Generator
Review the following information for setting up and configuring the Generator driver.
Manufacturing Connect Edge Compatible Series
Compatibility parameter | Compatible items |
|---|---|
Driver type | Used to generate simulated data |
Replaces Gen 1 driver(s) | Learn more about Gen1 and Gen2 Driver Differences. |
Configure the List of Registers
When yout Add Tags to the connected device, refer to the following register table and tag parameters.
Note: The address format in this Gen 2 driver is different from the Gen 1 driver (Simulator (Gen1)) for the same device. Learn more about Gen1 and Gen2 Driver Differences.
Register Table
Name | Data Type | Address Format | Min Address | Max Address | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
S | float64, int64, unit64, bit, char, string | DDDDD | 1 | 32768 | Random value generator |
H | int64 | DDDDD | 1 | 32768 | Holding Register |
Tag Parameters
- Name: Select a register name from the drop-down list. The available options depend on the names in the register table.
- Value Type: Select a data type from the drop-down list. The available options depend on the register name selected.
- Polling Interval: Enter a value in seconds. This determines how often the tag should poll the register for data.
- Tag Name: Enter a name for the tag.
- Description (Optional): Enter a description for the tag.
- Address: Enter a tag address. The value must in the decimal format, within the allowed min/max range. Omit the leading zeros. The device might use the decimal (D), hexadecimal (H), or octal (O) address format. See the Register Table at the bottom of the dialog box. For Bit tags, append the bit address without the bit separator. The lowercase letters in the address format indicate how many digits you should enter in the Bit address.
- Formula: Enter the formula for the tag. The input for the formula (t) represents the timestamp value.
- Min value: Enter the minimum value the tag can generate.
- Max value: Enter the maximum value the tag can generate.
- Count: Enter the number of register values to read. A count higher than 1 will generate an array of values from the address value configured and respective subsequent address values.
- Tag Formula: Enter a formula for the tag to process the generated data. Two variables are permitted: value (current tag value) and timestamp (current tag UNIX time in milliseconds). The following math functions are available:
- sin
- cos
- sqrt
- tan
- power: power(x) performs the operation 10^x.
- log: log(x) is the natural logarithm (the logarithm is in base e).
- exp: exp(x) performs the operation e^x.
- Only Publish on Change of Value: Select the checkbox to customize NATS messages to be published only when the value parameter changes from a previous value to a new one. Change of Value only applies to boolean, numeric (such as int or float), and simple string data types. It does not apply to complex types, such as JSON or array. Poll-once topics will not be affected by Change of Value settings. These topics will still only see a single message.
- Meta Data: Metadata summarizes basic information about data. This feature allows you to define key-value pair data for the device output payload later on. It can then be used to find, use, and reuse particular instances of data.
Note: If you use special characters in meta data key names, the special characters are replaced with underscore characters in the payload. This can cause two key names to be combined into one. For example, configuring the key names a**b and a&&b will cause only one key name to be created (a__b).
Tip:
- If the Min_value and Max_value tag parameters are set, any generated tag values are overridden.
- The supported functions for the Formula tag parameter are
- sin
- cos
- tan
- power
- log
- exp
- rand
- sqrt
- We recommend that you use a cyclic function in the formula. The parameter t represents Unix time in milliseconds. When using trigonometric functions such as sine, adjust the period of the function by dividing t by 10,000, for example, sin(t/10000).
- All simulated tags have a default range of -50 to 50.
- Users can override or restrict these defaults using a CSV upload.
- Entering - in the MIN and MAX columns prevents the default constraints from being applied.
- Numeric values in the MIN and MAX columns will replace the default settings.
- The MIN and MAX constraints apply to the defined tag formula and do not affect Boolean tags.