What is the purpose of this article?
This article outlines the steps to configure Ignition SCADA by Inductive Automation® so it can connect to an MQTT broker (HiveMQ in this guide) and visualize Rheonics sensor data remotely. Rheonics sensor data is published via MQTT to an MQTT broker, allowing Ignition to subscribe, enabling real-time visualization. This allows operators to access sensor data remotely.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Configuring Ignition SCADA
Using the Ignition SCADA software, it is possible to connect to an MQTT broker and subscribe to the topics where Rheonics sensor data is published. Once the data is received, the Ignition Designer software can be used to build an application based on the Rheonics template, as shown in the figure.
Figure 1: Visualization of sensor parameter through Ignition Designer
To learn how to send Rheonics sensor data to an MQTT broker using Node-RED refer to Integrating Rheonics Sensors with Node-RED and MQTT for Remote Data Access1.1. Install MQTT Modules
1. Download and install the following MQTT modules from Inductive Automation (Strategic Partner Modules):
MQTT Engine
MQTT Transmission
MQTT Distributor
Figure 2: MQTT modules
This guide applies for MQTT Engine 4.0.10 or later installed. |
2. In Ignition, go to Config>>Modules.
Figure 3: Modules section in Ignition
3. Go to the bottom and click on Install or Upgrade a Module.
Figure 4: Install or Upgrade Module option
4. Select the downloaded files and click on Install.
Figure 5: File selection to install
5. Back to the Modules section, three new MQTT modules should appear.
Figure 6: Installed MQTT Modules in Ignition
1.2. Configure MQTT Distributor with HiveMQ
To learn how to create and configure the HiveMQ broker refer to HiveMQ Broker Integration with Rheonics
1. Go to the MQTT Distributor Settings located in the Config menu.
Figure 7: MQTT Distributor Settings
2. In the General tab, put the following configuration:
Main
Enabled:✅
TLS Settings
Enable TLS: ✅
Secure MQTT Port: Port found in Hive MQ Connection Details
Figure 8: MQTT Distributor Configuration
3. In the Users Tab, click on Create new MQTT Users
Figure 9: MQTT User Creation
4. Next, put the same user and password as in the credentials created in HiveMQ, and click on Save Changes.
Username: username credentials in HiveMQ broker
Password: password credentials in HiveMQ broker
ACLs: RW# (for reading and writing permission)
Figure 10: MQTT User configuration
5. The created user will appear under the Users Tab.
Figure 11: User created successfully
1.3. Configure MQTT Engine with HiveMQ
1. Go to the MQTT Engine Settings located on the Config menu.
Figure 12: MQTT Engine Settings
2. Go to the Sets tab and click on Create new MQTT Server Set.
Figure 13: MQTT Server Set Creation
3. Create a Set with a unique name and click on Create New MQTT Server Set.
- Primary Host Enabled: Unselect
Figure 14: MQTT Server Set Configuration
4. Go to the Servers tab and click on Create new MQTT Server Setting.
Figure 15: MQTT Server Creation
5. In the Settings tab, add the Server information.
Name: HiveMQ (can be another name)
URL: Add ssl: followed by the TLS MQTT URL found in the HiveMQ Connection details.
Username: Same as configured in HiveMQ and the MQTT Distributor
Password: As configured in HiveMQ and the MQTT Distributor
Figure 16: MQTT Engine Server Configuration
6. Next, go to the Namespaces tab and click on Create new Custom Namespace.
Figure 17: Namespace Creation in MQTT Engine
7. Configure as follows in the Custom>>General Tab:
Main
Name: Name of the custom namespace (Example: test)
Subscriptions: In this section, subscribe to the topics where your sensor data is published. If there is more than one topic, write it like topic1,topic2,.. separated by commas. In this case, if there are two different topics, one for viscosity and one for temperature, the names of the topics would be srv/temperature,srv/viscosity
Optional
Root Tag Folder: Name of the folder that will appear in Ignition with all the tags of the topics (Example: test).
Figure 18: Namespace Configuration in MQTT Engine
8. In Sets, ensure that only the set you previously created remains. If there are any others that don’t correspond, delete them.
Figure 19: Sets in Namespace Configuration
9. After saving the changes, a custom Namespace is created.
Figure 20: Namespace created successfully
10. If the HiveMQ server is created and is running correctly, in the Servers Tab the Status should appear as Connected.
Figure 21: MQTT Server created and connected successfully to broker
2. Ignition Designer
1. Open the Ignition Designer app, and click on New Project.
Figure 22: New Ignition Designer Project
2. Next, put the Project information.
Figure 23: Project Information
3. Go to the Ignition Exchange portal.
4. Input the Rheonics company name in the search bar.
Figure 24: Searching Rheonics Template in Ignition
5. Select the Rheonics Instrument interface, a new screen will open. Click the download button to get the Rheonics templates.
Figure 25: Rheonics Template Download
6. Next, go to the Ignition account and go to Configuration>>Ignition Exchange.
Figure 26: Ignition Exchange Section
7. Click on Import Package File.
Figure 27: Package import in Ignition Exchange
8. Drag the zip file downloaded before to the Import Resource Package section.
Figure 28: Import Resource Package
9. Click on next.
Figure 29: Readme Instructions
10. Select the project created previously on the Designer App and click on Import.
Figure 30: Project Selection
11. Finally, a message should appear confirming the correct import.
Figure 31: Import Message Confirmation
12. Back to the Designer, a new window and templates should be visible.
If the files don’t appear correctly, go to File>>Update Project.
Figure 32: Window and Templates on Ignition Designer
13. In the Tag Browser, change the default for MQTT Engine. The folder with the name put in the Root Name Folder appear. Inside it, the tags appear with their values received from the broker.
Figure 33: Tag Browser with Sensor Data
14. Next, go to Templates>>Rheonics_SRV.
Figure 34: Rheonics SRV Template
15. Click on the viscosity LED Display, and then in the Vision Property Editor, click on Value.
Figure 35: LED Display Element and Value Linking
16. A new window will appear. Go to the Tag tab and search inside All Providers>>MQTT Engine>>Root Tag Folder. Inside the folder, the sensor data appears. Click on the value parameter to obtain the number. Next, click OK.
Figure 36: Tag Linking to Sensor Data
17. Finally, the window will display the parameters sent by the SME. For the other LED displays, follow the same steps but select the values of the other desired parameters.
Figure 37: Final Visualization of Sensor Data
To learn how to send multiple Rheonics sensor data refer to Integrating Multiple Rheonics Sensors via MQTT in Ignition SCADA3. Resources
- Integrating Rheonics SME with Node-RED and MQTT for Remote Data Access
- Strategic Partner Modules
- HiveMQ Broker Integration with Rheonics
- Ignition Exchange portal
- Integrating Multiple Rheonics Sensors via MQTT in Ignition SCADA