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Creating and Editing Tags

This section provides guidance on managing tags, covering essential topics such as creating and editing tags, configuring tag properties, formatting tag values, and importing tag definitions

Creating 

You can create tags in two different places.

1. In Unified Namespace / Asset Tree

• In Unified Namespace / Tags, click the icon to create new tags. Image Added

• In Unified Namespace / Asset Tree, right-click the desired folder or use the ‘New Tag’ icon, or user the right-click context menu.

2. In Unified Namespace / Tags

• Paste from an external table with a column named "Name."

• Manually insert a new entry in the data grid, filling only the "Name" column with a unique tag name.

• Click the New item Image Addedon the data grid controls to open the Create New Tag dialog.

3. Using the top toolbar, with New Tag icon Image Added. 

The Create New Tag dialog allows creating a new Tag and configure additional aspects related to Devices, Alarm and Historian definitions.

Editing

To edit the properties of existing local tags:

• At the top toolbar, select the Tag Properties button. Image Added

• Go to Unified Namespace / Tags, select the tag you wish to modify and click the Edit icon.Image Added

The following dialog will be presented.

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The only two mandatory fields in this dialog are the 'NAME' and the 'TYPE' of the Tag.

Tag Types

All tags have a specific type for their value, such as Integer, Text, or DateTime. The predefined tag types are known as Built-in Tag Types. Additionally, tags can be UDTs (User Defined Types) or Tag Templates.

Tags have predefined properties, such as Description and Array Size. While different tag types may have specific properties, most properties are common to all tags.

When creating a tag, some properties are set in the configuration (e.g., Description), while others are only accessible at runtime (e.g., Value, Quality, Timestamp). The complete set of tag properties at runtime is referred to as Runtime Tag Properties.

Built-in Types

The built-in tag types extend .NET data types and provide key functionality for handling different data formats in the software platform.

Purpose and Key Concepts

The main objective of a Unified Namespace is to consolidate relevant data into a single, coherent structure, promoting greater interoperability and data clarity. By streamlining data access, it accelerates the implementation of analytics applications, monitoring systems, and other solutions, ultimately leading to reduced maintenance efforts and improved overall performance. Additionally, the Unified Namespace enhances data context and comprehension, empowering users to easily navigate and understand the information they need.

The key data modeling concepts to organize an Unified Namespace include:

Tags

Tag is the basic building blocks of a Unified Namespace, representing individual data points or variables in your system.

Organizing Tags with Assets Templates

A Template allows the creation of reusable data structures and organizing your Tags into Assets, a hierarchical and logical representation of an equipment or information model.

Using TagProviders for External Data Definitions

A Tag Provider is a powerful tool for integrating data from external sources and systems, allowing you to incorporate their data into your Unified Namespace seamlessly.

Tags

In the context of this platform, the term "tag" refer to real-time variables and their associated historical data.

Tags are accessible for read, write and subscription by the various Modules. For example, the Devices Module can map the value of the Tag with field equipments , such as PLC registers; or the Datasets Module can connect tags with SQL databases tables and queries;  or the Scripts Module can perform calculation and analytics with the tags. The Historian Module allows you have a time-series archive of the Tag Values. The graphical Operator Displays shows values mapping to the Tags, independently of the data source for its value.

The Tags can be created in the project FactoryStudio project (Local Tags) or you can use remote tags, which definitions  are dynamically accessed using the TagProvider connectivity. 

Tag Attributes are are additional pieces of information or metadata automatically presenting when creating tags. Examples of attribute includes the Tag's last update time, quality status, and its description.

Templates 

Templates are user defined data structures, also known as UDTs (User Data Types).That data structure can variables of any type, as well include reference to other templates, creating an hierarchical data structure.

Typically, the equipments on the field will have various variables for realtime monitoring. Instead of creating one Tag to each variable, it is possible to create a Template with those variables, then create one Tag with that Template type.  

When creating Tags based on Templates, each variable is the template is referred as a Property. Example of Template is a simple PID information, with the properties ProcessValue, Setpoint and ControlValue. 

Assets 

Assets refer to the physical equipment in the production environment, which is related to a group of Tags representing the real-time state of that equipment.

The definition of Assets in data model is easily accomplish by creating tags based on the Templates, so they share the that common definition for a set a variables.

You can also Folders to further organize the Tags and Assets in the Unified Namespace in an hierarchical representation of your process.

How the Unified Namespace Operates

Real-time Database, Event-driven data exchange

FrameworX applications are organized around the real-time data Unified Namespace. The functional Modules, such as Alarms, Scripts, or Graphical Displays, runs independently using the centralized Data Model to exchange the real-time information, using event-driven data exchange.

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Modular configuration and scalability

Building a Unified Namespace

The e User Interface to build your models is in the Project Designer tools, under the  section Tags - Unified Namespace.

From that centralized interface, you can create or import Tag definition, organize the hierarchy and monitor the current values of your variables. 

When you start a new Project, there already 2 folders pre-defined in the model.

• The "Root Tags" folder is where all new Tags are created by default.
• The "Tag Providers" foder is where all new TagProvider connections are added by default. 

The typical process on creating the model is Creating Data Templates for Assets, Creating and Organizing Tags and Folders. Optionally you can use dynamic Tag definition from external data sources using the TagProvider features. 

Typically many of the values of Tags will be read from physical Devices, like PLC's or field devices <<Add link to modulus tutotial that shall be include in Devices module>> , or used in Scripts and other modules, but that configuration is executed in those other modules, not in the data model.

One great advantage in working with Unified Namespace is exactly being agnostic on the various data sources that can be concurrently consuming or publishing values to your model.

Creating Tags and Folders

<< add simple way to create a tag and folder using the Top toolbar, and point for the child page for more 

Creating Data Templates for Assets

<add basic explanation and example and point to child>>

Creating links to TagProvider external data

<add basic explanation and example and point to child>>

Monitor your data

Working with the Unified Namespace

Runtime Execution

When you start the execution of your project, the Unified Namespace definition in loaded into a in memory Real-Time Database. The .NET process in the computer implementing that in FactoryStudio is named TServer.exe

During the execution the Realtime Database, or just called Runtime, provides an event-driven data exchange of the values of Tags and Assets between various modules, like Alarms and Displays.

The chapter << Execute >> has detailed information on how to start and stop the execution of the project. 

The chapter << Runtime Environment >> has detailed information on all aspects and process in place when running the solution.

Integration with Other Modules

The various modules,  like Alarms, Displays can easily access any variable from the Unified Namespace just but its full name or path. 

For example, you can show the temperature of a machine1 in bargraph or text output in an operator Display, just selecting  Tag.Line.Machine1.Temperature, or the name and path you assigned the that variable in when defining your data model. 

The information on the Unified Namespace is also accessible to other application, using FrameworX bulit-in MQTT broker, or its native ability to act as OPC Server.

Third-party applications can also access that data using Integration APIs.

Advanced Features and Options

Troubleshooting and common issues

Some common issues that may arise while working with the Unified Namespace include:

Inconsistency or missing data from external systems:

When using TagProviders, FactoryStudio ins dependent on the external application to provide and maintain that section of the Unified Namespace, including the variables names and its structure. Refer the TagProvider section of the manual on how to diagnose connections with external systems. 

When mapping Tags to Device Communication drivers, the Tag Definition is the FactoryProject, so the Tag name will always show property in the Unified Namespace, but its value in depending on the connection with the remote device. Rfer the Devices section on the documentation for information on setup and diagnose connections with field devices. 

This concept applies to any external data source being used by the system, like remote SQL database or custom scripting using external APIs.

Performance issues

<<Talas about target projects,  talks about drivers, talk about displays >> but always pointing to other module when makes sense, and describing here in this chapter what you can correct in the configuration this section of the product only.

Optimize the organization of tags, assets, and templates to reduce unnecessary data overhead and improve system performance. << Need to evolve this >>

Best Practices and Recommendations

To get the most out of the Unified Namespace, follow these best practices:

Organization of the data structure

• Organize tags into a clear hierarchy, using folders and templates, to make it easier for users to find and understand the information they need.
• Plan your data structure carefully, considering the relationships between assets, tags, and templates.
• Leverage templates to create reusable data structures, reducing redundancy and streamlining data management.
• Organize tags and assets hierarchically, making it easier for users to navigate and understand the data.
• Use TagProviders to integrate external data sources, ensuring a seamless exchange of information between systems.

Status Monitoring 

Add your project, specific Displays and Scripts to regularly monitor and report the system performance, and connection status with the external data sources. 

Implement Alarm conditions when critical connections are lost.

Accessing Tag Attributes

The Tag has attributes and methods that can be used in .NET scripts, and other system modules. 

This section describes only some commonly used properties.

Data Quality field, according OPC standards:

0: bad quality
64: undefined quality
192: good quality

Date and time of the last change on the tag value

Child Pages for the section:

Assets Templates:
Building Custom Data Types

Creating and editing Data Templates

Asset templates in [Software Name] enable users to build custom data types based on a specific data structure. These custom data types use existing built-in types or previously defined templates as the foundation, allowing users to create more complex and tailored data structures suited to their project's needs.

Creating and Editing Data Templates
Users can create, edit, or import Data Templates for use in their projects. When creating a template, it's essential to define the relevant tag attributes, such as data types, initial values, and any required metadata. Once a template is created, it can be edited to update tag attributes or modify the template structure as needed.

Using Data Templates in Projects
Once a custom data type is created, it can be used in projects for organizing and managing tags. To use data templates in projects, follow these steps:
Step 1: On the Objects tab within the software, navigate to the "Type" column for the desired tag.

Step 2: From the drop-down list, select the newly created custom data type. The software will automatically apply the data structure and attributes of the custom data type to the tag.

Step 3: Continue using the custom data type for relevant tags throughout the project, ensuring consistency and efficient organization

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Objects:
Creating and Editing Tags

Main Configuration Properties

Optional Configuration Properties

Tag Value Formatting

Importing Tag Definitions

Introduction
This document provides comprehensive guidance on managing tags in FactoryStudio by covering essential topics such as creating and editing tags, configuring tag properties, formatting tag values, and importing tag definitions. The instructions and information provided are tailored to help users effectively utilize the software and ensure a smooth user experience.

Objects: Creating and Editing Tags
In FactoryStudio, tags can be created and edited using various methods, such as:

Creating and Editing Tags
To create or edit tags, navigate to the Project Designer tools and select the "Tags - Unified Namespace" section. From there, you can create new tags or edit existing ones, assigning them to specific data types or templates. When creating a tag, ensure you define the relevant attributes, such as data source, initial values, and any required metadata. Existing tags can be edited to update their attributes or modify their relationships with other tags or assets as needed.

Main Configuration Properties
Main configuration properties are essential for defining a tag's characteristics. The key properties include:

a. TagName: A unique identifier for the tag.
b. Type: The data type of the tag (e.g., Integer, Digital).
c. Address: The address or location of the tag in the PLC or data source.

To import tags, ensure that these properties are correctly defined in the source file (Excel or CSV).

Optional Configuration Properties
Optional configuration properties offer additional customization for tags. These properties can be edited after importing the tags into the project. Examples of optional properties include:

a. Alarm configurations: Settings related to alarms triggered by tag values.
b. Historian settings: Configurations for data logging and archiving.
c. Other project-specific attributes: Custom properties specific to the project requirements.

Tag Value Formatting
Tag value formatting allows you to display the tag values in a more readable and meaningful format. This includes setting:

a. Data types: Integer, Digital, etc.
b. Units: Appropriate units for the tag values, such as temperature or pressure.
c. Precision: The number of decimal places to display for the tag value.

Proper formatting ensures that the tag values are displayed accurately and are easily understood by users.

Importing Tag Definitions
To import tag definitions into a project, you can use several methods, such as:

a. Copy-pasting from other projects or Excel
b. Importing from CSV files (individual or extended)
c. Using the Import Tag Wizards
d. Utilizing the EngWrapper API

Tag Providers:
Integrating External Data Sources

Introduction to Tag Providers

Types of Tag Providers

Tag Providers: Introduction
Tag providers in FrameworkX serve as intermediaries between the software and external data sources, facilitating the exchange of data and enabling the software to access, process, and display information from various sources. By configuring and connecting to tag providers, users can efficiently integrate and manage data from different devices, systems, or protocols within the software.

Types of Tag Providers
In [Software Name], there are several types of tag providers, each catering to specific data source requirements and communication protocols. Examples of tag providers include:

a. OPC UA: A popular and widely-used tag provider that supports the OPC Unified Architecture (UA) communication protocol for industrial automation systems.
b. Modbus: A tag provider that facilitates communication with devices using the Modbus protocol, commonly found in industrial control systems.
c. Custom Tag Providers: Proprietary or user-defined tag providers that cater to specific communication protocols, data sources, or project requirements.

Selecting the appropriate tag provider depends on the data source's communication protocol, system compatibility, and project requirements.

Connecting to External Data Sources
To connect to external data sources in [Software Name], follow the steps below:
Step 1: Identify the appropriate tag provider based on the communication protocol of the external data source (e.g., OPC UA, Modbus, Custom).

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

Step 3: Configure the tag provider's 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 tag provider 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.

Step 5: Import the tag definitions from the external data source using the methods described in the previous document (e.g., copy-pasting from other projects or Excel, importing from CSV files, using the Import Tag Wizards, or utilizing the EngWrapper API).

Step 6: Organize and manage the imported tags within the software using features such as Asset Modeling or custom templates.

Defining Local Tags

All tags have a specific type for its value, such an integer, text or DateTime. The many pre-defined Tag Types are the Built-in tag types. In addition, the tag type can be an UDT (User Defined Type) or Tag Template .

Tags have also pre-defined properties, such as Description and Array size. Different tag types may have specific properties, but most properties are available to all Tags.

When creating the Tag, some of those properties are defined in the configuration — such as the Description —, some of the properties are only accessible when the application is running — like Value, Quality and Timestamp. The complete set of Tag properties when running the project is referred as the Runtime Tag Properties. 

Built-in Tag Types

The built-in tag types are based directly as extensions of the .NET datatypes. The tag types are summarized in the following table:

Reference Type

Reference tags allow dynamic addressing of variables. 

The way you use Reference tags in the project is similar to how you use references in .NET programming, as they both have a defined type.   The target type for the Reference reference is defined in the Parameters columnscolumn.

Typed references bring offer advantages in both the engineering stage and in runtime. In During the engineering stage, it allows they allow IntelliSense to directly browse the template members if a reference is pointing points to a template. In At runtime, it allows they enable string data validation. 

All Reference tags have an additional runtime attribute: the Link  Link property, which specifies which the tag that the reference will be linked to during execution.

Essentially, the Link property is a string property that needs to receive the target tag name before using the reference tag. You can assign a string directly or by using a string expression. The best way to set the link Link property is to use the method GetName(), which will create the string based on the current tag name. This way, approach allows you can to rename the tag without having needing to search the through strings. This It also shows the tag names linked on in the cross-reference utility. 

Examples:

@Tag.Reference1.Link = @Tag.TagName.GetName();

@Tag.Reference1.Link = "Tag.TagName";

@Tag.Reference1.Link = 

@Tag.Reference1.Link = @Tag.TagName.GetName();

@Tag.Reference1.Link = "Tag.TagName";

@Tag.Reference1.Link = "Tag.TagNa" + "me";

The reason for using the GetName() method instead of using strings directly is that with GetName() you retain the benefits of Cross-Reference and Refactoring. 

Creating and Editing Tags

To create new local tags:

• Go to Edit → Tags → Objects and insert a new row with the tag properties defined in the columns.
• or, in any configuration windows, just  click the  <<< IMAGE >>>. New Tag button on the Top Toolbar
• or, when at the Edit → Tags → Assets, use the NewTag toolbar button <<IMAGE >> to create a tag at the selected asset level
• or, by copy-paste the data form Excel or another project;
• or, using the other Importing tags tools.

To edit the properties of existing local tags:

"Tag.TagNa" + "me"; 

The reason for using the GetName() method instead of using strings directly is that with GetName(), you retain the benefits of Cross-Reference and Refactoring.

Importing Tag Definitions

There are many ways to import Tag definition to the Solution:

• Just copy from another Solution and paste it in the Unified Namespace / Tags DataGrid.

• Using the Import from CSV Files.

• Using the Solution Import Tags. We offer a wide range of tools, including .NET Classes, CSV files, OPC Server, OSIsoft PI Historian and PI AF, Prediktor Historian, Rockwell ControlLogix, Siemens, SNMP, SQL DataTable, Tundra, TwinCAT, UnityPro, WirelessHart, and XML files.

• Using the EngWrapper API.

After importing the tags, you can organize them using the Asset Modeling feature, which enables you to create a hierarchical structure for your Solution's tags.

Importing Tags and PLC Addresses from Excel

The "Import from Excel" enables easy importation of tags and PLC addresses. The process is as simple as copying and pasting the content of an Excel table, ensuring that you include the titles of the columns. The feature allows for flexibility in having tables with different columns or arranged differently in your Solution. 

Importing from CSV Files

The importation of CSV files encompasses two main approaches: Individual CSV Files and Extended CSV Files.

Individual CSV Files

In this scenario, you can import items for each individual table available throughout the Engineering Environment. This feature is especially useful for adding items, such as alarms, to your Solution. When a grid is in focus, the import button on the top bar becomes available. Upon clicking it, a import dialog window will open, allowing you to select the CSV file to be imported. For a more detailed understanding of this process, refer to our detailed guide in Individual CSV File.

Extended CSV Files

Here, the idea is to use a single .CSV table to import information on Tags, Devices, Alarms, and historian items. In this case, the final table is a concatenation of the various grids from the Solution. This feature can be particularly useful for importing a large amount of correlated information at once. For more information on how to utilize this feature, refer to our comprehensive guide in the Extended CSV Files section.

Tag Properties

Either creating a new tag, or editing tags, in the datagrid DataGrid view or the properties dialogs, the tag has the following configuration fields: 

Tag main configuration properties 

Field

Description

Parent

Specify the Parent Level where the Tag is located in Asset tree.

Name

Enter a name for the tag. The system lets you know if the name is not valid.

• If you edit the name of an existing tag, the system automatically updates the name throughout the project.

Type

Select the tag type, which may be a built-in type or a user-defined Tag Template.

Parameters

Configure any parameters. The parameters vary based on the tag type. Once the type is entered, you can double-click the parameters field to see a dropdown menu with any applicable parameters.

• DeadBand — It is used as a limitation to save new values to the tag. It defines the difference necessary between the old value and the new value. It is also possible to set the DeadBand as an percentage and with decimal numbers such as: 10.5; 10%; 300%; 17.8%.

      Example 1: If the DeadBand is Set to 5 and initial value of the tag is 0, the next input possible to be saved, need to be >=5 or <=-5.

      Example 2: If the current value of the tag is 100 and the deadband is set to 10%, the next input possible to be saved, need to be >=110 or <=90.

• EnumerationSet: You can also use dictionaries to "translate" tag values into text. These dictionaries are called Enumeration Sets.

For example, a device may have a value of 0  or 1 . Rather than display "0" or "1", you can display the strings "on" or "off."

The definition for the Enumeration Set dictionary is on Tags → Enumeration Sets

When configuring a display component to use these tags, set the TextOutput to one of the following:

• Tagname or Tagname.Value: show the numeric value of the tag.
• Tagname.ValueAsString or Tagname.DisplayValue: show the enumeration string.

Array

When this field is blank, the tag is not an array.

When the field contains an integer value of N, an Array is created from position 0 to N.

For example, if the field contains the value 5, the Array is created from Tag[0] to Tag[5]. This means that 6 elements are created.

Two programming styles are accommodated by this method; one that counts elements from 0 to less than 5, and one that counts from 1 to 5.

Description

String message with additional information about the Tag, maximum string length is 1024

The fields above are visible by default on the datagrid view. To add or remove columns, right-click the column heading area and check or uncheck the columns that should be visible.Tag optional configuration propertiesField / Column Description MinEnter the minimum value that is valid for the object.MaxEnter the maximum value that is valid for the object.ScaleMinStores a minimum value to assist scaling charts or communication devices.ScaleMaxStores a maximum value to assist scaling charts or communication devices.Units

String with the Engineering units of measure, simplifying the visualization of the value on Displays, and allowing the dynamic change of metric systems.

Info
More information at Dictionaries Units.

FormatDefault format for displaying tag value. E.g.: N2 for 2 decimals; See the next table, Formatting Tag Values.StartValueInitial value set to the Tag when the project first runs. This value is overridden if a Retentive option is used.Retentive

Select this option to save the value of the tag and its internal properties to the database every time the value changes. This retains the value when the application shuts down and makes the value available when the next next application starts.

• None — Does not retain the value or properties.
• ValueOnly — Retains only the value.
• Properties — Retains all properties, including the value.
• PropertiesOnly — Retains all properties, except the value.

The values for Retentive Tags are stores at the database defined at Datasets → DBs → Retentive, and it can be customize to use any database. 

Retentive can be applied to Tags of Domain Server, in this case, you can easily allow the cold-start from the Project, without losing Operator-Inputed values or other Tags that shall keep the last value in between a shutdown and a startup.

Retentive can be applied to Tags of Domain Client, in this case, you can falsity create concepts as User Configuration settings, that are stored and located according the client or user connection. 

Domain

Defines if the tag value has Server (global) or Client (instance) scope.

Server (Default): the value of tag is unique, synchronize across all operator stations accessing the project. All tags used by Devices Communications and Historian must be or Type Server.

Client: The value of tag is local at each Client Displays Instance accessing the project. Common use for client tags are to manage the user interface.

Visibility

Select the value visibility of your tag to external connection and the built-in OPC server.

Private: Tag is visible only to the local project and redundant pair.
Protected: Tag is visible on the external connections for read-only operations. 
Public: Tag is visible on the external connections, for both reading or writing. 

If not defined, the visibility is Public by default. 

CommentEnter a short comment about this tag. The comment field is typically used to show a friendly name to the operator on the displays. For instance, a tag name "LV102KP" can have the Comment as "Level Tank 102". The Description field is typically the longer engineering definition of the tag usage. Category

Allows to define metadata labels to the tag. Categories are useful for project organization during the engineering phase.

Categories are also useful when copy pasting tags directly the draw area, automatically creating symbols. 

Info
For more information on Categories, go to Dictionaries Categories.

DevicePointRead-only property. Show which communication point address is related to the tag (if any).DisableWhen checked disable the use of the Tag in the project execution. Default is enabled. Other ColumnsFor definitions of other columns that are available in this table, see Common Column Definitions.

Tag Value formatting 

The format property defines the display format of tag values. For example, N1 defines a number with one decimal place, like 2.1

These formats follow the specifications provided in Microsoft .NET.

Numerical values formatting

Specifier

Description

N0

Number with no decimal places

Nn

Number with n decimal places (replace n by any integer number)

X

Hexadecimal (supported only for integral types)

C

Currency

R

A string that can round-trip to an identical number

P

Number multiplied by 100 and displayed with a percent symbol

G

The more compact of either fixed-point or scientific notation

F

Integral and decimal digits with optional negative sign

E

Exponential notation

D

Integer digits with optional negative sign

Date/time formats 

Specifier

Description

T (only)

Long time pattern (equivalent to HH:mm:ss).

d (only)

Short date pattern (equivalent to M/d/yyyy (month/day/year) for en-us).

dd

Show the day of the month as a number from 01 through 31.

ddd

Show the abbreviated name of the day of the week.

dddd

Show the full name of the day of the week.

MM

Show the month as a number from 01 through 12.

MMM

Show the abbreviated name of the month.

yy

Show the year as a two-digit number.

yyyy

Show the year as a four-digit number.

hh

Show the hour as a number from 01 through 12.

HH

Show the hour as a number from 00 through 23.

mm

Show the minute as a number from 00 through 59.

ss

Show the second as a number from 00 through 59.

fff

Show the millisecond as a number from 000 through 999.

tt

Show the A.M./P.M. designator.

Import Tag Definitions 

There are many ways to import Tag definition to the project:

• Just Copy from other Projects and in this Project.
• Copy Paste from Excel
• Importing CSV files 
• Using the Import Tag Wizards
• Using the EngWrapper API 

Import from Excel

Importing Tag and PLC Addresses

You can copy and paste the contents of an Excel table. As long you include the title of the columns when you copy and paste the contents of the table, the tables in your project can have different columns or can be ordered differently. The system will put the data in the expected columns, even if the order is different in the source.

To create and import Tags:

• In Excel, make a table with the columns that are shown below. 

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To successfully import the tags, you need the TagName, Type, and Address columns. 

• After you chose the device protocol and create a new node, click the Import button. Then, choose the .CSV file that contains the tag's information and click the Ok button. 

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• The Tags and Points will be created automatically in  Tags.

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• Device → Points 

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After you use the Import tool for the first time, the system will save whatever settings you used. The import button turns into the "Sync" button. This make the button execute a synchronization that verifies the previously imported addresses and the new ones.

Import from CSV Files

Individual CSV File

In this scenario, we are importing items for each individual table that is available throughout the Engineering Environment.

.

The table lists all properties available for the Tags. However, not all properties described in the documentation are displayed in the data grids by default. Right-click column headers to see which property columns are currently displaying. The displayed properties appear with a check mark.  

Additional Tag Configuration

Optional configuration properties offer additional customization for tags. These properties can be edited after importing the tags into the Solution and include:

Devices

Device Address: The address or location of the tag in the PLC or data source.

Image Added

Key Features: 

• Node: Determine the node of the channel source where the tag data resides.
• Address: Defines a address for the  and PLC/data source.
• AcessType: If the tag will be only Read, Write or ReadWrite.

Alarm

Alarm Configurations: Settings related to alarms triggered by tag values.

Image Added

Key Features:

• Condition: Defines a a condition for a alarm to trigger.
• Groups: Its possible group the alarms items in a group with its own configuration properties.
• Limit: Defines the value of alarm trigger based on the condition defined.

Historian

Historian Settings: Configurations for data logging and archiving.

Image Added

Key Features: 

• Deadband: The Deadband is a range within which value changes are considered insignificant and, therefore, aren't recorded. This helps in reducing unnecessary logging of data when the value changes are minimal or within an acceptable range.

• Table: Defines the specific table where the historical data for this tag will be stored.

• Dev/DeadbandType: This is an extension of the Deadband concept. It allows you to define the type of Deadband to be applied. This could be based on an absolute value, percentage, or other criteria, depending on your requirements.

• Dev/Deadband Limit: Here, you define the specific threshold for the Deadband. Any changes in the tag value below this threshold won't be recorded. For example, if set at 0.5, only changes greater than this value will be logged.

Runtime Attributes

Access Tags Namespace to see the properties of the alarm server. 

This section describes only some commonly used properties.

For general information and concepts on objects namespaces and attributes, go to the section Objects and Namespaces.

In this section:

In your Engineering Environment, you should find a toolbar located on the top of the display with green arrow in it.

In Tabs that do not contain a table, the import icon is unfocused and is unable to be selected.

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For Tabs that do contain grids, the import button is available when the grid is on focus (selected). When the import button is clicked, a dialog window will open.

Browse for the csv file and click Open.

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Examples

To better understand how to use this feature, we are going to add Alarm Items into our sample project.

Assuming we have two Tags, Tag1 and Tag2, in our project. Each tag must have an alarm configured to it.

1. Tag1 - Belongs to ’Critical’ Alarm Group and triggers an alarm when its value is lower than 20.

2. Tag2 - Belongs to ’Warning’ Alarm Group and triggers an alarm when its value is higher than 80.

The import steps are:

• Go to  Alarms → Items, create a dummy row, and copy it (Ctrl + C).
• On your external Table Editor (e.g. Excel, Google Docs, Notepad, etc), paste the copied content.

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3. Fill your table with the required information.

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4. Save the file as a ‘.csv’.

5. Go back to the  Alarms → Items page and click the Import CSV File Button.

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Extended CSV Files

In this scenario, we are using a single .csv table to import information on Tags, Devices, Alarms and historian items.

In your Engineering Environment, navigate to Run → Extensions → Import. You should see many supported files that can be imported into a project.

Select the CSV file and browse for your Table File.

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The table must obey a certain format. The required columns can be obtained by following the same method as in the previous section; copy from project and paste on Sheet Editor.

The difference in this method is that the final table is a concatenation of the various grids from the project.

Examples

To illustrate the usage of this feature, we will add a couple of items to our sample project. The following items will be added:

Tags:

• MyTag1: Integer DataType and StartValue = 0.
• MyTag2: Digital DataType.

Alarm Items:

• MyTag1:

1. HiHi alarm limit (configured for ‘Critical’ alarm group) set to 95
2. Lo alarm limit (configured for ‘Warning’ alarm group) set to 10

• MyTag2:

1. Hi alarm limit (configured for ‘Critical’ alarm group) set to 1 and Message ’Tag Alarm is Hi’.
2. LoLo alarm limit (configured for ‘Warning’ alarm group) set to 0, Priority set to 1 and Message ’Tag Alarm is LoLo’.

Historian:

• MyTag1: Added to default Historian Table ‘Table1’.
• MyTag2: Added to default Historian Table ‘Table1’.

The table that contains all the columns and rows required to import the items described above can be found in the pictures below (with additional columns):

Following the importation procedure in Run → Extensions → Import, select the CSV option, browse for the filled csv file, and click Import.

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Creating Templates

Templates allow you to create new tag types based on a data structure using existing built-in types and previously defined Templates.

To create a tag template:

• Go to Tags → Templates.
• Click New.
• The "Create New Tag Template" dialog will open.
• In the "New Type Name" field, enter a name for the tag type. In the Description, enter a description of the tag. Click OK. The Templates tab displays with the name of the new template at the top of the tab.
• Click the insertion row to create a new attribute for this tag template.

• Enter or select information, as needed. The properties are the same ones for Tags. See Creating and Editing Tags above.

• To delete a template, select it from the User Custom Type drop-down list, then click Del.
• On the Objects tab, you can now use this new template in the Type column.

Assets allow to organize the tags of your project into a hierarchy.

For an example on how the Asset tree can be used the projects, go to Self-aware Asset Displays

The Tag Namespace

In this section...