Page History

How to build an MCP Tool.

Scripts → Tutorial | Concept | How-to Guide | Reference

Step 1: Configure Historian

1. Navigate to Historian → Tables
2. Create table: ProductionData
3. Add tags:
   • Tag.ProductionRate
   • Tag.Efficiency
   • Tag.QualityScore
   • Tag.DowntimeMinutes
4. Set scan rate: 60 seconds
5. Enable storage

Step 2: Create KPI Calculator Class

1. Go to Scripts → Classes
2. Create class: KPICalculator
3. Configure as standard Methods class

csharp

public double CalculateOEE(double availability, double performance, double quality)
{
    return availability * performance * quality * 100;
}

public double GetAverageProduction(DateTime startTime, DateTime endTime)
{
    // Calculate average production rate over period
    double totalProduction = @Tag.TotalUnits;
    double hours = (endTime - startTime).TotalHours;
    return hours > 0 ? totalProduction / hours : 0;
}

public string GetProductionStatus()
{
    if (@Tag.ProductionRate > 100)
        return "High Performance";
    else if (@Tag.ProductionRate > 80)
        return "Normal";
    else
        return "Below Target";
}

Step 3: Create MCP Tool Class

1. Create new class: ProductionMCPTool
2. Select MCP Tool type
3. Add decorated methods:

csharp

[MCPMethod(Description = "Get current production KPIs")]
public object GetCurrentKPIs()
{
    return new {
        ProductionRate = @Tag.ProductionRate,
        Efficiency = @Tag.Efficiency,
        OEE = @Script.Class.KPICalculator.CalculateOEE(
            @Tag.Availability, @Tag.Performance, @Tag.Quality),
        Status = @Script.Class.KPICalculator.GetProductionStatus(),
        Timestamp = DateTime.Now
    };
}

[MCPMethod(Description = "Get production history for specified hours")]
public object GetProductionHistory(
    [MCPParameter(Description = "Hours to look back")] int hours)
{
    var endTime = DateTime.Now;
    var startTime = endTime.AddHours(-hours);
    
    // Query historian
    var data = @Historian.Table.ProductionData.GetData(startTime, endTime);
    
    return new {
        Period = $"Last {hours} hours",
        AverageRate = @Script.Class.KPICalculator.GetAverageProduction(startTime, endTime),
        TotalUnits = @Tag.TotalUnits,
        DataPoints = data.Rows.Count
    };
}

[MCPMethod(Description = "Analyze production trend")]
public string AnalyzeProductionTrend(
    [MCPParameter(Description = "Time period in hours")] int periodHours)
{
    var current = @Tag.ProductionRate;
    var average = @Script.Class.KPICalculator.GetAverageProduction(
        DateTime.Now.AddHours(-periodHours), DateTime.Now);
    
    if (current > average * 1.1)
        return "Trending Up - Production improving";
    else if (current < average * 0.9)
        return "Trending Down - Requires attention";
    else
        return "Stable - Within normal range";
}

Step 4: Test MCP Tool

1. Start runtime
2. Verify KPIs calculating
3. Check historian data collection
4. Test with AI assistant:
   • "What are the current production KPIs?"
   • "Show me production history for last 8 hours"
   • "Analyze the production trend"

Next Steps

• Advanced MCP Tools → Complex multi-tool scenarios
• ML.NET Models → Regression and classification
• Edge Computing → Deploy to field devices

These tutorials provide simple, practical starting points for both MCP Tools and ML.NET integration, focusing on real industrial scenarios while keeping complexity minimal for learning purposes.

In this section...