HmS Flexy Connector ThingWorx User Guide

Quick Start Guide
Flexy Connector ThingWorx

Flexy Solution Functionality Overview

On-demand Remote Connectivity
Standard Ewon remote access features are available to be used in conjunction with the ThingWorx connector
On-premises Data Collection
ThingWorx can access Flexy Data on the LAN via OPC-UA
Data Monitoring for IoT Applications
The Flexy ThingWorx connector support remote data access via the Talk2M Cloud or a direct HTTPS message.

Connector Data Paths Options

The ThingWorx platform supports a broad set of data communications interfaces.

The Ewon Flexy connector offers multiple data paths options from the edge to ThingWorx:

• OPC-UA (Flexy OPC-UA Server)
• Talk2M REST API
• ThingWorx REST API

The Ewon Flexy connector offers a ThingWorx to edge data path option for configuration and control:

• Talk2M REST API

Data Integration via OPC-UA

OPC-UA Is a Standard Feature

Flexy OPC-UA Server

• All Flexy tags can be read or written via this interface
• Multiple systems can access this data simultaneously

Flexy OPC-UA Client

• Flexy can gather data from OPC-UA servers
• Flexy tags can be updated via the OPC-UA Client
• Supports multiple OPC-UA servers

Flexy is Niii11 OPC-UA ready!
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Both OPC-UA services can be encrypted
The recommended data path for on-premises installs

ThingWorx OPC Applications

OPC Aggregator

• The OPC Aggregator is a pared-down version of KEPServerEX
• Supports connections to Flexy via LAN
• Supports encrypted communications with Flexy

KepServerEX

• Seamless integration into ThingWorx
• Offers a broad set of protocol conversion options in addition to OPC-UA
• Supports connections to Flexy via LAN
• Supports encrypted communications with Flexy

OPC Aggregator

Note: both OPC Aggregator and KepServerEX are standalone Windows applications that bridge OPC enabled devices into ThingWorx

Data Integration via Talk2M

Introduction to Talk2M

What is Talk2M?

• HMS Networks maintained cloud for Ewon products

• Included with any Ewon device purchase

• Firewall friendly system, simplifies deployment process A large number of devices can be associated with a single account

• Features
  • Remote access
  • VPN connectivity from any approved user to any approved Flexy
  • User management
  • User activity logs

• Remote data
  • Easy to use mobile app for KPI status
  • Store and forward buffer for telemetry data (Data Mailbox)
  • Data Mailbox REST API (DM2Web)
  • Real-time REST API (M2Web)

• Device management

Talk2M RESTful APIs
DMWeb API

• Read-only data path

• 10-day historical sample buffer
  • No limit on the number of samples in the buffer
  • Samples are deleted automatically after 10 days

• 5M samples per month, per account, at no cost

• Talk2M Pro Subscription Features
  • Annual account subscription
  • 10M samples per month, per account
  • Additional samples sold in blocks of 1M per month

M2Web API

• Bi-directional data path
• Real-time tag reads per Flexy
• Real-time tag writes per Flexy
• Up to 30K calls per day, per account

About RESTful APIs, these are stateless originating from the ThingWorx Flexy Connector Project to Talk2M Server. The call is made securely and encrypted. The Flexy Connector Project service “UpdateEwonTagValue” interacts with M2Web API and “Talk2MSyncData” interacts with DMWeb API.

Ewon Connector for ThingWorx Talk2M

Ewon ThingWorx Connector Project

• ConnectorHost (Thing)
  • A Timer Thing model is used as the underlying thing model
  • A single Talk2M account is supported by the project
  • Additional Talk2M accounts could be supported, this exercise is left up to the end-user
  • The properties include the credential information required to access Talk2M
  • A Ewon Developer ID is required to connect to Talk2M and can be requested via a link provided in the connector documentation

• GenericEwonDevice (Thing Template)
  • This template is used to represent a single Flexy gateway connected to the Talk2M account
  • The properties include the credentials required to access a specific Flexy device
  • These properties are used in conjunction with the ConnectorHost properties to securely connect to Talk2M and a specific Flexy device when reading or writing via M2Web API

• GenericEwonDeviceTalk2M (Thing Template)
  • These services are used to perform writes to a specific flexy tag value

Data Integration via Direct Data Path

Leveraging the ThingWorx RESTful API
Remote Access

Direct Messaging from Flexy to ThingWorx

• Edge to ThingWorx messages only

• HTTP or HTTPS messaging is supported

• Shared REST API for all deployed devices

• A thing apply is used to associate an incoming payload with a thing created with the GenericEwonDeviceDirect template
  • Incoming payloads are parsed and stored in the thing property matching the tag name
  • All tag data is stored as a value stream

• Benefits
  • Can be used on a private WAN (no public network)
  • Connectivity to Talk2M is not required
  • There is no cost to use this data path

• Considerations
  • For WAN deployments a firewall port will need to be open at the ThingWorx server location
  • Traffic load profiling and redundancy is the responsibility of the end-user
  • Devices can still be connected to Talk2M for additional features

Ewon Connector for ThingWorx Direct

Ewon ThingWorx Connector Project

• ConnectorHost (Thing)
  • Talk2M properties are only required if ThingWorx to edge messaging is required
  • The disableTalk2M property should be set to true if Talk2M is not being used
  • The main execution service is still required to process incoming data

• GenericEwonDevice (Thing Template) — Optional
  • This template is used to represent a single Flexy gateway connected to the Talk2M account
  • The properties include the credentials required to access a specific Flexy device
  • These properties are used in conjunction with the ConnectorHost properties to securely connect to Talk2M and a specific Flexy device when reading or writing via M2Web API

• GenericEwonDeviceDirect (Thing Template) — Optional
  • These thing template services are used to write a tag value on a specific Flexy

Getting Started

Quick Start Guide

Get ThingWorx from PTC or Rockwell

• ThingWorx is available as a trial license from both PTC and Rockwell
• The solution can be downloaded and installed on any Windows Server or Linux based PC

Get a Flexy and set up a Talk2M account

• Order a Flexy from one of our distributors https://www.ewon.biz/contact/find-distributor
• Create a Talk2M Account https://ewon.biz/e-learning/library/flexy/manage-a-talk2m-free-account
• Request a Developer ID https://developer.ewon.biz/registration
• Review the online training for Flexy https://ewon.biz/e-learning/library/flexy

Download and setup the Ewon Connector for the ThingWorx project

• Watch the HMS/ThingWorx webinar: Webinar
• Request the Flexy ThingWorx Project from HMS
• https://www.hms-networks.com/solution-partners/iiot-solutions-based-on-thingworx
• Review the documentation provided with the connector in detail
• Import the Flexy Connector project to ThingWorx
• Connect the Flexy to a network
• Configure a few tags in Flexy, enable historical logging on each tag to be sent to ThingWorx

Select the Data Path (Data Mailbox via Talk2M)

Talk2M data path (Edge to ThingWorx via Talk2M)

• Flexy Configuration
  • Under System-> Main -> Data Management check “Historical Data”
  • Set the Datamailbox upload interval the fastest update rate is 1 minute

• Configure the ThingWorx project with your Talk2M and Flexy credentials and Dev ID

• Check that a Thing has been created for each Flexy you have connected to your Talk2M account
  • This thing is created automatically by the EwonThingworxConnector
  • Check that a property has been created for each tag enabled for historical logging
  • Modify tags on the Flexy and verify they update in ThingWorx (Data Mailbox latency is ~1.5 minutes)
  • Use the UpdateEwonTagValue service to modify a tag on the Flexy (Latency is <10 seconds)

• Check the ThingWorx Monitoring -> ScriptLog to confirm there are no connectivity errors/warnings

Select the Data Path (Direct Data Path)

Direct data path

• Review the Thingworx setup guide in detail
• FTP the direct to Thingworx REST API connector application onto Flexy
• Configure the Flexy to run the local Java app, power cycle the Flexy
• Generate an AppKey in ThingWorx
• Modify the JSON configuration file on Flexy to include the ThingWorx IP and AppKey (reboot the Flexy)
• Use the example ThingWorx Flexy mashup to access the Ewon tags
• Modify tags on the Flexy and verify they update in ThingWorx
• Check the ThingWorx and Flexy logs to confirm there are no connectivity errors/warnings

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References

• HMS Networks | Industrial IoT and industrial ICT
• Enabling Digital Transformation with Ewon Machine Telemetry Solutions for ThingWorx
• Proceed with caution!
• Proceed with caution!
• Find an Ewon distributor
• ThingWorx Connector for Ewon Flexy

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