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Equipment Configuration#

The Equipment Configuration task defines the configuration parameters for the driver before establishing a connection with the equipment.

It replaces the configuration-related functionality that previously existed in the On Equipment Setup and Equipment Setup Result tasks.

Screenshot showing a configuration interface for equipment, with fields labeled "path", "citer", and others.

Note

This task results from a split of the Equipment Setup and Equipment Setup Result tasks. It should be used along with: Driver Event OnInitialize and Driver Command.

Workflows#

Data Flow Control Flow

Inputs#

Name Data Type Description
Activate any Activates the task. Typically used to start the driver configuration process.
<parameter> As declared by the protocol One input for each communication parameter of the protocol of the driver, named after the parameter, for example address or path. A linked value replaces the value of the parameter on the Communication Parameters tab.
ConnectingTimeout, SetupTimeout, ReconnectInterval, HeartbeatInterval Integer The settings of the same name. A linked value replaces the setting.

Outputs#

Name Data Type Description
Success Boolean Returns true if the configuration completes successfully.
Error Error Provides details if an error occurs during task execution.

Settings#

Equipment Configuration Task Settings Wizard

Name Data Type Default Description
Connecting Timeout Integer 30000 Time (ms) to wait while establishing a connection.
Setup Timeout Integer 10000 Time (ms) allowed for setup phase to finish.
Reconnect Interval Integer 5000 Time (ms) between connection retries.
Heartbeat Interval Integer 60000 Interval (ms) between onHeartbeat triggers. Used to validate connection integrity. Some protocols may not detect connection drops in realtime.

Each protocol driver defines its own communication parameters, displayed in the Communication Parameters tab as a list.
These values are sent to the driver unless a link overrides them. In Data Flow, a value from the tab is sent as text. In Control Flow, it is converted to the data type of the parameter, and an empty value is not sent.

Behavior#

The Equipment Configuration task runs before establishing communication between the driver and the equipment.
It defines the connection and setup parameters that the driver will use when communication begins.

In a typical workflow, the configuration sequence includes the following steps:

  1. Use the Driver Event OnInitialize task to handle driver-related initialization events, such as OnInitialize or AutoSetup.
  2. Trigger the Equipment Configuration task to set up connection and protocol parameters.
  3. Use the Driver Command task to issue the Connect command to the driver, starting communication with the equipment.

This sequence ensures that all required parameters are properly configured before the driver attempts to connect.

When the driver is already Communicating, the task does not send the parameters to the driver and still emits Success, so the driver keeps the parameters it received before.

To run one controller on several machines, link the values of each machine from MES into the parameter inputs. See How to: Configure Each Machine from MES and Connect IoT Runbook.