName?.(”? Address In Provider ?”).

Since the address in the expression is a string, you can assign other Tags or Properties so that it has a Dynamic Configuration.

This feature is not limited to Displays. You can create AlarmItems, store data in Historian Tables, and use this remote variable as a Communication Point to Write Data for a different Protocol.

Using TagProviders on Assets Displays

It is possible to have a full or partial view of the Data Model inside your Solution. On Unified Namespace / Asset Tree, you can create your own Levels and assign a part of the Device's structure to it from the Namespace discussed in the previous section.

This method allows you to import all your model, or just a piece of it, from the selected node down. The name of the Level in the Asset Tree (in Runtime) can be edited in the Description column.

In your Draw Environment, add the AssetControl component, open its configuration, and uncheck the Show only tags check box.

If you have done everything correctly, your Asset View should look something like this in Runtime.

In this section: