Getting Started – Tags
Tags are used to define data source communications, alarm limits, real-time signal properties like Time On and Counts, and summation Totals. Tags are common data sources to all clients. Data Sources can be setup to communicate with Modbus devices, Allen Bradley PLCs, Siemens S7 controllers, MQTT Brokers, Sparkplug B EoN Nodes, Databases, OPC UA Servers, OPC DA Servers, and more for both read and write operations. Tags can also be used to host data for Modbus masters, OPC UA Clients, OPC DA Clients, MQTT Clients, Sparkplug B Hosts, and IoT Publish to AWS IoT Gateway, Azure Data Hub, Azure Event Hubs, Kafka, and MQTT Brokers.
Tags can also be used without a data source with a static value to update from programmatically from a .NET application or REST API or from a user interface.
Calculation can be another source for tags with values from other local or remote tags.
The following section is how to manually add and define Tags using the Configure OAS application. Tags can also be added and modified using the CSV Import and Export selections using the Configure-Tags application to use Excel or other third party Comma Separated Variable editor.
To learn how to programmatically add or modify Tags from your own Visual Studio application refer to the following article on how to add and define multiple tags with one method:
OAS System Config – Get and Set Tag Properties
Please view the Getting Started with Open Automation Software Video to familiarize yourself with installation, setting up Tags, selecting Data Sources and Destinations, and implementing Networking and Security.
Step 1 – Start Configure App
Start Configure OAS application from the program group Open Automation Software.
Select Configure-Tags.
NOTE: The Configure application can be used to connect to remote systems using the network node name or IP address of the remote node the OAS Service is running on. Simply enter the IP Address or network node name of the remote OAS Service you wish to connect to and click on the Select key.
When selecting a service if you receive a warning dialog that the service cannot be retrieved make sure the OAS Engine is started.
If you already have the default Demo Tags loaded you can right in the Tags root and select Delete All Tags.
Step 2 – Add Tags
Click on the Add Tag button located at the top of the Tag browser.
NOTE: You can also add organizational Groups as many levels deep as you prefer and add tags to groups. To do this first add a Group to the root level, then right click on the Group in the right window to add additional Groups or Tags.
Enter the Tag name Ramp in the Add Tag dialog box.
Repeat Steps 4 and 5 with Tag name Sine.
Repeat Steps 4 and 5 with Tag name Random.
Step 3 – Modify Tags
Select Tag Ramp in the right Tag window.
All Tag properties will appear in the lower window.
For the Value Parameter set the Data Source to Simulation.
If you plan to use trending on this point enable the Trend Point option.
Set the Description field to Ramp.
Select the High High Parameter and set the Value field to 80 and enable the High High alarm.
Select the High Parameter and set the Value field to 60 and enable the High alarm.
Select the Low Parameter and set the Value field to 40 and enable the Low alarm.
Select the Low Low Parameter and set the Value field to 20 and enable the Low Low alarm.
Select the Apply Changes button in the lower right corner.
Select Tag Random and the Value Parameter.
For the Value Parameter set the Data Source to Simulation.
Set the Simulation Type to Random
If you plan to use trending on this point enable the Trend Point option.
Select Tag Sine and the Value Parameter.
For the Value Parameter set the Data Source to Simulation.
Set the Simulation Type to Sine
If you plan to use trending on this point enable the Trend Point option.
Set High Range to 1 and Low Range to -1.
Step 4 – Save Configuration
Select the Save button on the toolbar at the top.
Enter a file name to be saved in C:\ProgramData\OpenAutomationSoftware\ConfigFiles directory on Windows or ConfigFiles subdirectory on Linux.
When prompted to set the file as the default configuration to load on startup select Yes.
The default file can be changed under Configure-Options-Default Files.