Generic Device

10 min

Review the following information for setting up and configuring the Generic Device driver. The Generic Device driver is a user-configured client driver which connects to TCP, UDP, or serial servers such as sensors, scales, or barcode scanners. Use this driver to build requests or commands to send to servers, or receive and parse streaming data from servers.

Manufacturing Connect Edge Compatible Series

Compatibility parameter	Compatible items
Driver type	Ethernet (TCP, UDP), Serial
Validated devices/series	Generic TCP servers, Keyence SR-750, Parker SensoNODE Receiver
Replaces Gen 1 driver(s)	N/A

To set up and configure this device in Manufacturing Connect Edge, you will need to do the following:

Step 1: Set up and Configure the Device

Step 2: Set up the Device in Manufacturing Connect Edge DeviceHub

Step 3: Configure the List of Registers

Step 1: Set up and Configure the Device

Ensure the device is configured for TCP/UDP/Serial access and find its communication parameters, including:

IP Address and Port number

Serial communication parameters

Any required connection payload to establish connection with the device

Step 2: Set up the Device in Manufacturing Connect Edge DeviceHub

Configure the following parameters when you Connect a DeviceConnect a Device with this driver. Update default values to the specific setup of your device.

Parameter	Value
Type	Generic
Driver	Generic Device
Transport	TCP UDP Serial
IP Address If TCP or UDP is selected	The device IP address you recorded in Step 1.
Port If TCP or UDP is selected	The device port number you recorded in Step 1.
Device File If Serial is selected	The file of the serial port you are using.
Baud Rate If Serial is selected	1200 2400 4800 9600 19200 38400 57600 115200 230400 460800 921600
Data Bits If Serial is selected	5 6 7 8
Stop Bits If Serial is selected	1 1.5 2
Parity If Serial is selected	Even Mark None Odd Space
Connection Request	Enable/disable Connection Request. If enabled, this field is used to enter the command that is required by the device to initiate the connection
Protocol Byte Order	BigEndian (bytes-little): BADC BigEndian: ABCD LittleEndian (bytes-big): CDAB LittleEndian: DCBA
Data Byte Order	BigEndian (bytes-little): BADC BigEndian: ABCD LittleEndian (bytes-big): CDAB LittleEndian: DCBA
Multiple Connections If TCP or UDP is selected	Enable/disable for multiple streams
Enable TLS If TCP is selected	Enable/disable TLS encryption

Step 3: Configure the List of Registers

When you Add TagsAdd Tags to the connected device, refer to the following register table and tag parameters. Refer to the following additional resources:

Organize Device and Tag Data by Using MetadataOrganize Device and Tag Data by Using Metadata

Tag Formula VariablesTag Formula Variables

Register Table

Name	Value Types	Access Type	Description
Poll - Poll Request	uint8, uint16, uint32, uint64, int8, int16, int32, int64, float32, float64, string, []byte	R/O	Poll Request - Sends a request and reads the response from the device at regular polling intervals or when triggered
Write - Write Request	uint8, uint16, uint32, uint64, int8, int16, int32, int64, float32, float64, string, []byte	R/W	Write Request - Sends a write command to the device when triggered
Stream - Stream Request	uint8, uint16, uint32, uint64, int8, int16, int32, int64, float32, float64, string, []byte	R/O	Stream Request - Listens for unsolicited data from the device
Response - Linked Response Value	uint8, uint16, uint32, uint64, int8, int16, int32, int64, float32, float64, string, []byte	R/O	Linked Response Value - Parses additional value from existing Poll/Stream requests. This tag is useful when a single poll/stream response contains multiple values and you want to parse each one separately

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. Supported types include: uint8, uint16, uint32, uint64, int8, int16, int32, int64, float32, float64, string, []byte.

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.

Payload: Enter the command/request that needs to be send to the device in hex string or ASCII format. Refer to the following examples:

If you want to send a command TEST with command terminator \r to the device, in the payload, enter "TEST\r", or "TEST" 0D, or 544553540D. Make sure that the value type is string.

Request Params: Enter the request params formatted as JSON. This field is used to enter address or area code that can be used in request. This field should be kept empty if no request params are needed and user just needs to send command.

Example: {"addr": "0007"}

Response Index: Enter the start index of values within response.

Value length: Enter the length of single value in bytes (0 for entire response).

Response terminator: Specifies the characters or byte sequence (for example \r\n) that indicate the end of the device response.

Include Terminator: Enable to include the response terminator in the value.

Response Max Length: Input the largest full response frame size driver is allowed to read from socket before parsing stops (0 for unlimited).

Override Transport: Enable to define alternate endpoint for single request. Note connection of override transport is not persistent.

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:

sqrt

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 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).

Example: Send a Print Command to a Barcode Printer

The following example shows how to configure the Generic Device driver to send print commands to a TCP-enabled barcode printer.

Step 1: Set up and Configure the Device

Ensure the printer is connected to your network. Collect the following:

The printer's IP address and port number

The print command and syntax required by the printer's language (for example, ZPL, IPL, or DPL). Refer to your printer's documentation.

The response terminator used by the printer (for example, \r\n)

Step 2: Set up the Device in Manufacturing Connect Edge DeviceHub

Configure the following parameters when connecting the device:

Parameter	Value
Type	Generic
Driver	Generic Device
Transport	TCP
IP Address	Your printer's IP address
Port	Your printer's port number recorded in Step 1

Step 3: Configure the Tag

Add a tag to the device with the following parameters:

Parameter	Value
Name	Write - Write Request
Value Type	string
Payload	The print command for your printer enclosed in quotation marks "". For example, if the printer uses PRINT as its print command, enter "PRINT".
Response Index	0
Value Length	0 (0 for entire response)
Response Terminator	The terminator used by your printer (for example, \r\n)

To trigger a print, publish to the write topic of the configured tag.