UNS TagProvider Services Reference

Connect UNS to external data services.

UNS TagProvider Services (Reference) enable direct interaction with variables in remote systems. TagProvider Services provide:

Dynamic external data access through auto-discovery
Three connection patterns: Local Tags, Linked Tags (via DataLink), and Dynamic Tags (via Asset() syntax)
Automatic data model discovery at runtime
On-demand communication — activated when data is consumed, released when not
Multi-protocol support (~16 discovery-capable connectors)

TagProviders allow consuming external data models directly, ideal for IoT systems and dynamic environments where device configurations change frequently.

Find a TagProvider Service

TagProviders vs Devices

Both TagProvider Services and the Devices module connect FrameworX to external systems. They are completely independent — they share nothing architecturally. Some protocols (MQTT, OPC UA, ControlLogix) are available in both, with different workflows.

Aspect	Devices Module	TagProvider Services
Design philosophy	Define explicitly, validate strictly	Auto-discover, bind dynamically
Tag creation	Required — every point maps to a local tag	Optional — Dynamic Tags need no pre-created tags
Namespace control	Solution architect defines everything	External source can define structure
Metadata	Full control (alarms, historian, scaling, units)	Full on Linked Tags; limited on Dynamic Tags
Security	Granular per tag	Connection level
Available protocols	~100 (all industrial protocols)	~16 (discovery-capable only)
Configuration	Design-time	Runtime discovery
Best for	SCADA control, regulatory compliance, FDA	IIoT monitoring, dynamic environments, UNS integration
Can coexist?	Yes — same solution, even same protocol	Yes

Supported TagProviders

Communication Protocols

MQTT Client Connector — Standard MQTT broker connection
MQTT Sparkplug B Collector — SparkplugB protocol
OPC UA Client — Industrial standard
AB Rockwell ControlLogix — Rockwell PLCs
Codesys PLC Handler — Codesys PLCs
Beckhoff TwinCAT — Beckhoff systems

Database Connectors

SQL Database — Generic SQL data sources
SQL Database Normalized — Normalized SQL schema
InfluxDB — Time-series database
FlowTimebaseDB — Flow Software historian

Application Integration

Server to Server — FrameworX solution interconnection
DataHub Communication — Distributed data aggregation
LineMonitor / MES CoreM — Production monitoring

Enterprise Historians

Canary Labs — Enterprise historian
GE Proficy — Industrial historian
OSIsoft Aveva PI — PI System

Dual-role connectors

Some connectors (Canary, InfluxDB, GE Proficy, SQL) can also serve as Storage Locations in the Historian module for archiving time-series data. That is a separate configuration in the Historian module — see Historian for details.

Configuration

Creating a Connection

Navigate to Unified Namespace → TagProvider Services
Click New Item
Select protocol from the list
Set the ServiceType: Tag Discovery (default) or Extension Module
Configure connection parameters (PrimaryStation is protocol-specific — use list_protocols in MCP)
The connection appears in the Services grid and an Asset Tree folder is auto-created

All Properties

Property	Type	Required	Description
Name	String	Yes	Unique connection identifier
Protocol	Reference	Yes	Communication protocol (references DevicesProtocols)
PrimaryStation	String	Yes	Main connection endpoint — format is protocol-specific
ServiceType	Enum	No	`TagDiscovery` (default) or `ExtensionModule`
Description	String	No	Connection description
BackupStation	String	No	Redundant endpoint for failover
FailOverStation	String	No	Failover connection string
ProtocolOptions	String	No	Protocol-specific configuration — format is protocol-specific
Settings	String	No	Additional connection settings
Timeout	String	No	Connection timeout value
Access	String	No	Access mode configuration
ReadTime	String	No	Read polling rate
WriteTime	String	No	Write rate
ServerIP	String	No	Server IP address for the connection
Interface	String	No	Network interface binding
InitialState	String	No	Initial state at runtime startup (enabled/disabled)
RemoteSettings	String	No	Remote connection configuration
Separators	String	No	Tag path separator configuration
DriverVersion	String	No	Protocol driver version
Category	String	No	Classification group for organizing connections

Protocol-dependent fields

PrimaryStation, BackupStation, and ProtocolOptions formats vary by protocol. Always call list_protocols (MCP) or check the specific connector reference page before configuring these fields.

Protocol-Specific Settings

OPC UA

Setting	Description
Server URL	OPC UA endpoint (e.g. `opc.tcp://server:4840`)
Security Policy	None, Basic128Rsa15, Basic256, Basic256Sha256
Security Mode	None, Sign, SignAndEncrypt
Authentication	Anonymous, Username/Password, Certificate

MQTT

Setting	Description
Broker	MQTT broker address
Port	Broker port (default: 1883)
Topic Structure	Topic pattern for subscription
QoS	Quality of Service level (0, 1, 2)
Client ID	Unique client identifier

ControlLogix

Setting	Description
IP Address	PLC IP address
Slot	CPU slot number
Path	Optional routing path

SQL Database

Setting	Description
Connection String	Database connection string
Query	SQL query for data retrieval
Refresh Rate	Poll interval (ms)

DataLink Property

DataLink is a property on UnsTags — not on the TagProvider connection itself. When set on a tag, it binds that tag to a path in a TagProvider's discovered namespace.

Example: A tag Plant/Tank1/Temperature with DataLink set to MyMQTT/sensors/tank1/temp will automatically receive values from the MQTT broker whenever the tag is read. Communication is on-demand — activated when consumed, released when not.

This is the mechanism behind Linked Tags — tags that exist in the local UNS with full metadata (alarms, historian, scaling) but get their values from an external source.

See UNS Tag Discovery Reference for the full explanation of Local Tags, Linked Tags, and Dynamic Tags patterns.

Asset() Syntax Reference

Basic Syntax

Asset("/TagProviderName/Path/To/Tag")

ControlLogix Syntax

Asset("/MyPLC/DataType:TagName")
Asset("/MyPLC/DINT:MyTag")
Asset("/MyPLC/DINT:MyArray[0]")
Asset("/MyPLC/REAL:Temperature")

Supported Operations

Operation	Syntax
Read	`value = Asset("/path")`
Write	`Asset("/path") = value`
Subscribe	Automatic in displays

Data Type Handling

WPF Displays (.NET Framework 4.8)

Dynamic handling supported — types are automatically resolved.

HTML5/Portable (NetStandard 2.0)

Explicit conversion required:

Method	Returns
`TK.ToInt(value)`	Integer
`TK.ToDouble(value)`	Double
`TK.ToString(value)`	String
`TK.ToDigital(value)`	Boolean
`TK.ToDateTime(value)`	DateTime

Access Modes

Mode	Description
Read	Read-only access to external data
Write	Write-only access (rare)
ReadWrite	Full bidirectional access

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