Add Tags to UNS (Tutorial) teaches you to:

  • Create different tag types
  • Organize tags with folders
  • Configure tag properties
  • Use UserTypes (UDTs)

Prerequisites:

Tags created here providing the foundation for all other tutorials.

In this page:

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


Understanding Tag Types

Some fundamental tag types supported by the platform:

TypeUse CaseExample
DigitalOn/Off statesMotor_Running
IntegerWhole numbersProduct_Count
DoubleDecimal valuesTemperature
TextStringsBatch_ID
DateTimeTimestampsLast_Update

Step 1: Create Tank Farm Tags

  1. Open Unified Namespace → Asset Tree
  2. Create folder structure:
    • Right-click → New Folder: TankFarm
    • Create subfolders: Tank1
  3. Create Tank1 tags:
  • Select the Tank1 folder, then click the Add Tag button
  • The Tag will be created inside that folder
  • If you create in a wrong place, just drag drop to the correct location


NameTypeFolderMinMaxUnitsDescription
LevelDoubleTankFarm/Tank10100%Tank level percentage
TempDoubleTankFarm/Tank10150°CTank temperature
PressureDoubleTankFarm/Tank1050PSITank pressure
PumpStatusDigitalTankFarm/Tank1---Pump running status
ValvePositionIntegerTankFarm/Tank10100%Valve position

Quick duplication for Tank 2 & 3

  1. Select the Tank1 Folder
  2. Right-click the mouse and Copy (Ctrl+C)
  3. Select the TankFarm
  4. Paste (Ctrl+V)
  5. Repeat the process to create Tank3
  6. Paste again and replace for Tank3

Step 2: Create Production Tags

Used for counters, batching, and KPI calculations:

  1. Add production tags:
NameTypePathDescription
Production_CountIntegerProductionUnits produced
Production_RateDoubleProductionUnits per hour
Batch_IDTextProductionCurrent batch identifier
Batch_StartDateTimeProductionBatch start time
Shift_NumberIntegerProductionCurrent shift (1-3)
Quality_ScoreDoubleProductionQuality percentage

Paste to the Tags Table

In order to create those tags quicker, just copy copy-paste this table

  1. Select the entire table, include the titles (Name, Type, Path, Description)
  2. Open Unified Namespace →Tags
  3. Right-Click on the first row (insertion) row and execute PASTE
    1. if by mistake you left-click, instead of right click, you selected one specific cell to edit
    2. If that happen, either press ESC, or click with the mouse outside the grid area, to close that editing. 
  4. This command will automatically create the Production folder, and the tags.
  5. Navigate to Unified Namespace →Asset Tree to confirm the tags are in the expected folder

Step 3: Create Equipment Tags

For motor control and equipment status:

  1. Create folder: Equipment
  2. Add equipment tags:
NameTypeFolderDescription
MotorRunningDigitalEquipmentMotor on/off
MotorSpeedDoubleEquipmentMotor RPM
MotorCurrentDoubleEquipmentMotor current (Amps)
MotorHoursDoubleEquipmentRun hours
ConveyoSpeedDoubleEquipmentBelt speed (m/s)


Use similar expedite process you used for the other tags

Step 4: Configure Tag Properties

Add Simulation (for testing)

  1. Select Tank1_Level
  2. In properties:
    • Simulation: Ramp
    • Period: 60 seconds
  3. For temperatures (random variation):
    • Select all temperature tags
    • Simulation: Random
    • Min: 20, Max: 30

Set Retentive Values

For production counters:

  1. Select Production_Count
  2. Enable Retentive checkbox
  3. Preserves value through restart

Step 5: Create Motor UserType

Build a reusable template:

  1. Navigate to Unified Namespace → UserTypes
  2. Create new type: MotorType
  3. Add members:
    • Running (Digital)
    • Speed (Double, 0-3600 RPM)
    • Current (Double, 0-100 Amps)
    • Hours (Double, retentive)
    • FaultCode (Integer)
  4. Return to Tags
  5. Create instances:
    • Name: Motor2, Type: MotorType
    • Name: Motor3, Type: MotorType

Step 6: Create System Tags

For scripts and calculations:

NameTypeInitial ValueDescription
System_RunningDigital0System status
Calc_AverageDouble0Calculated average
Alarm_CountInteger0Active alarm counter
Report_TriggerDigital0Report generation trigger

Step 7: Test Your Tags

  1. Click Run (F5)
  2. Open Unified Namespace → Monitor
  3. Verify:
    • Simulation values changing
    • Folder structure visible
    • UserType instances expanded
  4. Double-click values to modify manually

Tag Summary

You've created ~40 tags that serve as the foundation for:

  • Alarms: Level and temperature monitoring
  • Historian: Time-series data collection
  • Scripts: Calculations and logic
  • Displays: Visual representations
  • Reports: Production metrics

Next Steps

With tags configured, proceed to:

  • [Alarms & Audit-Trail] - Monitor tank levels
  • [Historian: Store & Trend] - Log process data
  • [Scripts & Data Enrichment] - Add calculations
  • [Complete Solution] - Build full application


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