Supported hardware and firmware
Cloud Logging via OPC-UA is supported on the IXrouter2 in firmware 2.5 and up, and on the IXrouter3 in firmware 3.0 and up. Please upgrade your firmware if you are running an older version.Activate Cloud Logging
Please first activate Cloud Logging (or start the 30 day free trial) if you haven't already.The first step in Cloud Logging is setting up a data source. This is done by selecting a communication protocol and defining the variables. This article shows you how to do this for communication via OPC-UA.
- PLC setting
- Select a communication protocol
- Add variables (new, import)
- Test variables
- Manage variables (export, duplicate, remove)
PLC setting
The IXrouter supports the following methods of authentication with the OPC-UA server on your PLC. Make sure your OPC-UA server is configured to support at least one of these.
Authentication method | Security policy | Message security mode |
---|---|---|
Anonymous |
None Basic128Rsa15 Basic256 Basic256Sha256 |
None |
A bit later in this article, when you add the data source, you have the option to select which authentication method you want to use. Regardless of your choice, communication between the IXrouter and the IXON Cloud is always secure (more info).
Select a communication protocol
You first have to select a communication protocol. This is the protocol that the IXrouter will use to communicate with the target (i.e. PLC).
- Go to [Devices] in the main menu
, select the concerning device
, open its [Services] tab
, and press [Add service]
.
- Name the target
(i.e. PLC1), enter the target's IP address
, and press [Next]
.
- Select your service type: [Data source]
.
- Select the communication protocol "OPC-UA"
. The port number will automatically be filled based on the selected protocol (port 4840 for OPC-UA). The authentication method depends on the configuration of the OPC-server on your PLC. Make sure your OPC-UA server is configured to supports at least one of these: Method “anonymous” with password security policy “none” or method “username+password” with a password security policy. Select the authentication type and enter your credentials if required. Press [Add]
.
Add variables
Once you've added a Data Source and selected a communication protocol, you can start adding variables. This is done in the configurator tool, specifically designed to quickly add, duplicate, import, export, and remove variables.
- Go to [Devices] in the main menu
, select the concerning device
, open its [Services] tab
, and edit
the target's services
.
- Select [Data source]
and press [Open configurator]
.
- To add a variable press [Add variable]
.
Tip!
It is advisable to add variables in small batches and test the variables periodically to verify the entries.You can choose to:
Manually add new variables
You'll need the variable's address, which consists of a namespace index and identifier. In the example below we'll be using UaExpert to find these attributes.
- Open UaExpert, press [Server] and then [Add]
.
- Select [Advanced]
, enter the IP address and port number (default 4840), separated by a colon
, and press [OK]
.
- If you're not already automatically connected, you can manually connect to the added server by going to [Server] > [Connect].
- Once you're connected, find and select your variable in the "address space"-window in the bottom left.
- You should see the variable's NamespaceIndex, IdentifierType, and Identifier in the "attribute"-window in the top right.
Now you have all the necessary information to add the variable to your data source. Go back to the IXON Cloud and press [Add new variable].
- Enter your variable's name, type, full address, additional information, and press [Add]. The image below contains explanatory text for each text field.
Duplicate
You can easily duplicate
Temporary disconnect
After this next step, the config push, the device will temporarily disconnect to reconfigure its network settings and will automatically reconnect. This may take a minute.- Press [Push changes]
in the config tab to complete the setup.
Next step
Import variables from a file (or device)
You can easily and effortlessly copy variables from one device to another by exporting the concerning variables (view the "Manage variables" part of this article) and then importing them in your new device. Alternatively, you can manually prepare your variables in the required CSV format to load them all at once into your configurator. The CSV file structure is explained in our "Import variables: CSV file structure"-article.
When you press [Import from CSV-file], you'll see a browse window.
- Select a CSV file to import and press [Open].
- When the file has been read, press [Add] to add all variables to your data source.
Temporary disconnect
After this next step, the config push, the device will temporarily disconnect to reconfigure its network settings and will automatically reconnect. This may take a minute.- Press [Push changes]
in the config tab to complete the setup.
Next step
Test variables
The test utility is used to check if all the added variables are set correctly. It shows the status of every variable and displays the variables' latest values if everything is configured correctly. If not, it'll show an error message.
Required firmware version
Support for the test utility was added on the IXrouter2 in firmware 2.11, and on the IXrouter3 in firmware 3.7. Consider upgrading your firmware if you are running an older version.- In the configurator press [Run test]
.
A connection will now be set up to stream the data directly to your computer, using:
Port | Transport protocol | Application protocol |
---|---|---|
443 | TCP | WebSocket |
When the connection is set up and all variables are set correctly, it should look like this:
Unexpected result?
If the test utility shows unexpected values, please check if the addresses and data types of all variables are entered correctly.
If you get no data at all, please also check that the above listed port and protocols are not being blocked by your computer's or company's firewall.Next step
Now that you've tested the variables, you can view our "Configure data tags" guide to start logging.Manage variables
You can view all defined variables in a list view or table view
. Multiple variables can be selected by pressing the
icon on the left, or you can select all by pressing [∙∙∙]. These can then be removed
, duplicated
, or exported to a CSV file
.