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Understanding TagProvider Connections

TagProviders allow connections with external systems to read or write data without creating local tags. Displays and other modules can directly access data from remote systems, even if their structure changes dynamically.

Automatic & Tagless Connections:

• Connect to external data sources and consume their data models in the Unified Namespace.
• Access all tags and data structures automatically with simple configuration.
• The connected provider’s tags and data models are available for use in various modules (Displays, Scripts, Reports, etc.).
• Support for various systems: Protocols, Historians, or Devices.
• Easily plot trend charts and access archived data from external Historians.

Devices vs TagProviders

Some connections can be done through Devices and TagProviders. To define which one works best for your application, you should look at how your data is structured.

Devices handle predefined, static data, ensuring control, security, and advanced metadata management, suitable for applications requiring strict validation like HMI and SCADA systems. These environments often require strict regulatory compliance, such as FDA validation in pharmaceutical production or stringent monitoring in manufacturing plants. Devices provide detailed metadata management, including retentiveness, security settings, and visibility control within the platform.

TagProviders are ideal for applications where data and device configurations change frequently, necessitating real-time update. That type of connections allows you to manage dynamic data, enabling flexible device addition, ideal for IoT and monitoring applications needing situational awareness, such as smart city infrastructures or home automation systems. For instance, TagProviders can dynamically integrate new environmental sensors in a smart energy grid, providing continuous updates and allowing city managers to respond promptly to changing conditions.

Configuring TagProviders

To configure a TagProvider, navigate to the TagProviders Connection, press the plus button to open the Create TagProvider Connection dialog, select the target protocol, and provide the necessary information. After pressing the OK button, it will create and map a folder on the Assets Tree. Then, navigate to Unified Namespace / Assets Tree to customize the Alias. Right-click on the selected node and select the Edit Asset Folder option to open the configuration dialog.

UNS →  Tutorial | Concept | How-to Guide | ISA-95 | Reference

Overview

TagProvider Services provide:

• Dynamic external data access
• Tagless connections to remote systems
• Automatic data model discovery
• Real-time structure updates
• Multi-protocol support
• Historian integration capabilities

TagProviders allow consuming external data models directly, ideal for IoT systems and dynamic environments where device configurations change frequently.

TagProviders vs Devices

Supported TagProviders

Communication Protocols

• MQTT - Standard and SparkPlugB
• OPC UA - Industrial standard
• ControlLogix - Rockwell PLCs
• Codesys - PLC Handler
• TwinCAT - Beckhoff systems

Application Integration

• Server to Server - Solution interconnection
• LineMonitor - Production monitoring

Historian Systems

• Canary Labs - Enterprise historian
• InfluxDB - Time-series database
• GE Proficy - Industrial historian
• SQL Database - Generic SQL sources

<ac:structured-macro ac:name="info"> ac:rich-text-body

<p>Historian TagProviders provide two additional features:</p> <ol> <li>Automatic historian querying for TrendCharts using Asset() syntax</li> <li>Can be used as Storage Locations for archiving time-series data</li> </ol> </ac:rich-text-body> </ac:structured-macro>

Configuration

Creating Connections

1. Navigate to Unified Namespace → TagProvider Connections
2. Click New Item button
3. Select protocol from list
4. Configure connection parameters
5. Test connection
6. Asset folder auto-created

Common Parameters

Protocol-Specific Settings

Each protocol requires unique parameters:

• OPC UA: Server URL, Security Policy
• MQTT: Broker, Topic structure
• ControlLogix: IP Address, Slot
• SQL: Connection string, Query

Using TagProviders

Asset Tree Integration

After configuration, TagProviders appear in Asset Tree:

/Root
  /MyOPCServer (TagProvider)
    /Line1
      /Motor1
        /Speed
        /Temperature

Accessing Data

Asset() Syntax:

csharp

// Read value
double speed = Asset("/MyOPCServer/Line1/Motor1/Speed");

// Write value
Asset("/MyOPCServer/Line1/Motor1/Speed") = 100;

// ControlLogix specific
Asset("/MyPLC/DINT:MyTag");
Asset("/MyPLC/DINT:MyArray[0]");

In Displays:

xml

<TextBox Text="{Asset('/MyOPCServer/Line1/Motor1/Speed')}" />

In Scripts:

csharp

if (Asset("/MyOPCServer/Line1/Motor1/Running"))
{
    // Motor is running
}

Data Type Handling

WPF Displays (.NET Framework 4.8)

Dynamic handling supported:

csharp

var value = Asset("/Path/To/Tag");
// Automatically handled as correct type

HTML5/Portable (NetStandard 2.0)

Explicit conversion required:

csharp

int intValue = TK.ToInt(Asset("/Path/To/Tag"));
string strValue = TK.ToString(Asset("/Path/To/Tag"));
bool boolValue = TK.ToDigital(Asset("/Path/To/Tag"));

Historian Integration

As Data Source

csharp

// TrendChart automatic query
TrendChart.Asset = "/HistorianProvider/Temperature";
// Automatically fetches historical data

As Storage Location

Configure in Historian → Storage Locations:

• Select TagProvider as target
• Map tags to historian points
• Define storage intervals

Best Practices

1. Use appropriate technology - Devices for static, TagProviders for dynamic
2. Test connections - Verify before production
3. Handle failures - Configure backup stations
4. Monitor performance - Check read/write times
5. Document providers - Clear naming and descriptions
6. Plan redundancy - Use backup stations
7. Consider security - Access mode restrictions

Browsing Data

Asset Tree Browser

1. Navigate to Unified Namespace → Asset Tree
2. Select TagProvider folder
3. Browse structure in tree
4. View live values in grid

Object Browser

Use toolbar Object Browser for correct syntax:

1. Click Object Browser icon
2. Navigate to desired element
3. Copy displayed AssetPath

Configuration Properties

Troubleshooting

Connection failed:

• Verify network connectivity
• Check protocol settings
• Review authentication
• Test with simple query

No data visible:

• Confirm connection active
• Check Asset Tree mapping
• Verify access permissions
• Review protocol specifics

Performance issues:

• Reduce polling frequency
• Check network latency
• Optimize queries
• Use local caching

Type conversion errors:

• Use explicit conversion (HTML5)
• Verify data types match
• Check null values
• Review error messages

In this section...

Working with TagProviders

Browsing Values

Reading and Writing Values from other Modules 

After including TagProvider in the AssetTree Nodes, you can access that in using the Asset() method.

E.g.: If using ControlLogix, the final part of the AssetPath is the address, using same syntax used in Devices / Points: <ProviderName>.("<Type>:<Address>")

• Asset("/Folder1/DINT:MyPlcTag")
• Asset("/Area1/Line1/DINT:MyArray1DimDINT[0]")

You can use the Asset() syntax, not only in scripts, but on Displays, and in all fields in the software where a Tag is expected, including:

• On Displays, mapping symbol properties and linking to dynamic properties.
• On Alarms, creating alarm events.
• On Historian, archiving the data.

Note that, in Portable/HTML5 displays, Assets cannot be treated as dynamic objects due to limitations in NetStandard 2.0. To use them as values or in expressions, you must first convert them to the required data type (e.g., integer, string, digital, DataTable) using methods such as TK.ToInt, TK.ToString, etc. 

In this example, we converted the Asset to an integer using TK.ToInt to determine if the object will be visible.

In WPF-only displays, which are based on .NET Framework 4.8, Asset calls return values that can be handled dynamically, without the need to explicitly define the data type.

TagProvider Connections Columns

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