This page covers software licensing and product details. You'll learn about our three main licensing methods (Hardkey, Softkey, Online Activation), and the license migration and termination procedures. We'll detail the types of licenses we offer and classify our products by series, model, and family. Lastly, we'll touch on protocols integration using .NET-managed code.
On this page:
About Express Solutions
When you install the product, you can only edit and run Express family Solutions until your computer is licensed.
Warning about Express Mode and unlicensed computers
When your Solution runs in Express mode, some advanced features are disabled and communication with external devices only runs for half-hour sessions.
The Product Family Express is a useful option when you want to create Solution examples and demos to be shared with users that not necessarily will have a product license.
To license your computer, you need to either use a physical dongle (hard key) or create a softkey license, as described here.
Licensing Methods
Hardkey
A hardkey license is stored in a flash drive that is sent to the client. The advantage of using a hardkey is that the license is not linked to a single computer like it is with softkey licenses.
If the flash drive goes missing, a new license must be acquired. There is no replacement.
Softkey
The softkey license is generated by the equipment SiteCode. In order to obtain this file, do the following steps:
- Go to the Solution Manager → License and click Get site code.
- Send the generated file to a Tatsoft employee, and they will generate a license key.
- Click the Load license key button on the License Information to load the received key.
Online Activation
With the online activation, a softkey license is generated, which is not linked to a computer.
The advantage of using an online activation license over the regular Softkey license is that it can be deactivated and reactivated in order to switch equipment.
To activate a license, go to the Solution Manager → License Information and click the OnlineActivation button. Enter your SerialNumber and ActivationCode in the popup window that appears.
License Types
Engineering and Runtime
Users are allowed to both edit and run a Solution.
Runtime
Users are not allowed to edit a Solution. However, the ‘.tproj’ file can run without limitations.
A Solution can be edited even if it is located on equipment licensed for RuntimeOnly. To do so, a product with an Engineering license can perform a remote connection to the RuntimeOnly (through the Solution Manager → Server). That way, a single Engineering license can edit multiple Solutions deployed on site.
Developer
A Developer license is only used for specific Solution development on site.
Using a developer license is not recommended when the product is installed in local machines due to the short expiration date; it is set to expire 1 to 2 days after activation.
Product Model and Family
The number of Max Communication Points available for a Solution can be changed according to the license type.
The existing licenses types are:
- FrameworX
- FactoryStudio
- EdgeHMI
- EdgeGateway
The current License type, designed Product Family, and Product Model can be found in the Your License. There are many communication protocols available regardless the license. However, some communication protocols must be acquired separately, such as OSIsoft PI and DNP 3.0.
FrameworX Unlimited
| Product Specification | |
|---|---|
| Product Family | FrameworX |
| Product Model | Unlimited |
| Canary historian | |
| Default Code | VB.NET and C# |
| FrameworX Unlimited | |
|---|---|
 | For Enterprise solutions |
| Everything included on FactoryStudio and more |
| Unlimited clients (.NET Smart Client, Web, HTML5, iOS) |
| Unlimited Points IO |
| Unlimited Drivers |
| Unlimited (256 channels) different for any model, in practice there is no limit. |
FactoryStudio
| Product Specification | |
|---|---|
| Product Family | FactoryStudio |
| Product Model | 15000 |
| Canary historian | |
| Default Code | VB.NET and C# |
| FactoryStudio | |
|---|---|
| Powerful and flexible tool for data collection and management, dashboard and report creation, and more. |
| Everything included on Edge HMI and more. |
| Scalable, by the IO number & clients |
| 70+ drivers included at no extra cost |
| Advanced scripting: C#, VB.NET, Python |
| Redundancy available |
| SDK Extensions/Toolkits included |
EdgeHMI
| Product Specification | |
|---|---|
| Product Family | EdgeHMI |
| Product Model | 1500 |
| Canary historian | |
| Default Code | VB.NET |
| EdgeHMI | |
|---|---|
| Connect with drivers and PLCs, build HMIs, and more. |
| Everything included on EdgeGateway and more: |
| Scalable, by the IO number & clients |
| 70+ drivers included at no extra cost |
| Build Dashboards and Reports |
| Thousands of Symbols |
| 8 different channels for any model, as the number of points is limited to 1500, in practice this is also a hard limit to reach. |
EdgeGateway
| Product Specification | |
|---|---|
| Product Family | EdgeGateway |
| Product Model | 1500 |
| Canary historian | |
| Default Code | VB.NET |
| EdgeGateway | |
|---|---|
| Embedded device communications and processing at the edge or as flexible secure gateway |
| 70+ drivers included at no extra cost |
| OPC UA Client/Server |
| MTT Client / Broker |
| Device Redundancy available |
| Unlimited Model – Unlimited (256 channels), 15k points Model – 16 channels, 75 points to 5k points Model - 4 Channels |
Supported Features Matrix
The table below clearly and concisely compares features across different product families. Its primary goal is to aid potential customers, stakeholders, or team members understand which features each product family offers to choose the best one according to each business's requirements.
Product Features | Enterprise | EdgeHMI | EdgeGateway | Developer | Express (Trial) | Linux (Platform) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VB.NET language |
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C# language |
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Script Classes |
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Script Task SingleThread |
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Script Task MultiThreading |
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Script Expressions |
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Python execution |
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OneDimension Array |
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Multidimensional Array |
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Multi-Level Templates |
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SDK Extension/Toolkits |
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| Not applicable |
Historian Table |
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| TagHistorian Only |
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SQL Database |
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SQL, NoSQL, Historian Connections |
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Store and Forward |
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Canary Historian |
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| Remote only |
Server Redundancy |
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Report Designer |
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| Not applicable |
Report Symbols |
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Alarms and Alerts |
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SMS & Alarm Notification |
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Audit Trail |
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All Alarms conditions |
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Assets |
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Publish |
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| Not applicable |
Tracking Changes and Releases |
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| Not applicable |
WPF Control |
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| HTML5 Only |
Hot Start |
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Test Mode |
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| On Window |
.NET Client |
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.NET Smart Client (Web) |
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iOS |
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HTML5 |
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Dashboard Display |
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Trending |
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Plugin/Components |
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100s of Symbols |
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Integrate External Controls |
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| Remote only |
Diagnostic Tools |
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Communication Points | up to Unlimited | up to 5000 | up to Unlimited | up to Unlimited | 500 points |
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Any Standard Driver |
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| .NET managed only |
OPC UA Client / Server |
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Device Redundancy |
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MQTT Client / Broker |
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TagProvider |
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Runtime execution | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | 110 hours | 2 hours |
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Engineering execution | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | 30 days |
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Supported
Not supported
License based
Procedures to Migrate or Kill a License
Migrating from One Computer to Another
- Send the SiteCode file from the original computer.
- The SiteCode will be processed, and you will receive a temporary license to install on the original computer.
- Install the temporary license on the original computer.
- After installing the temporary license on the original computer, generate and send the SiteCode file from the original computer again. This verifies that the temporary license has been installed properly.
- Generate and send the SiteCode file from the new computer.
- The SiteCode will be processed, and you will receive the license for the new computer.
- Install the new permanent license on the new computer.
Migrate a Softkey to Hardkey License
- Send the SiteCode file from the computer.
- The SiteCode will be processed, and you will receive a temporary license to install on the original computer.
- Install the temporary license on the computer.
- Attach the USB LicenseKey to the computer.
- Generate and send the new SiteCode file after the temporary license has been installed.
- The SiteCode will be processed, and you will receive a LicenseKey file for you to load onto the computer with the USB LicenseKey.
Killing a License
- Send the SiteCode file from the computer.
- The SiteCode will be processed, and you will receive a temporary (3-10 days) license to install on the original computer.
- Install the temporary license onto the original computer.
- After installing the temporary license on the original computer, generate and send the SiteCode file from the original computer again. This verifies that the license has been killed properly.
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