Overview

Device Points represent specific data elements (like registers, I/O values, or variables) within a Node, which represents a connected device. By binding device points to tags in the software, they provide granular access to device data for both monitoring and control, enabling seamless data exchange between the platform and field devices.

On this page:

Adding and Editing Device Points

Device Points define specific values for each node that can be accessed using tags. The number of Device Points you can configure is related to the product model configured for the solution and your software license.

To configure Device Points, follow these steps:

  1. Access Unified Namespace → Tags.
  2. Copy the tags to be used.
  3. Access Devices → Points.
  4. Paste the copied tags.
  5. Double-click the property you wish to edit on the row corresponding to the tag you want to modify.

Device Points Properties

The following table describes each available property you can configure when configuring a Device point. If a property column is not visible on the grid, enable it by right-clicking the grid header and selecting it from the list.

Column

Description

TagName

The associated tag name. The three dots button "..." allows you to select an existing tag from a list.

Node

Defines the associated node for this Device Point.

Address

Defines the register address, which is based on the PLC and protocol for this data Point and Tag.

DataType

Defines the data type to be used. Most protocols should use the native option since the protocol will automatically handle the data conversion. Selecting a different data type overrides the defaults. Some options may not apply to the selected node.

Modifiers

Select the options you want if the PLC uses a different byte order. You can change the position bit, byte, Word, or Dword of the communicated data.

AccessType

Select the access type for this data Point. You can define and configure the access types.

→ Read more about Devices AccessTypes.

Scaling

This property manipulates the Tag value when the data is read in the Equation option, it has 2 options:

  • Div: The system will divide the register value by what you enter here. 

  • Add: The system will add the amount you enter here as an offset of the result of the division.

For a write operation, the calculations are the opposite. The system will multiply by the Div value, then subtract the Add value.

Dynamic Address Configuration

Everything in the Device configuration, from the Node to address and Tag mapping, can be changed online using scripts. 

The following example outlines a process for configuring dynamic addresses using MQTT telegrams.

Dynamic Address example

The address format is `/topic/@Tag.gateway/data`, where `@Tag.gateway` will be replaced with specific values. The MQQT telegrams are received on topics like the ones below:

  • /topic/gateway/data:
  • /topic/gatewayX/data
  • /topic/gatewayY/data
  • /topic/gatewayZ/data:

You need to configure the Points that will be used. Access Devices → Points to configure points defining their names, Node, Tags, and Address. 

To use the Dynamic Address through scrips, your code will need to execute the following steps:

  1. First, it needs to retrieve the data of the desired point from the database using the GetDataTable method.
  2. Then, you will update the Address field of the retrieved data row with a new address formed by concatenating Group , @Tag.Gateway , and /Device .
  3. After performing the changes, your code will update the database with the new row data using UpdateDataRows.

The system will log an error if any error occurs during the updating process. Otherwise, it applies the changes to the database.

The following code presents an example of changing the Address for the desired point.


string error;
DataTable dt_DevicePoints = TK.ProjectDB.GetDataTable("EditDevicesPoints", "TagName='Tag.Tag01.Velocidade'");
DataRow[] rows = new DataRow[1];
rows[0] = dt_DevicePoints.Rows[0];

@Info.Trace(rows[0]["Address"].ToString());
rows[0]["Address"] = "Group01/"+@Tag.Gateway+"/Device01"; 
@Info.Trace(rows[0]["Address"].ToString());
     
rows[0].AcceptChanges();
TK.ProjectDB.UpdateDataRows("EditDevicesPoints", rows, out error);
     
if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(error) == false)
{
   @Info.Trace("Error changing tag address: " + error);
}
else
{
   @Info.Trace("Applying Devices Changes - begin");
   TK.ProjectDB.ApplyProjectChanges();
   @Info.Trace("OK!");
}

Code Breakdown

To make it easier for you to understand the above example, next you find additional explanations related to core operations.

In the code block below, the first parameter identifies the Points table from which data is retrieved. In this case, the second parameter refers to the specific column used for filtering data, the Tag Name column. This column is used to identify the tag configured within the Points table. For instance, the tag Tag.Tag01.Velocity  is retrieved in this example.

DataTable dt_DevicePoints = TK.ProjectDB.GetDataTable("EditDevicesPoints", "TagName='Tag.Tag01.Velocity'");

The following code enables you to choose the new desired address. The string type tag @Tag.Gateway will receive a different name in the example.

rows[0]["Address"] = "Group01/"+@Tag.Gateway+"/Device01";

The following line of code updates the Address internally in the system.

K.ProjectDB.UpdateDataRows("EditDevicesPoints", rows, out error);

If no error occurs in the update, you can apply the change to the project using the code below. From then on, the Address will use the new value previously entered on the script.

TK.ProjectDB.ApplyProjectChanges();

Importing Device Points from PLC addresses

Additionally, you can simplify the creation of Device Points with various methods for automatic data configuration import.

? Read more about Importing PLC Addresses.

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