Skip to content
View as markdown Ask ChatGPT Ask Claude

Configure MES and the Resource#

1. Verify the Manufacturing Model#

Complete the Resource hierarchy, production model, state model, Recipe model, and Data Collection model described in MES Modeling. Before enabling automation, use a representative Material to confirm that:

  • the Resource is eligible at the intended Step.
  • Track In, Track Out, and Abort follow the approved MES business rules.
  • required Recipe and Data Collection contexts resolve.
  • the Resource has the intended state model and current state.

If the process cannot run correctly in MES without automation, the OPC UA integration will not make it valid.

2. Configure Resource Properties and Attributes#

Item Required when Configuration
EnableAutomationScenarios Always Set to true when interactions MES -> Machine are required for any available feature. This flag does not need to be enabled for connection setup and interface validation.
Recipe Management Enabled Recipe Download Enable when Track In must resolve and download a Recipe
IndEqOpcUaBaseNodeId Always [Read-only] fully qualified Resource base NodeId, generated from the selected profile's Namespace and the MES Resource hierarchy
IndEqAutomationOperationAllowFIFO Operation features Explicitly configure true or false according to approved Material-selection behavior
State Model State synchronization Assign a model containing every direct or mapped target state

The OPC UA connection values are read from one complete server profile. The selection rule and all supported settings are defined in Configure the OPC UA Connection.

3. Verify the Generated OPC UA Base Node#

During controller setup, the integration combines the selected profile's Namespace with the Resource's approved MES hierarchy and saves the fully qualified NodeId in IndEqOpcUaBaseNodeId.

Verify that:

  1. IndEqOpcUaBaseNodeId is populated after setup.
  2. Its namespace matches Namespace in the selected OPC UA Server profile.
  3. Its string identifier contains the expected hierarchy segments and exact Resource name.
  4. Browsing that NodeId reaches the intended machine Resource tree.

Example generated value:

ns=2;s=Enterprise01.Site01.Facility01.Area01.Line01.Filler01

Use MES Modeling to define where the Resource sits in MES and OPC UA Address Space to understand how that hierarchy becomes the base NodeId.

4. Decide Material Resolution#

If IndEqAutomationOperationAllowFIFO = false:

  • the machine must provide an explicit Material name.
  • an empty or invalid name is rejected.

If IndEqAutomationOperationAllowFIFO = true:

  • an omitted name may resolve the first eligible Material.
  • queue ordering and eligibility must be deterministic.

Explicit identity is recommended wherever traceability or parallel processing makes FIFO ambiguous.

5. Configure Enabled Features#

Use Configure the Features to select the required capabilities and shared policies. At Resource level, verify only the applicable prerequisites:

Feature Resource-level configuration Detailed procedure
Recipe Download Enable Recipe Management and verify that RecipeContext resolves the intended Recipe and version Recipe Download
Data Collection Verify that MaterialDataCollectionContext resolves the intended Data Collection Instance and reading structure Data Collection
State Synchronization Assign the state model and configure mappings only when machine state names do not directly match MES states State Mappings

6. Associate the Resource with Connect IoT#

Associate the Resource with the available OPC UA Standard Controller and the intended Automation Manager. Verify that the connection resolves the same Resource name used by the Resource-specific configuration for the OPC UA Server and state-mapping inputs.

7. Configure Parameter Settings and Naming#

Recipe and Data Collection parameters use the following Industrial Equipment artifacts:

Type Name Purpose
Attribute IndEqOpcUaParameterDataType Declares the OPC UA conversion type for a Recipe or Data Collection Parameter
Lookup table IndEqOpcUaDataTypes Validates supported type names

Lookup values include String, Boolean, signed/unsigned integer types, Float, Double, and DateTime. Use the exact lookup values delivered by the installed template version.

Naming and Conversion Rules#

  • Recipe Tag Names equal MES recipe Parameter names.
  • Sub-recipe OPC UA Folders equal MES sub-recipe display names.
  • Data Collection variables below Parameters equal MES Data Collection Parameter names.
  • Validate ranges, precision, culture-independent decimal parsing, and timestamps before production.