Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

User Guide
Abstract MQTT Driver Guide
Distech Controls, Inc.
Brossard, Quebec,
Canada
Legal Notice
©, Distech Controls Inc., 2022. All rights reserved. While all efforts have been made to verify the accuracy of in-
formation in this manual, Distech Controls is not responsible for damages or claims arising from the use of this
manual. Persons using this manual are assumed to be trained HVAC professionals and are responsible for us-
ing the correct wiring procedures, correct override methods for equipment control and maintaining safe working
conditions in fail-safe environments. Distech Controls reserves the right to change, delete or add to the informa-
tion in this manual at any time without notice.
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Contents
Preface ...............................................................................................................5

About this Guide .................................................................................................7

Document change log .................................................................................7
Related Documentation...............................................................................8

Chapter 1 Getting started .................................................................................9

Requirements...........................................................................................10
Adding the network ...................................................................................10
Adding a device and authenticator ............................................................. 11
Setting up client certificate authentication ................................................... 11
Discovering points ....................................................................................12
Adding points manually .............................................................................14
Publishing data.........................................................................................14

Chapter 2 Abstract MQTT Driver with GCP Authenticator...............................17

Setting up Google Cloud Platform (GCP) ....................................................17
Setting up station to connect to GCP ..........................................................19
Creating device in GCP .............................................................................20
Sending messages from EC-Net to GCP ....................................................21
Sending messages GCP Console to EC-Net...............................................22

Chapter 3 Abstract MQTT Driver with Microsoft Azure ...................................25

Azure SAS Tokens ....................................................................................25
Connecting Abstract MQTT Driver to Microsoft Azure IoT Hub .....................25
Setting up Azure IoT Hub on Azure portal .........................................25
Setting up station to connect to Azure IoT Hub ..................................27

Chapter 4 Components...................................................................................31
abstractMqttDriver-AbstractMqttDriverNetwork ...........................................31
abstractMqttDriver-AbstractMqttDevice ......................................................33
abstractMqttDriver-AwsMqttAuthenticator...................................................35
abstractMqttDriver-AzureMqttSasAuthenticator...........................................36
abstractMqttDriver-AzureSasTokenParameters...........................................38
abstractMqttDriver-AzureIotSasToken ........................................................38
abstractMqttDriver-GenericMqttAuthenticator .............................................39
abstractMqttDriver-GcpAuthenticator .........................................................41
abstractMqttDriver-GcpIotParameters ........................................................42
abstractMqttDriver-TokenParameters .........................................................43
abstractMqttDriver-MqttCallbackRouter ......................................................43
abstractMqttDriver-PointCallbackHandler ...................................................44
abstractMqttDriver-MqttClientDriverPointDeviceExt.....................................44
abstractMqttDriver-MqttClientDriverDeviceFolder........................................44
abstractMqttDriver-MqttClientDriverPointFolder ..........................................44
abstractMqttDriver-MqttBooleanObjectPublishExt .......................................45
abstractMqttDriver-MqttBooleanObjectSubscribeExt ...................................47
abstractMqttDriver-MqttNumericObjectPublishExt .......................................49

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Contents Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

abstractMqttDriver-MqttNumericObjectSubscribeExt ...................................51
abstractMqttDriver-MqttStringObjectPublishExt...........................................53
abstractMqttDriver-MqttStringObjectSubscribeExt.......................................55
abstractMqttDriver-MqttEnumObjectPublishExt...........................................57
abstractMqttDriver-MqttEnumObjectSubscribeExt.......................................59
Chapter 5 Plugins ...........................................................................................63
Abstract Mqtt Driver Device Ux Manager ....................................................63
Mqtt Client Driver Point Manager................................................................64
Chapter 6 Windows ........................................................................................67
New Device Windows ...............................................................................67
Add point windows ....................................................................................67
Index.................................................................................................................71

4 April 6, 2022
Preface

April 6, 2022 5
Preface Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

6 April 6, 2022
About this Guide
This topic contains important information about the purpose, content, context, and intended audience for this
document.
Product Documentation
This document is part of the EC-NetTM technical documentation library. Released versions of EC-Net software
include a complete collection of technical information that is provided in both online help and PDF format. The
information in this document is written primarily for Systems Integrators. In order to make the most of the infor-
mation in this book, readers should have some training or previous experience with EC-NetTM 4 or EC-NetAXTM
software.
Document Content
This document describes how to create an Abstract MQTT (MQ Telemetry Transport) client connection to the
Abstract MQTT broker for the EC-Net 4 v4.2 (or later) station for the purpose of publishing or subscribing the
“lightweight” messaging protocol into the Niagara Framework.

Document change log

Changes to this document are listed in this topic.
April 6, 2022
• Added chapter “Abstract MQTT Driver with Gcp Authenticator”
• Added chapter “Abstract MQTT Driver with Microsoft Azure”. Included components: “abstractMqttDriver-
AzureMqttSasAuthenticator”, “abstractMqttDriver-AzureSasTokenParameters”, “abstractMqttDriver-
AzureIotSasToken”.
• Updated description for the Topic component property.
March 28, 2022
February 14, 2022
November 19, 2020
• Added the components that support the Google Cloud Platform authenticator
• Added Adding points manually, page 14.
• Added Setting up client certificate authentication, page 11.
• Minor edits in other topics.
April 1, 2020
Added topic for Authenticators and updated the guide for EC-Net 4 v4.9
May 10, 2018
Added two new component topics “MqttClientDriverDeviceFolder” and “MqttClientDriverPointFolder”.
October 16, 2017
• Added information about ‘Bql Query Builder’ in “Discovering AbstractMqttPoints” topic.
• Added two new topics “Discovering AbstractMqttPoint” and “Adding Points to the database”.
• Updated the component topics and few more topics in the chapter “Setup an AbstractMqttDriverNetwork”.
July 10, 2017
Updated for initial product release.

April 6, 2022 7
 Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

Related Documentation
The following documents relate to the AbstractMqtt Driver.
• Drivers Guide
• EC-Net 4 Platform Guide

8 April 6, 2022
Chapter 1 Getting started
Topics covered in this chapter
♦ Requirements
♦ Adding the network
♦ Adding a device and authenticator
♦ Setting up client certificate authentication
♦ Discovering points
♦ Adding points manually
♦ Publishing data

MQTT (MQ Telemetry Transport) driver supports a lightweight messaging protocol for use on top of the TCP/IP
protocol driver installation. Its publish-subscribe architecture is designed to be open and easy to implement with
up to thousands of remote clients capable of being supported by a single server.
Publish and subscribe
The MQTT protocol is based on the principle of publish and subscribe. Multiple clients connect to a broker and
subscribe to topics that they are interested in. Clients also connect to the broker and publish messages to
topics. MQTT restricts one subscriber to one topic.
Client
The term client refers either to a publisher or a subscriber. The MQTT client can be both a publisher and a sub-
scriber at the same time. An MQTT client is any device from a micro controller up to a full-fledged server that
has an MQTT library running and is connected to an MQTT broker over any type of network. The EC-Net solu-
tion for MQTT configures only the client, and not the broker. Data types supported by the client are Boolean,
string, numeric and enum.
Broker
The broker is the central hub for messages. Depending on the actual implementation, a broker may handle
many concurrently-connected MQTT clients. The broker is primarily responsible for:
• Authenticating each client
• Receiving all messages
• Filtering messages
• Deciding which subscriber is interested in each message
• Sending each message to its subscribed client
Most brokers are extensible, providing easily integrated, custom authentication, authorization and integration
into back-end systems. Integration is an especially important aspect because often the broker is the component
that is directly exposed to the Internet. The broker handles multiple clients and passes messages to down-
stream analyzing and processing systems. The EC-Net The MQTT client supports a TLS connection to a
broker, also using login credentials.
Devices
The MQTT driver supports these devices:
• The DefaultMqttDevice represents a generic MQTTNiagara client, which you can use to connect to any
broker.
• The AwsMqttDevice connects an MQTT client to the AWS IoT Hub.
• The GcpMqttDevice connects the MQTT client to the Google Cloud Platform.

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Chapter 1 Getting started Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

Authenticators
The MQTT authenticators plug in to the MQTT device according to establish a secure connection between a
broker and a client device. You choose which authenticator to use for each device.
The driver provides these authenticators:
• The generic DefaultAuthenticator serves most devices, providing ways to connect to a broker.
• The AwsIoTAuthenticator makes a secure connection to the AWS IoT (Amazon Web Services Internet of
Things) using the certificate authentication.
• The GcpAuthenticator authenticates a secure connection between a client device and a broker on a Goo-
gle Cloud Platform. It uses RSA keys.

Requirements
This topic describes the licensing and software requirements for using the EC-NetTM Abstract MQTT Driver.
License Requirements
The abstract abstractMqttDriver module is a licensed feature. You can check to see if your software in-
stallation is licensed for MQTT by opening the license file from the License Manager view. The feature name is
present only if your platform is licensed for MQTT.
Figure 1 Example MQTT license with point limit attribute values set to “none”.

Software Requirements
The EC-NetTM Abstract MQTT Driver is available for EC-Net 4 v4.2 (or later).

Adding the network

The AbstractMqttDriverNetwork manages all connected devices.
Prerequisites: You are working in EC-Net 4 Pro and are connected to a controller station.
Step 1 Open the station and expand Config→Drivers.
Step 2 Open the abstractMqttDriver palette.
Step 3 Drag the AbstractMqttDriverNetwork to the Drivers node in the Nav tree.

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The Name window opens.

Step 4 Accept the default name or give your instance of the AbstractMqttDriverNetwork a more meaningful
name, as desired, and click OK.

Adding a device and authenticator

A device can be any equipment. The authenticator provides secure communication between an MQTT broker
and an MQTT client in the device.
Prerequisites: The network is installed and the abstractMqttDriver palette is open.
Step 1 Open the station and expand Config→Drivers.
Step 2 Do one of the following:
• Drag the device component from the palette to the network node in the Nav tree, name the device
and click OK.
• Double-click the network node, click New, select the Abstract Mqtt Device from the drop-
down list, click OK, name the device and click OK.
You may use the preconfigured devices present under the Devices folder. They are already config-
ured with an authenticator.
Step 3 To configure the device, right-click it in the Nav tree and click Views→AX Property Sheet.
Step 4 To add an authenticator, drag it from the palette to the device node under the network.
Step 5 To configure the authenticator, right-click it in the Nav tree and click Views→AX Property Sheet.

Setting up client certificate authentication

AWS and GCP devices use client certificate authentication to encrypt communication and authenticate the
broker to the client. AWS IoT requires the MQTT client to register with AWS IoT, which generates a client certifi-
cate. GCP devices use RSA keys. After acquiring your client certificate, this procedure documents how to im-
port it into the User Key Store.
Prerequisites: You are working in EC-Net 4 Pro running on a PC and are connected to a controller station.

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Chapter 1 Getting started Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

Step 1 Using a secure channel, download the certificate from the AWS IoT portal or Google Cloud Platform
to your PC.
CAUTION: Always share certificates over a secure channel.
Step 2 Working in the station, expand Config→Services→PlatformServices and double-click
CertManagerService.
The Certificate Management view opens.
This same view is available by expanding Platform and double-clicking Certificate Management.
Step 3 At the bottom of the view, click the Import button and navigate to where you saved the certificate.
Step 4 After selecting the certificate, click Open.
The next step associates this certificate with the device.
Step 5 Expand Config→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork.
Step 6 Do one of the following:
• If you are using the AWS IoT cloud, expand AwsMqttDevice and double-click authenticator.
• If you are using the Google Cloud Platform, expand GcpMqttDevice→authenticator and double-
click Token Parameters.
Step 7 To select the client certificate, use the Certificate Alias drop-down list.
You are ready to connect your client to the broker.

Discovering points
You can add points individually or discover local points under each device. Discovery includes writing a BQL
(Baja Query Language) expression to locate the points in the station.
Step 1 In the Nav tree, expand the Config→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork and expand the device.
Step 2 To view the point manager, right-click the Points node and click Views→Mqtt Client Driver Point
Manager or double click the Points node.
The Mqtt Client Driver Point Manager opens.
Step 3 Click the Discover button.
The Bql Query Builder window opens.

Step 4 To define a BQL query, click the search icon ( ).

The Choose Root window opens.
Step 5 Navigate to the location of points that are available in the station to discover (In: property), select the
type of point from the Of type: drop-down list and click OK.
The discovery job runs, populating the Discovered pane with points.

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Step 6 To add a discovered point to the station database, select the point(s) in the Discovered and click
Add.
The Add window opens.

Step 7 Give the point a Name, configure the other properties as needed and click OK.
The added point begins updating with the real-time values.

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Chapter 1 Getting started Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

Adding points manually

You can add individual points manually using the palette or New button in the Mqtt Client Driver Point
Manager.
Prerequisites: The station is open; network and devices have been added.
Step 1 Expand Config→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork and expand the device.
Step 2 Expand the AbstractMqttPoints folder in the palette.
Step 3 Do one of the following:
• Drag a point from the palette to the Points node in the Nav tree, name the point and click OK.
• Double-click the Points folder, click New, select the Type to Add and Number to Add from the
drop-down lists and click OK.
If you used the New button, the software opens the Add point window.
Step 4 If the Add point window is open, configure the point(s) and click OK.

Publishing data
To publish data to the broker, you link a data point output value to an MQTT publish point of the proper data
type. This procedure is the same when publishing Boolean, string and enum data.
Prerequisites: You have added the points you need to the station.
Step 1 Expand Config→Drivers and expand the device.
Step 2 Right-click the Points node and select Views→Wire Sheet.
The Wire Sheet view opens.
Step 3 Right-click the point glyph and select a Link Mark option from the list.

Step 4 For a numeric point, right-click it and select the Link To “MqttNumericPublishPoint” from the
menu.
The Link window opens.

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Abstract MQTT Driver Guide Chapter 1 Getting started

Step 5 Connect the output of the data point to the input of the MqttNumericPublishPoint.
The data should now be transferring to the broker.

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Chapter 1 Getting started Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

16 April 6, 2022
Chapter 2 Abstract MQTT Driver with
GCP Authenticator
Topics covered in this chapter
♦ Setting up Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
♦ Setting up station to connect to GCP
♦ Creating device in GCP
♦ Sending messages from EC-Net to GCP
♦ Sending messages GCP Console to EC-Net

The MQTT authenticators plug in to the MQTT device according to establish a secure connection between a
broker and a client device. You choose which authenticator to use for each device.
The GcpAuthenticator authenticates a secure connection between a client device and a broker on a Google
Cloud Platform. It uses JwtKeys for connection.

Setting up Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Before connecting to EC-Net some configurations are done in GCP Console. This section provides information
about the GCP Configuration.
Step 1 Navigate to GCP Console. Click the drop-down list displayed in below image:

Select A Project window opens.

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Chapter 2 Abstract MQTT Driver with GCP Authenticator Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

Step 2 Select New Project.

A New Project window opens.

Step 3 Enter the Project name of your choice and browse the location. Click Create.
A new project is created.

Step 4 Navigate toTopics using the navigation menu on the top left or using the search bar at top of the
screen. (Search: Topics).
a. Select Topics from the list.
b. Create Topics (tempData, device, data).
Step 5 Navigate toIoT Core using the navigation menu on the top left or using the search bar at top of the
screen. (Search: IoT Core).
Step 6 Create a new Registry in IoT Core.
a. Enter Registry ID.
b. Select region as europe-west1 or us-central1.

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NOTE: At the time of testing choosing Asia-east1 did not connect and produced an output error
as: “Invalid Protocol Version”.
c. Select a topic from the list created in step 4.
Step 7 Select Add under additional topics and select tempData. Enter degree as a subfolder.
Step 8 Under the device state topic, select device from the list. Projects/PROJECT_NAME/topics/device.
Click Create.

Setting up station to connect to GCP

The following steps describe how to prepare your EC-Net station to connect it to GCP Platform.
Prerequisites:
• New Registry is created GCP.
• You are working in EC-Net 4 Pro and your connected station is open.
• The abstractMqttDriver palette is open.
Step 1 To create a new AbstractMqttDriverNetwork, expand Config→Drivers, and double-click Drivers to
open the Driver Manager view.
Step 2 In the Driver Manager view, click New, select AbstractMqttDriverNetwork from the drop-down list,
and click OK.
Step 3 In the open abstractMqttDriver palette, expand the Devices folder.

Step 4 Drag the GcpMqttDevice component to your AbstractMqttDriverNetwork in the Nav tree and click
OK.
Step 5 Expand GcpMqttDevice, and double-click authenticator.
Gcp Authenticator Property sheet opens.

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Step 6 Configure the following parameters:

a. Broker Endpoint: Enter mqtt.googleapis.com as broker endpoint.
b. Client ID: It is auto-populated when you connect to GCP.
c. Broker Port: Enter 8883 as the port number.
Step 7 Expand Gcp Iot Parameters and configure the following parameters:
a. Project ID: Enter ID of project created in GCP .
b. Cloud Region: Enter the Cloud region of registry created in GCP console.
c. Registry ID: Enter the ID of GCP Registry created.
d. Device ID: Enter the ID of the device created in GCP console.
Step 8 To save the configuration, click Save.

Creating device in GCP

Once the GcpMqttDevice is configured in the EC-Net 4 Pro, you need to add the device in GCP console.
Prerequisites:
GcpMqttDevice is added from the palette to the driver.
Step 1 Navigate to IoT Core. Select devices from list.
Step 2 Create new device/devices. Enter following parameters:
a. Device ID: Enter Device ID
b. Under Authentication. Enter or Upload public key of device created in EC-Net 4 Pro.
NOTE: One public key per authenticator is added in EC-Net 4 Pro. I.e., when an Gcp Authentica-
tor is added from the palette, a public key is automatically created inside the mentioned directory
if the station is started from Application Director C:\ProgramData\Niagara4.x\Brand
\stations\stationName\shared\JwtKeys\AbstractMqttDriverNetwork. If the sta-
tion is started from EC-Net Console public key is automatically created inside the mentioned direc-
tory C:\Users\user_name\Niagara4.x\Brand\stations\stationName\shared
\JwtKeys\AbstractMqttDriverNetwork.
Step 3 Select the public key corresponding to the device name in EC-Net 4 Pro. I.e., If device name in EC-
Net 4 Pro is device1 then public key will be device1.pem. Select the correct public key and upload or
copy and paste the contents into the text box in IoT Core.

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Step 4 Click Create.

Step 5 Navigate to EC-Net 4 Pro and update device Id under Gcp IoT Parameters with device Id of newly
created device in GCP console, then connect to device from EC-Net 4 Pro.
Step 6 To connect to GCP ,right click on GcpMqttDevice Actions→Connect.

Sending messages from EC-Net to GCP

This procedure describes the steps to send messages from EC-Net to GCP.
Prerequisites:
Connection is established between GCP and EC-Net.
Step 1 Navigate to Config→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork→GcpMqttDevice and double-click
Points.
MqttClientDriverPointManager window opens.

Step 2 To add MqttStringPublishPoint click New..

A New window opens.

Step 3 Select MqttStringPublishPoint from the drop-down list and click OK.
Another New window opens.

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Step 4 Enter the following parameters:

a. Name: Enter the name to be given to the point.
b. Local Point: Enter the file path where the publish point is created.
c. Topic: Enter the topic name as /devices/device_name/state, Enter the device name set in GCP
console.
Step 5 Click OK. Navigate to AX property sheet of the point created.
Step 6 Navigate to Points→Proxy Ext→Set Value. Select any In slot and set value to desired text mes-
sage. for example Hello World.
Step 7 Go to GCP Console, IoT Core→Devices and select the correct device in which the message was
sent to. Select Configuration and State.
Step 8 In the Cloud Update section you should see a row with your message in base64 format.
Step 9 Click the row with the message, select text to see the message in text format.

Sending messages GCP Console to EC-Net

This procedure describes the steps to send messages from GCP to EC-Net.
Prerequisites:
Connection is established between GCP and EC-Net.
Step 1 Navigate to Config→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork→GcpMqttDevice and double-click
Points.
MqttClientDriverPointManager window opens.

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Step 2 To add MqttStringSubscribePoint click New..

A New window opens.

Step 3 Select MqttStringSubscribePoint from the drop-down list and click OK.
Another New window opens.

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Chapter 2 Abstract MQTT Driver with GCP Authenticator Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

Step 4 Enter the following parameters:

a. Name: Enter the name to be given to the point.
b. Topic: Enter the topic name as /devices/device_name/commands/#, Enter the device name set in
GCP console,
Step 5 Click OK. Navigate to AX Property Sheet of the point created.
Step 6 Right click on device, Actions→Subscribe All.
Step 7 Go to GCP Console, IoT Core→Devices and select the correct device in which the point was set.
Step 8 Select Send Command. Select Text. Type the command to send.
Step 9 Input subfolder (Topic) in subfolder window. Click Send Command.
Step 10 Return to EC-Net console and view the AX property Sheet of the device. Expand Points and the out-
put of the subscribe point should be the text or message sent from the console.

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Chapter 3 Abstract MQTT Driver with
Microsoft Azure
Topics covered in this chapter
♦ Azure SAS Tokens
♦ Connecting Abstract MQTT Driver to Microsoft Azure IoT Hub

As of EC-Net 4.12, the Abstract MQTT driver includes an authenticator for providing connections to the Micro-
soft Azure IoT Hub platform.
In general, there are two available methods to directly authenticate with Azure IoT Hub as an MQTT client:
• X.509 certificates
• Shared Access Signature (SAS) tokens
The Abstract MQTT driver currently only supports SAS tokens.

Azure SAS Tokens

The Abstract MQTT Driver supports the use of SAS tokens for authentication to the Azure IoT Hub.
The authentication process is as follows:
• Add an AzureMqttSasAuthenticator component to the Abstract MQTT Driver device.
• The device’s connection string is copied from Azure IoT Hub to an EC-Net station.
• The authenticator securely stores the connection string and generates a new SAS token, and connects to
the IoT Hub.
• The authenticator automatically generates a new token when the current token is close to expiring.
The benefits of using SAS tokens over certificates include:
• Simpler configuration during station commissioning.
• Secure encrypted storage of tokens and access key at rest in the EC-Net key store.
• You can configure more frequently token expiry.
• The authenticator generates a new replacement token prior to expiry thereby avoiding repeated certificate
maintenance in the future.
• Administrators can revoke the original connection string in the Azure IoT Hub at any time.

Connecting Abstract MQTT Driver to Microsoft Azure IoT Hub

The following section describes how you connect your EC-Net Abstract MQTT Driver to Microsoft Azure IoT
Hub using SAS tokens.

Setting up Azure IoT Hub on Azure portal

Below are the steps involved to set up an Azure IoT Hub on the Microsoft Azure portal.
Prerequisites:
• You have created and logged in to your Microsoft Azure account.
• You have selected the account subscription plan.
• Port 8883 of the host azure-devices.net is accessible in the customer environment.

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Step 1 On the Microsoft Azure website, search for IoT Hub and navigate to the IoT Hub homepage.

Step 2 Create an IoT Hub, choose your subscription plan and region, and select the appropriate network ac-
cess for your scenario.
Wait for the deployment to complete.
Step 3 Once complete, click on your newly created hub and navigate to Device Management→Devices.

Step 4 Add a New Device and keep the default selections.

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Step 5 To auto-generate keys and enable the device, select Symmetric key as the Authentication type.
Step 6 Once created, click on your device name to open the Device Configuration view.

Step 7 Click the Copy icon to the right side of either your device’s Primary Connection String or Secon-
dary Connection String.

Setting up station to connect to Azure IoT Hub

The following steps describe how to prepare your EC-Net station to connect it to your created Azure IoT Hub
using SAS tokens.
Prerequisites:
• You are working in EC-Net 4 Pro and your connected station is open.
• The abstractMqttDriver palette is open.
Step 1 To create a new AbstractMqttDriverNetwork, expand Config→Drivers, and double-click Drivers to
open the Driver Manager view.

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Chapter 3 Abstract MQTT Driver with Microsoft Azure Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

Step 2 In the Driver Manager view, click New, select AbstractMqttDriverNetwork from the drop-down
menu, and click OK.
Step 3 In the open abstractMqttDriver palette, expand the Devices folder.

Step 4 Drag the AzureSasTokenMqttDevice component to your AbstractMqttDriverNetwork in the Nav

tree, name it and click OK.
Step 5 Expand AzureSasTokenMqttDevice, double-click authenticator and consider the following two op-
tional steps:

a. Optional: For Advance Expiration, set an appropriate value to define the time period prior to the
token’s expiry when a new token is generated replacing the existing token. The default value is 10
seconds.
b. Optional: Expand Token Parameters and choose an appropriate value for Next Token Expiry
Period. By default, the token expires every 24 hours.
Step 6 Right-click authenticator and select Actions→Setup From Connection String.

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Step 7 In the Setup From Connection String window, paste in the connection string as copied from the
Azure IoT Hub device configuration (see section “Setting up Azure IoT Hub on Azure portal”).

The authenticator populates the following fields and connects the parent device to Azure IoT Hub:
• Broker Endpoint
• Client ID
• Token Parameters
• Current Token

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NOTE: The authenticator automatically generates a new token before the current token expires and
reconnects the device using the new token. To prompt this procedure manually, you can at any time
invoke the Generate New Token action on the authenticator.

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Chapter 4 Components
Topics covered in this chapter
♦ abstractMqttDriver-AbstractMqttDriverNetwork
♦ abstractMqttDriver-AbstractMqttDevice
♦ abstractMqttDriver-AwsMqttAuthenticator
♦ abstractMqttDriver-AzureMqttSasAuthenticator
♦ abstractMqttDriver-AzureSasTokenParameters
♦ abstractMqttDriver-AzureIotSasToken
♦ abstractMqttDriver-GenericMqttAuthenticator
♦ abstractMqttDriver-GcpAuthenticator
♦ abstractMqttDriver-GcpIotParameters
♦ abstractMqttDriver-TokenParameters
♦ abstractMqttDriver-MqttCallbackRouter
♦ abstractMqttDriver-PointCallbackHandler
♦ abstractMqttDriver-MqttClientDriverPointDeviceExt
♦ abstractMqttDriver-MqttClientDriverDeviceFolder
♦ abstractMqttDriver-MqttClientDriverPointFolder
♦ abstractMqttDriver-MqttBooleanObjectPublishExt
♦ abstractMqttDriver-MqttBooleanObjectSubscribeExt
♦ abstractMqttDriver-MqttNumericObjectPublishExt
♦ abstractMqttDriver-MqttNumericObjectSubscribeExt
♦ abstractMqttDriver-MqttStringObjectPublishExt
♦ abstractMqttDriver-MqttStringObjectSubscribeExt
♦ abstractMqttDriver-MqttEnumObjectPublishExt
♦ abstractMqttDriver-MqttEnumObjectSubscribeExt

Components include services, folders and other model building blocks associated with a module. Each of the
following Mqtt components are briefly described in this section.
This topic contains a short description of a component or the component plugin view.

abstractMqttDriver-AbstractMqttDriverNetwork
This component is the top-level container component for an AbstractMqttDriverNetwork in a station.
This component is located in the abstractMqttDriver palette. Like other drivers, you should install this
component under the Drivers node of a station. The default view of this component is the Mqtt Client Driver
Device Manager view where you can add new devices, remove or edit devices in a tabular layout.

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Figure 2 AbstractMqttDriverNetwork Property Sheet

To access these properties, expand Config→Drivers, right-click AbstractMqttDriverNetwork and click, View-
s→AX Property Sheet.

Property Value Description

Status read-only Indicates the condition of the network, device or component at
the last check.
{ok} indicates that the component is licensed and polling
successfully.
{down} indicates that the last check was unsuccessful, perhaps
because of an incorrect property, or possibly loss of network
connection.
{disabled} indicates that the Enable property is set to
false.
{fault} indicates another problem. Refer to Fault Cause for
more information.
Enabled true or false Activates (true) and deactivates (false) the object (network,
device, point, component, table, schedule, descriptor, etc.).
Fault Cause read-only Indicates the reason why a system object (network, device,
component, extension, etc.) is not working properly (in fault).
This property is empty unless a fault exists.
Health read-only Reports the status of the network, device or component. This
advisory information, including a time stamp, can help you rec-
ognize and troubleshoot problems but it provides no direct man-
agement controls.
These properties are documented in the Drivers Guide.
Alarm source info additional Contains a set of properties for configuring and routing alarms
properties when this component is the alarm source.
These properties are documented in the Alarms Guide.
Monitor additional Configures a network's ping mechanism, which verifies network
properties health. This includes verifying the health of all connected objects
(typically, devices) by pinging each device at a repeated interval.
These properties are documented in the Drivers Guide.

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Property Value Description

Tuning Policies additional
properties Selects a network tuning policy by name. This policy defines
stale time and minimum and maximum update times.
During polling, the system uses the tuning policy to evaluate
both write requests and the acceptability (freshness) of read
requests.
These properties are documented in the Drivers Guide.
Poll Scheduler additional Enables or disables the Poll Scheduler.
properties
These properties are documented in the Drivers Guide.

abstractMqttDriver-AbstractMqttDevice
This driver supports four MQTT device components that communicate with the broker: AbstractMqttDevice,
DefaultMqttDevice, AwsMqttDevice and GcpMqttDevice. The only difference among them is that the Ab-
stractMqttDevice does not provide communication security, which means that it does not include an authenti-
cator component. You configure the device by setting its properties to match the settings for the broker.

Figure 3 DefaultMqttDevice properties

To access these properties, expand Config→Drivers and double-click a device object in the Nav tree.

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Chapter 4 Components Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

In addition to the standard properties (Status, Enabled, Fault Cause, Health, Alarm Source Info, and Poll Fre-
quency), these properties are unique to these components.

Property Value Description

Message for L W T read-only Reports the Last Will and Testament (last known good value)
when an unexpected error occurs.
Clean Session true or false Controls the persistence of the session between broker and
(default) client.
true enables a clean session that is not persistent. All informa-
tion is lost when the client disconnects from the broker for any
reason.
false disables the clean session creating a persistent session.
The driver preserves this session until the client requests a
clean session again. If a session is already available, the driver
uses it and delivers any queued messages to the client.
Enable L W T true or false Turns on (true) and off (false) the Last-Will-and-Testament
(default) feature.
Topic for L W T read-only Reports the topic that contains the Last Will and Testament
value.
Qos for L W T drop-down list Defines the Qos (Quality of Service) level, which configures how
persistently the broker and client attempt to ensure that a mes-
sage is received.
Fire And Forget (0) delivers the message once with no
confirmation.
Atleast Once (1) delivers the message at least once with
confirmation required.
Exactly Once (2) delivers the message exactly once by using
a four-step handshake.
Messages may be sent at any Qos level, and clients may at-
tempt to subscribe to topics at any Qos level.
Retained for L W T true (default) or Configures the broker to save the message for the specified
false topic as its Last Will and Testament (last known good value).
It is useful for newly-connected subscribers to receive the last
retained message for the topic immediately after subscribing
and extremely helpful to provide status updates from compo-
nents and devices on individual topics.
Keep Alive seconds Defines the longest period during which the broker and client
can remain connected without sending a message. The broker
must disconnect a client that does not send a PINGREQ (ping
request) or another message within this period.
To ensure that the connection remains open and both client and
broker remain connected, the client sends this time interval to
the broker during the establishment of the connection. This pro-
vides Abstract MQTT with a work-around for the issue of half-
open connections.
Connection seconds Specifies the maximum amount of time the client waits after
Timeout sending a request to the broker.
Status Message text Reports the current status of the component.

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Property Value Description

Points folder Contains the discovered points.
Send Enum As drop-down list (de- Configures how to transmit an enum value.
faults to TAG)
TAG
ORDINAL
authenticator (avail- additional Defines the authenticator component to use for this device. An
able using De- properties authenticator secures the connection between the client and
faultMqttDevice broker.
component only)

Actions
These actions are available on both components. To perform an action, right-click the device in the Nav tree
and click Actions followed by selecting the action.

Action Description

Ping This checks the device status.

Connect Establishes a connection with a broker.

Disconnect Disconnects session with a broker.
Subscribe all Subscribes clients for all topics.

Unsubscribe all Unsubscribes clients from all topics

NOTE:
The Ip address, Client ID, and port number of the broker must be entered for Connect and Disconnect actions
to work.

abstractMqttDriver-AwsMqttAuthenticator
This component sets up a secure connection between an AWS client and broker using certificates and keys.

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Chapter 4 Components Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

Figure 4 AwsMqttAuthenticator properties

To access these properties, expand Config→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork, double-click an

AwsMqttDevice and expand or double-click authenticator.

Property Value Description

Broker Endpoint IP address, URL or Specifies the IP address, URL or Hostname of the broker.
host name
Client ID text string Identifies the client to the server. If not specified, the system
generates a unique Client ID.
No other client should currently use or in the future use this
unique string. If two devices share the same Client ID, Status re-
ports {down} or {fault}, unexpected behaviors happen and com-
munication issues between client and broker result.
Broker Port number Specifies the port number of the broker.
Callback Router additional Directs a client request to an appropriate function. A separate
(available under properties topic documents these router functions.
AwsIoTAuthenti-
cator from the
palette)
Certificate Alias drop-down list Selects the name of the client certificate, which secures the con-
nection between the client and broker.
For AWS IoT devices, the registration process creates this certif-
icate, which you download from the AWS IoT portal and import
into the User Key Store.

abstractMqttDriver-AzureMqttSasAuthenticator
This component sets up a secure connection between the EC-NetTM a Abstract MQTT device and the Azure
IoT Hub.

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Figure 5 AzureMqttSasAuthenticator properties

Azure Mqtt Sas Authenticator is contained in the abstractMqttDriver palette.

To access these properties, expand Config→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork, double-click AzureSas-
TokenMqttDevice and double-click authenticator.

Property Value Description

Broker Endpoint IP address, URL or Specifies the IP address, URL or Hostname of the broker.
hostname
Client ID text string Identifies the client to the server. If not specified, the system
generates a unique Client ID.
No other client should currently use or in the future use this
unique string. If two devices share the same Client ID, Status re-
ports {down} or {fault}, unexpected behaviors happen and com-
munication issues between client and broker result.
Broker Port number Specifies the port number of the broker.
Callback Router additional Directs a client request to an appropriate function. A separate
properties topic documents these router functions.
Ssl Version enum Reports the TLS (Transfer Layer Security) version currently
being used.
Advance Expiration hours, minutes, Defines the time period prior to the token’s expiry that a new to-
seconds (defaults ken will be generated replacing the existing token.
to 10 seconds)
Reconnect After true (default) or When set to true, the authenticator automatically reconnects
Token Generation false the parent MQTT device after a new token is generated.
Last Error read-only The most recent error caused by token management functions.
Last Error Time read-only The time of the most recent error.

Actions
To perform an action, right-click authenticator, select Actions and select the action.

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Chapter 4 Components Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

• Generate New Token: Manually generates a new SAS token to use for connections. It replaces any existing
token.
• Setup From Connection String: Configures the authenticator and generates a new SAS token from that
configuration.

abstractMqttDriver-AzureSasTokenParameters
This component displays the configuration values that are used when generating a new Azure SAS token.
Figure 6 abstractMqttDriver-AzureSasTokenParameters properties

Azure Sas Token Parameters is contained in the abstractMqttDriver palette.

To access these properties, expand Config→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork→AzureSasTokenMqtt-
Device , double-click AzureSasTokenMqttDevice, double-click authenticator and double-click Token
Parameters.
Property Value Description
Azure Host read-only Specifies the hostname of the Azure IoT Hub.
Azure Device Id read-only Specifies the name of the Azure device in IoT Hub.
Api Version string Constitutes the version of the Azure IoT Hub API to use for to-
ken generation.
Shared Access Key read-only Set to True if the automatic configuration has stored your devi-
Stored ce’s access key in the secure key store. This is required for fu-
ture token generation.
User Name read-only Consists of a combination of host, device Id, and API version.
Next Token Expiry hours, minutes, Defines the length in time the next generated SAS token will be
Period seconds (defaults valid.
to 24 hours)

abstractMqttDriver-AzureIotSasToken
This component represents an instance of a current Azure IoT Hub SAS token.

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Figure 7 abstractMqttDriver-AzureIotSasToken properties

Azure Iot Sas Token is contained in the abstractMqttDriver palette.

To access these properties, expand Config→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork, double-click AzureSas-
TokenMqttDevice, double-click authenticator and double-click Current Token.

Property Value Description

Token Stored read-only Set to true if the SAS token is stored in the secure key store.
Last Generated read-only Indicates the date and time the current token was generated.
Time
Next Expiry Time read-only Indicates the time when the current token expires.

abstractMqttDriver-GenericMqttAuthenticator
This is the default authenticator. It configures a connection between client and broker that is not secure. You
might use this type of connection when debugging connection problems. This should not be your preferred
authenticator.

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Figure 8 Generic Authenticator properties

To access these properties, expand Config→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork, expand a device and

double-click authenticator.
Property Value Description
Broker Endpoint IP address, URL or Specifies the IP address, URL or Hostname of the broker.
host name
Client ID text string Identifies the client to the server. If not specified, the system
generates a unique Client ID.
No other client should currently use or in the future use this
unique string. If two devices share the same Client ID, Status re-
ports {down} or {fault}, unexpected behaviors happen and com-
munication issues between client and broker result.
Broker Port number Specifies the port number of the broker.
Callback Router additional Directs a client request to an appropriate function. A separate
(available under properties topic documents these router functions.
AwsIoTAuthenti-
cator from the
palette)

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Property Value Description

Connection Type drop-down (de- Defines the type of authentication for this connection.
faults to User Log-
Anonymous establishes a connection with the broker that is not
in Over SSL)
secure. Choosing this type of connection is not recommended
and generates a warning message. If you agree, the system
logs your choice in its audit file. To use this type of connection,
add this information using the security dashboard.
Anonymous Over SSL establishes a one-way secure connec-
tion using TLS (Transport Layer Security) where the broker is
configured with certificates that include keys.Choosing this type
of connection, which is secure in only one direction, is not rec-
ommended and generates a warning message If you agree, the
system logs your choice in its audit file.
Using Login Over SSL requires you to enter the username
and password for the broker. This is the recommended Con-
nection Type.
User name and text Defines the credentials required by the broker. The broker may
Password or may not require these credentials.
If Connection Type is User Login Over SSL, you must enter
the Username and Password.

abstractMqttDriver-GcpAuthenticator
This component provides secure communication between a device and the Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
Figure 9 GcpAuthenticator properties

To access this view, expand Config→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork, double-click an GcpMqttDevice

and expand or double-click authenticator.

Property Value Description

Broker Endpoint IP address, URL or Specifies the IP address, URL or Hostname of the broker.
host name
Client I D text string Identifies the client to the server. If not specified, the system
generates a unique Client ID.

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Chapter 4 Components Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

Property Value Description

No other client should currently use or in the future use this

unique string. If two devices share the same Client ID, Status re-
ports {down} or {fault}, unexpected behaviors happen and com-
munication issues between client and broker result.
Broker Port number Specifies the port number of the broker.
Callback Router additional Directs a client request to an appropriate function. A separate
properties topic documents these router functions.
Ssl Version read-only Reports the TLS (Transfer Layer Security) version currently
being used.
Expiration Date of read-only Reports when the RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) pair of crypto-
Rsa Keys system keys expires.
Gcp Iot Parameters additional Configures properties required by the Google Cloud Platform. A
properties separate topic documents these properties.
Token Parameters additional Configures properties related to the RSA token. A separate topic
properties documents these properties.

abstractMqttDriver-GcpIotParameters
This component configures the Google Cloud Platform Internet of Things properties.
Figure 10 Gcp Iot Parameters properties

To view these properties, expand Config→Drivers→GcpMqttDevice, double-click authenticator and double-

click Gcp Iot Parameters.

Property Value Description

Project Id text Defines the string ID of the cloud project that owns the registry
and device.
Cloud Region text Defines the geographical region where the Google Cloud Plat-
form device registry is located, for example us-central1.
Registry Id text Defines the identifier of the device registry, for example
registry1.

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Property Value Description

Device Id text Defines the identifier for the device, for example, thing1. This
identifier must be unique within the registry.
Client Id read-only Reports the ID of the client.

abstractMqttDriver-TokenParameters
This component configures security-related properties for Google Cloud Platform devices.

Figure 11 Token Parameters properties

To view these properties, expand Config→Drivers→GcpMqttDevice, double-click authenticator and double-

click Token Parameters.
Property Value Description
Certificate Alias drop-down list Selects the name of the client certificate, which secures the con-
nection between the client and broker.
Algorithm drop-down list Selects the algorithm used to generate private and public keys.
Validity hours minutes sec- Configures a time value that specifies the limited period for
onds (defaults to 20 which the token is valid.
minutes)
Advance Expiration hours minutes sec- Specifies how far in advance to send notification that the token
onds (defaults to 10 validity time is expiring.
seconds)
Private Key years Specifies how long the private key is valid.
Expiration

abstractMqttDriver-MqttCallbackRouter
This component configures callback routing. Several routing methods specify a callback function (also called a
handler function).

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Chapter 4 Components Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

Figure 12 MqttCallbackRouter properties

To access these properties, in the station expand Config→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork→Devices

any device, Authenticators, expand any authenticator and double-click Callback Router.

Type Value Description

Callback Type drop-down list Select the type of driver and callback point from the drop-down
list.
Handler container

abstractMqttDriver-PointCallbackHandler
This component handles the information received regarding points.
To access these properties, in the station expandConfig→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork→Devices,
any deviceAuthenticator, any authenticator Callback Route and double-click Handler.

abstractMqttDriver-MqttClientDriverPointDeviceExt
This component is a container for Mqtt client points.
The Mqtt Client Driver Point Manager is the default view for this component. It has no properties of its own.

abstractMqttDriver-MqttClientDriverDeviceFolder
This component implements a folder under the network.
Typically, you add such folders using the New Folder button in the Mqtt Client Driver Device Manager view of
the network. Each MqttClientDriverDeviceFolder has its own Mqtt Client Driver Device Manager view.

abstractMqttDriver-MqttClientDriverPointFolder
This component implements a folder under the Points extension.
Typically, you add such folders using the New Folder button in the Mqtt Client Driver Point Manager view of
the Points extension. Each MqttClientDriverPointFolder has its own Mqtt Client Driver Point Manager view.

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abstractMqttDriver-MqttBooleanObjectPublishExt
This component configures the driver to publish Boolean data.
This component is in the abstractMqttDriver palette under the AbstractMqttPoints folder.
Figure 13 Mqtt Boolean Object Publish Point Ext properties

To access these properties, expand Config→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork, expand a device, ex-

pand the Points folder, expand this point and double-click the Proxy Ext.
In addition to the standard properties (Status, Fault Cause and Enabled) these properties are unique to this
component.

Property Value Description

Device facets additional Determine how values are formatted for display depending on
properties the context and the type of data. For example, instead of the
Boolean facets trueText and falseText you may want to
display ON and OFF, Access Granted and Access Denied or
Locked and Unlocked.
You access facets by clicking an Edit button or a chevron >>.
Both open an Edit Facets window.
Conversion drop-down list Defines how the system converts proxy extension units to parent
point units.
Default automatically converts similar units (such as Fahren-
heit to Celsius) within the proxy point.
NOTE: In most cases, the standard Default conversion is
best.
Linear applies to voltage input, resistive input and voltage out-
put writable points. Works with linear-acting devices. You use
the Scale and Offset properties to convert the output value to a
unit other than that defined by device facets.
Linear With Unit is an extension to the existing linear con-
version property. This specifies whether the unit conversion
should occur on “Device Value” or “Proxy Value”. The new linear
with unit convertor, will have a property to indicate whether the
unit conversion should take place before or after the scale/offset
conversion.

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Property Value Description

Reverse Polarity applies only to Boolean input and relay

output writable points. Reverses the logic of the hardware binary
input or output.
500 Ohm Shunt applies to voltage input points only. It reads a 4-
to-20mA sensor, where the Ui input requires a 500 ohm resistor
wired across (shunting) the input terminals.
Tabular Thermistor applies to only a Thermistor input point
and involves a custom resistance-to-temperature value re-
sponse curve for Type 3 Thermistor temperature sensors.
Thermistor Type 3 applies to an Thermistor Input point,
where this selection provides a “built-in” input resistance-to-tem-
perature value response curve for Type 3 Thermistor tempera-
ture sensors.
Generic Tabular applies to non-linear support for devices
other than for thermistor temperature sensors with units in tem-
perature. Generic Tabular uses a lookup table method similar to
the “Thermistor Tabular” conversion, but without predefined out-
put units.
Tuning Policy drop-down list
Name Selects a network tuning policy by name. This policy defines
stale time and minimum and maximum update times.
During polling, the system uses the tuning policy to evaluate
both write requests and the acceptability (freshness) of read
requests.
Read Value read-only Displays the last value read from the device, expressed in de-
vice facets.
Write value read-only Displays the last value written, using device facets.
Topic text Defines a string that the broker uses to filter messages for each
client. A topic consists of one or more topic levels. Each level is
separated by a forward slash (topic level separator).
Qo S drop-down list Defines the Qos (Quality of Service) level, which configures how
persistently the broker and client attempt to ensure that a mes-
sage is received.
Fire And Forget (0) delivers the message once with no
confirmation.
Atleast Once (1) delivers the message at least once with
confirmation required.
Exactly Once (2) delivers the message exactly once by using
a four-step handshake.
Messages may be sent at any Qos level, and clients may at-
tempt to subscribe to topics at any Qos level.

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Property Value Description

Retained true (default) or Configures the broker to save the message for the specified
false topic as its Last Will and Testament (last known good value).
It is useful for newly-connected subscribers to receive the last
retained message for the topic immediately after subscribing
and extremely helpful to provide status updates from compo-
nents and devices on individual topics.
Publish Message true (default) or Determines if the client publishes a message when a value
on Change false changes.

abstractMqttDriver-MqttBooleanObjectSubscribeExt
This component configures the subscription to Boolean data.
This component is in the abstractMqttDriver palette under the AbstractMqttPoints folder.
Figure 14 Mqtt Boolean Object Subscribe Point Ext Property Sheet

To access these properties, expand Config→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork, expand a device, ex-

pand the Points folder, expand this point and double-click the Proxy Ext.
In addition to the standard properties (Status, Fault Cause and Enabled) these properties are unique to this
component.

Property Value Description

Device facets additional Determine how values are formatted for display depending on
properties the context and the type of data. For example, instead of the
Boolean facets trueText and falseText you may want to
display ON and OFF, Access Granted and Access Denied or
Locked and Unlocked.
You access facets by clicking an Edit button or a chevron >>.
Both open an Edit Facets window.
Conversion drop-down list Defines how the system converts proxy extension units to parent
point units.
Default automatically converts similar units (such as Fahren-
heit to Celsius) within the proxy point.
NOTE: In most cases, the standard Default conversion is
best.

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Chapter 4 Components Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

Property Value Description

Linear applies to voltage input, resistive input and voltage out-

put writable points. Works with linear-acting devices. You use
the Scale and Offset properties to convert the output value to a
unit other than that defined by device facets.
Linear With Unit is an extension to the existing linear con-
version property. This specifies whether the unit conversion
should occur on “Device Value” or “Proxy Value”. The new linear
with unit convertor, will have a property to indicate whether the
unit conversion should take place before or after the scale/offset
conversion.
Reverse Polarity applies only to Boolean input and relay
output writable points. Reverses the logic of the hardware binary
input or output.
500 Ohm Shunt applies to voltage input points only. It reads a 4-
to-20mA sensor, where the Ui input requires a 500 ohm resistor
wired across (shunting) the input terminals.
Tabular Thermistor applies to only a Thermistor input point
and involves a custom resistance-to-temperature value re-
sponse curve for Type 3 Thermistor temperature sensors.
Thermistor Type 3 applies to an Thermistor Input point,
where this selection provides a “built-in” input resistance-to-tem-
perature value response curve for Type 3 Thermistor tempera-
ture sensors.
Generic Tabular applies to non-linear support for devices
other than for thermistor temperature sensors with units in tem-
perature. Generic Tabular uses a lookup table method similar to
the “Thermistor Tabular” conversion, but without predefined out-
put units.
Tuning Policy drop-down
Name Selects a network tuning policy by name. This policy defines
stale time and minimum and maximum update times.
During polling, the system uses the tuning policy to evaluate
both write requests and the acceptability (freshness) of read
requests.
Read Value read-only Displays the last value read from the device, expressed in de-
vice facets.
Write value read-only Displays the last value written, using device facets.

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Property Value Description

Topic text Defines a string that the broker uses to filter messages for each
client. A topic consists of one or more topic levels. Each level is
separated by a forward slash (topic level separator).
Qos drop-down list Defines the Qos (Quality of Service) level, which configures how
persistently the broker and client attempt to ensure that a mes-
sage is received.
Fire And Forget (0) delivers the message once with no
confirmation.
Atleast Once (1) delivers the message at least once with
confirmation required.
Exactly Once (2) delivers the message exactly once by using
a four-step handshake.
Messages may be sent at any Qos level, and clients may at-
tempt to subscribe to topics at any Qos level.

abstractMqttDriver-MqttNumericObjectPublishExt
This component configures the publishing of numeric data.
This component is in the abstractMqttDriver palette under the AbstractMqttPoints folder.

Figure 15 Mqtt Numeric Object Publish Ext properties

To access these properties, expand Config→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork, expand a device, ex-

pand the Points folder, expand this point and double-click the Proxy Ext.
In addition to the standard properties (Status, Fault Cause and Enabled) these properties are unique to this
component.

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Property Value Description

Device facets additional Determine how values are formatted for display depending on
properties the context and the type of data. For example, instead of the
Boolean facets trueText and falseText you may want to
display ON and OFF, Access Granted and Access Denied or
Locked and Unlocked.
You access facets by clicking an Edit button or a chevron >>.
Both open an Edit Facets window.
Conversion drop-down Defines how the system converts proxy extension units to parent
point units.
Default automatically converts similar units (such as Fahren-
heit to Celsius) within the proxy point.
NOTE: In most cases, the standard Default conversion is
best.
Linear applies to voltage input, resistive input and voltage out-
put writable points. Works with linear-acting devices. You use
the Scale and Offset properties to convert the output value to a
unit other than that defined by device facets.
Linear With Unit is an extension to the existing linear con-
version property. This specifies whether the unit conversion
should occur on “Device Value” or “Proxy Value”. The new linear
with unit convertor, will have a property to indicate whether the
unit conversion should take place before or after the scale/offset
conversion.
Reverse Polarity applies only to Boolean input and relay
output writable points. Reverses the logic of the hardware binary
input or output.
500 Ohm Shunt applies to voltage input points only. It reads a 4-
to-20mA sensor, where the Ui input requires a 500 ohm resistor
wired across (shunting) the input terminals.
Tabular Thermistor applies to only a Thermistor input point
and involves a custom resistance-to-temperature value re-
sponse curve for Type 3 Thermistor temperature sensors.
Thermistor Type 3 applies to an Thermistor Input point,
where this selection provides a “built-in” input resistance-to-tem-
perature value response curve for Type 3 Thermistor tempera-
ture sensors.
Generic Tabular applies to non-linear support for devices
other than for thermistor temperature sensors with units in tem-
perature. Generic Tabular uses a lookup table method similar to
the “Thermistor Tabular” conversion, but without predefined out-
put units.
Tuning Policy drop-down list
Name Selects a network tuning policy by name. This policy defines
stale time and minimum and maximum update times.
During polling, the system uses the tuning policy to evaluate
both write requests and the acceptability (freshness) of read
requests.
Read Value read-only Displays the last value read from the device, expressed in de-
vice facets.

50 April 6, 2022
Abstract MQTT Driver Guide Chapter 4 Components

Property Value Description

Write value read-only Displays the last value written, using device facets.
Topic text Defines a string that the broker uses to filter messages for each
client. A topic consists of one or more topic levels. Each level is
separated by a forward slash (topic level separator).
Qos drop-down list Defines the Qos (Quality of Service) level, which configures how
persistently the broker and client attempt to ensure that a mes-
sage is received.
Fire And Forget (0) delivers the message once with no
confirmation.
Atleast Once (1) delivers the message at least once with
confirmation required.
Exactly Once (2) delivers the message exactly once by using
a four-step handshake.
Messages may be sent at any Qos level, and clients may at-
tempt to subscribe to topics at any Qos level.
Retained true (default)or Configures the broker to save the message for the specified
false topic as its Last Will and Testament (last known good value).
It is useful for newly-connected subscribers to receive the last
retained message for the topic immediately after subscribing
and extremely helpful to provide status updates from compo-
nents and devices on individual topics.
Publish Message true (default)or Determines if the client publishes a message when a value
on Change false changes.

abstractMqttDriver-MqttNumericObjectSubscribeExt
This component configures the subscription to numeric data.
This component is in the abstractMqttDriver palette under the AbstractMqttPoints folder.

Figure 16 Mqtt Numeric Object Subscribe Ext properties

To access these properties, expand Config→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork, expand a device, ex-

pand the Points folder, expand this point and double-click the Proxy Ext.

April 6, 2022 51
Chapter 4 Components Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

In addition to the standard properties (Status, Fault Cause and Enabled) these properties are unique to this
component.

Property Value Description

Device facets additional Determine how values are formatted for display depending on
properties the context and the type of data. For example, instead of the
Boolean facets trueText and falseText you may want to
display ON and OFF, Access Granted and Access Denied or
Locked and Unlocked.
You access facets by clicking an Edit button or a chevron >>.
Both open an Edit Facets window.
Conversion drop-down list Defines how the system converts proxy extension units to parent
point units.
Default automatically converts similar units (such as Fahren-
heit to Celsius) within the proxy point.
NOTE: In most cases, the standard Default conversion is
best.
Linear applies to voltage input, resistive input and voltage out-
put writable points. Works with linear-acting devices. You use
the Scale and Offset properties to convert the output value to a
unit other than that defined by device facets.
Linear With Unit is an extension to the existing linear con-
version property. This specifies whether the unit conversion
should occur on “Device Value” or “Proxy Value”. The new linear
with unit convertor, will have a property to indicate whether the
unit conversion should take place before or after the scale/offset
conversion.
Reverse Polarity applies only to Boolean input and relay
output writable points. Reverses the logic of the hardware binary
input or output.
500 Ohm Shunt applies to voltage input points only. It reads a 4-
to-20mA sensor, where the Ui input requires a 500 ohm resistor
wired across (shunting) the input terminals.
Tabular Thermistor applies to only a Thermistor input point
and involves a custom resistance-to-temperature value re-
sponse curve for Type 3 Thermistor temperature sensors.
Thermistor Type 3 applies to an Thermistor Input point,
where this selection provides a “built-in” input resistance-to-tem-
perature value response curve for Type 3 Thermistor tempera-
ture sensors.
Generic Tabular applies to non-linear support for devices
other than for thermistor temperature sensors with units in tem-
perature. Generic Tabular uses a lookup table method similar to
the “Thermistor Tabular” conversion, but without predefined out-
put units.
Tuning Policy drop-down
Name Selects a network tuning policy by name. This policy defines
stale time and minimum and maximum update times.
During polling, the system uses the tuning policy to evaluate
both write requests and the acceptability (freshness) of read
requests.

52 April 6, 2022
Abstract MQTT Driver Guide Chapter 4 Components

Property Value Description

Read Value read-only Displays the last value read from the device, expressed in de-
vice facets.
Write value read-only Displays the last value written, using device facets.
Topic text Defines a string that the broker uses to filter messages for each
client. A topic consists of one or more topic levels. Each level is
separated by a forward slash (topic level separator).
Qos drop-down Defines the Qos (Quality of Service) level, which configures how
persistently the broker and client attempt to ensure that a mes-
sage is received.
Fire And Forget (0) delivers the message once with no
confirmation.
Atleast Once (1) delivers the message at least once with
confirmation required.
Exactly Once (2) delivers the message exactly once by using
a four-step handshake.
Messages may be sent at any Qos level, and clients may at-
tempt to subscribe to topics at any Qos level.

abstractMqttDriver-MqttStringObjectPublishExt
This component configure the properties that publish string data.
This component is in the abstractMqttDriver palette under the AbstractMqttPoints folder.
Figure 17 Mqtt String Object Publish Ext properties

To access these properties, expand Config→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork, expand a device, ex-

pand the Points folder, expand this point and double-click the Proxy Ext.
In addition to the standard properties (Status, Fault Cause and Enabled) these properties are unique to this
component.

April 6, 2022 53
Chapter 4 Components Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

Property Value Description

Device facets additional Determine how values are formatted for display depending on
properties the context and the type of data. For example, instead of the
Boolean facets trueText and falseText you may want to
display ON and OFF, Access Granted and Access Denied or
Locked and Unlocked.
You access facets by clicking an Edit button or a chevron >>.
Both open an Edit Facets window.
Conversion drop-down list Defines how the system converts proxy extension units to parent
point units.
Default automatically converts similar units (such as Fahren-
heit to Celsius) within the proxy point.
NOTE: In most cases, the standard Default conversion is
best.
Linear applies to voltage input, resistive input and voltage out-
put writable points. Works with linear-acting devices. You use
the Scale and Offset properties to convert the output value to a
unit other than that defined by device facets.
Linear With Unit is an extension to the existing linear con-
version property. This specifies whether the unit conversion
should occur on “Device Value” or “Proxy Value”. The new linear
with unit convertor, will have a property to indicate whether the
unit conversion should take place before or after the scale/offset
conversion.
Reverse Polarity applies only to Boolean input and relay
output writable points. Reverses the logic of the hardware binary
input or output.
500 Ohm Shunt applies to voltage input points only. It reads a 4-
to-20mA sensor, where the Ui input requires a 500 ohm resistor
wired across (shunting) the input terminals.
Tabular Thermistor applies to only a Thermistor input point
and involves a custom resistance-to-temperature value re-
sponse curve for Type 3 Thermistor temperature sensors.
Thermistor Type 3 applies to an Thermistor Input point,
where this selection provides a “built-in” input resistance-to-tem-
perature value response curve for Type 3 Thermistor tempera-
ture sensors.
Generic Tabular applies to non-linear support for devices
other than for thermistor temperature sensors with units in tem-
perature. Generic Tabular uses a lookup table method similar to
the “Thermistor Tabular” conversion, but without predefined out-
put units.
Tuning Policy drop-down list
Name Selects a network tuning policy by name. This policy defines
stale time and minimum and maximum update times.
During polling, the system uses the tuning policy to evaluate
both write requests and the acceptability (freshness) of read
requests.
Read Value read-only Displays the last value read from the device, expressed in de-
vice facets.

54 April 6, 2022
Abstract MQTT Driver Guide Chapter 4 Components

Property Value Description

Write value read-only Displays the last value written, using device facets.
Topic text Defines a string that the broker uses to filter messages for each
client. A topic consists of one or more topic levels. Each level is
separated by a forward slash (topic level separator).
Qos drop-down list Defines the Qos (Quality of Service) level, which configures how
persistently the broker and client attempt to ensure that a mes-
sage is received.
Fire And Forget (0) delivers the message once with no
confirmation.
Atleast Once (1) delivers the message at least once with
confirmation required.
Exactly Once (2) delivers the message exactly once by using
a four-step handshake.
Messages may be sent at any Qos level, and clients may at-
tempt to subscribe to topics at any Qos level.
Retained true (default)or Configures the broker to save the message for the specified
false topic as its Last Will and Testament (last known good value).
It is useful for newly-connected subscribers to receive the last
retained message for the topic immediately after subscribing
and extremely helpful to provide status updates from compo-
nents and devices on individual topics.
Publish Message true (default)or Determines if the client publishes a message when a value
on Change false changes.

abstractMqttDriver-MqttStringObjectSubscribeExt
This component configures the properties for subscribing string data.
This component is in the abstractMqttDriver palette under the AbstractMqttPoints folder.

Figure 18 Mqtt String Object Subscribe Ext properties

To access these properties, expand Config→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork, expand a device, ex-

pand the Points folder, expand this point and double-click the Proxy Ext.
In addition to the standard properties (Status, Fault Cause and Enabled) these properties are unique to this
component.

April 6, 2022 55
Chapter 4 Components Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

Property Value Description

Device facets additional Determine how values are formatted for display depending on
properties the context and the type of data. For example, instead of the
Boolean facets trueText and falseText you may want to
display ON and OFF, Access Granted and Access Denied or
Locked and Unlocked.
You access facets by clicking an Edit button or a chevron >>.
Both open an Edit Facets window.
Conversion drop-down list Defines how the system converts proxy extension units to parent
point units.
Default automatically converts similar units (such as Fahren-
heit to Celsius) within the proxy point.
NOTE: In most cases, the standard Default conversion is
best.
Linear applies to voltage input, resistive input and voltage out-
put writable points. Works with linear-acting devices. You use
the Scale and Offset properties to convert the output value to a
unit other than that defined by device facets.
Linear With Unit is an extension to the existing linear con-
version property. This specifies whether the unit conversion
should occur on “Device Value” or “Proxy Value”. The new linear
with unit convertor, will have a property to indicate whether the
unit conversion should take place before or after the scale/offset
conversion.
Reverse Polarity applies only to Boolean input and relay
output writable points. Reverses the logic of the hardware binary
input or output.
500 Ohm Shunt applies to voltage input points only. It reads a 4-
to-20mA sensor, where the Ui input requires a 500 ohm resistor
wired across (shunting) the input terminals.
Tabular Thermistor applies to only a Thermistor input point
and involves a custom resistance-to-temperature value re-
sponse curve for Type 3 Thermistor temperature sensors.
Thermistor Type 3 applies to an Thermistor Input point,
where this selection provides a “built-in” input resistance-to-tem-
perature value response curve for Type 3 Thermistor tempera-
ture sensors.
Generic Tabular applies to non-linear support for devices
other than for thermistor temperature sensors with units in tem-
perature. Generic Tabular uses a lookup table method similar to
the “Thermistor Tabular” conversion, but without predefined out-
put units.
Tuning Policy drop-down list
Name Selects a network tuning policy by name. This policy defines
stale time and minimum and maximum update times.
During polling, the system uses the tuning policy to evaluate
both write requests and the acceptability (freshness) of read
requests.
Read Value read only Displays the last value read from the device, expressed in de-
vice facets.

56 April 6, 2022
Abstract MQTT Driver Guide Chapter 4 Components

Property Value Description

Write value read-only Displays the last value written, using device facets.
Topic text Defines a string that the broker uses to filter messages for each
client. A topic consists of one or more topic levels. Each level is
separated by a forward slash (topic level separator).
Qos drop-down list Defines the Qos (Quality of Service) level, which configures how
persistently the broker and client attempt to ensure that a mes-
sage is received.
Fire And Forget (0) delivers the message once with no
confirmation.
Atleast Once (1) delivers the message at least once with
confirmation required.
Exactly Once (2) delivers the message exactly once by using
a four-step handshake.
Messages may be sent at any Qos level, and clients may at-
tempt to subscribe to topics at any Qos level.

abstractMqttDriver-MqttEnumObjectPublishExt
This component configures the properties for publishing enum data.
This component is in the abstractMqttDriver palette under the AbstractMqttPoints folder.
Figure 19 Mqtt Enum Object Publish Point Ext properties

To access these properties, expand Config→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork, expand a device, ex-

pand the Points folder, expand this point and double-click the Proxy Ext.
In addition to the standard properties (Status, Fault Cause and Enabled) these properties are unique to this
component.

April 6, 2022 57
Chapter 4 Components Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

Property Value Description

Device facets additional Determine how values are formatted for display depending on
properties the context and the type of data. For example, instead of the
Boolean facets trueText and falseText you may want to
display ON and OFF, Access Granted and Access Denied or
Locked and Unlocked.
You access facets by clicking an Edit button or a chevron >>.
Both open an Edit Facets window.
Conversion drop-down list Defines how the system converts proxy extension units to parent
point units.
Default automatically converts similar units (such as Fahren-
heit to Celsius) within the proxy point.
NOTE: In most cases, the standard Default conversion is
best.
Linear applies to voltage input, resistive input and voltage out-
put writable points. Works with linear-acting devices. You use
the Scale and Offset properties to convert the output value to a
unit other than that defined by device facets.
Linear With Unit is an extension to the existing linear con-
version property. This specifies whether the unit conversion
should occur on “Device Value” or “Proxy Value”. The new linear
with unit convertor, will have a property to indicate whether the
unit conversion should take place before or after the scale/offset
conversion.
Reverse Polarity applies only to Boolean input and relay
output writable points. Reverses the logic of the hardware binary
input or output.
500 Ohm Shunt applies to voltage input points only. It reads a 4-
to-20mA sensor, where the Ui input requires a 500 ohm resistor
wired across (shunting) the input terminals.
Tabular Thermistor applies to only a Thermistor input point
and involves a custom resistance-to-temperature value re-
sponse curve for Type 3 Thermistor temperature sensors.
Thermistor Type 3 applies to an Thermistor Input point,
where this selection provides a “built-in” input resistance-to-tem-
perature value response curve for Type 3 Thermistor tempera-
ture sensors.
Generic Tabular applies to non-linear support for devices
other than for thermistor temperature sensors with units in tem-
perature. Generic Tabular uses a lookup table method similar to
the “Thermistor Tabular” conversion, but without predefined out-
put units.
Tuning Policy drop-down list
Name Selects a network tuning policy by name. This policy defines
stale time and minimum and maximum update times.
During polling, the system uses the tuning policy to evaluate
both write requests and the acceptability (freshness) of read
requests.
Read Value read-only Displays the last value read from the device, expressed in de-
vice facets.

58 April 6, 2022
Abstract MQTT Driver Guide Chapter 4 Components

Property Value Description

Write value read-only Displays the last value written, using device facets.
Topic text Defines a string that the broker uses to filter messages for each
client. A topic consists of one or more topic levels. Each level is
separated by a forward slash (topic level separator).
Qos drop-down list Defines the Qos (Quality of Service) level, which configures how
persistently the broker and client attempt to ensure that a mes-
sage is received.
Fire And Forget (0) delivers the message once with no
confirmation.
Atleast Once (1) delivers the message at least once with
confirmation required.
Exactly Once (2) delivers the message exactly once by using
a four-step handshake.
Messages may be sent at any Qos level, and clients may at-
tempt to subscribe to topics at any Qos level.
Retained true (default)or Configures the broker to save the message for the specified
false topic as its Last Will and Testament (last known good value).
It is useful for newly-connected subscribers to receive the last
retained message for the topic immediately after subscribing
and extremely helpful to provide status updates from compo-
nents and devices on individual topics.
Publish Message true (default)or Determines if the client publishes a message when a value
on Change false changes.

abstractMqttDriver-MqttEnumObjectSubscribeExt
This component configures the properties for subscribing enum data.
This component is in the abstractMqttDriver palette under the AbstractMqttPoints folder.

Figure 20 Mqtt Enum Object Subscribe Point Ext properties

To access these properties, expand Config→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork, expand a device, ex-

pand the Points folder, expand this point and double-click the Proxy Ext.
In addition to the standard properties (Status, Fault Cause and Enabled) these properties are unique to this
component.

April 6, 2022 59
Chapter 4 Components Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

Property Value Description

Device facets additional Determine how values are formatted for display depending on
properties the context and the type of data. For example, instead of the
Boolean facets trueText and falseText you may want to
display ON and OFF, Access Granted and Access Denied or
Locked and Unlocked.
You access facets by clicking an Edit button or a chevron >>.
Both open an Edit Facets window.
Conversion drop-down list Defines how the system converts proxy extension units to parent
point units.
Default automatically converts similar units (such as Fahren-
heit to Celsius) within the proxy point.
NOTE: In most cases, the standard Default conversion is
best.
Linear applies to voltage input, resistive input and voltage out-
put writable points. Works with linear-acting devices. You use
the Scale and Offset properties to convert the output value to a
unit other than that defined by device facets.
Linear With Unit is an extension to the existing linear con-
version property. This specifies whether the unit conversion
should occur on “Device Value” or “Proxy Value”. The new linear
with unit convertor, will have a property to indicate whether the
unit conversion should take place before or after the scale/offset
conversion.
Reverse Polarity applies only to Boolean input and relay
output writable points. Reverses the logic of the hardware binary
input or output.
500 Ohm Shunt applies to voltage input points only. It reads a 4-
to-20mA sensor, where the Ui input requires a 500 ohm resistor
wired across (shunting) the input terminals.
Tabular Thermistor applies to only a Thermistor input point
and involves a custom resistance-to-temperature value re-
sponse curve for Type 3 Thermistor temperature sensors.
Thermistor Type 3 applies to an Thermistor Input point,
where this selection provides a “built-in” input resistance-to-tem-
perature value response curve for Type 3 Thermistor tempera-
ture sensors.
Generic Tabular applies to non-linear support for devices
other than for thermistor temperature sensors with units in tem-
perature. Generic Tabular uses a lookup table method similar to
the “Thermistor Tabular” conversion, but without predefined out-
put units.
Tuning Policy drop-down list
Name Selects a network tuning policy by name. This policy defines
stale time and minimum and maximum update times.
During polling, the system uses the tuning policy to evaluate
both write requests and the acceptability (freshness) of read
requests.
Read Value read-only Displays the last value read from the device, expressed in de-
vice facets.

60 April 6, 2022
Abstract MQTT Driver Guide Chapter 4 Components

Property Value Description

Write value read-only Displays the last value written, using device facets.
Topic text Defines a string that the broker uses to filter messages for each
client. A topic consists of one or more topic levels. Each level is
separated by a forward slash (topic level separator).
Qos drop-down Defines the Qos (Quality of Service) level, which configures how
persistently the broker and client attempt to ensure that a mes-
sage is received.
Fire And Forget (0) delivers the message once with no
confirmation.
Atleast Once (1) delivers the message at least once with
confirmation required.
Exactly Once (2) delivers the message exactly once by using
a four-step handshake.
Messages may be sent at any Qos level, and clients may at-
tempt to subscribe to topics at any Qos level.

April 6, 2022 61
Chapter 4 Components Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

62 April 6, 2022
Chapter 5 Plugins
Topics covered in this chapter
♦ Abstract Mqtt Driver Device Ux Manager
♦ Mqtt Client Driver Point Manager

Plugins provide views of components and can be accessed in many ways. For example, double-click a compo-
nent in the Nav tree to see its default view. In addition, you can right-click on a component and select from its
Views menu.
For summary documentation on any view, select Help→On View (F1) from the menu or press F1 while the view
is open.

Abstract Mqtt Driver Device Ux Manager

The default view of the AbstractMqttDriverNetwork is the Abstract Mqtt Driver Device Ux Manager.
Figure 21 Abstract Mqtt Driver Device Ux Manager view

To open this view, Config→Drivers, double-click the AbstractMqttDriverNetwork.

Columns
Following are the columns and buttons for this view:

Column name Description

Path Displays the path of the device.

Name Displays the name of the device.

Type Displays the type of device.

Buttons
• New Folder creates a new folder for devices.
• New creates a new device record in the database.

April 6, 2022 63
Chapter 5 Plugins Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

• Edit opens the device’s database record for updating.

Mqtt Client Driver Point Manager

The Mqtt Client Driver Point Manager is default view of the Points container.
The Mqtt Client Driver Point Manager view splits into two panes when you click the Discover button.

To open this view, right-click Points container and select Views→Mqtt Client Driver Point Manager.
Discovered pane
As in other manager views, when you click Discover this manager goes to Learn mode, splits into two panes,
and executes a discover job. Discover also returns multiple objects, each of which occupies one row in this
view.
Following are the columns for Discovered pane

Column name Description

SlotPath Displays the slot sheet path.

Handle Displays unique ID for the point.

Type Displays the point type.

Database Pane
Following are the columns and buttons for database pane.

64 April 6, 2022
Abstract MQTT Driver Guide Chapter 5 Plugins

Column name Description

Name Displays the name of the point.

Type Displays the point type.

Out Displays the output.

Enabled Indicates if the point is enabled.

Local point Displays the path where the points are located.

Local Point Slot Displays the slot of local point.

Facets Displays the details of facets.

Tuning Policy Displays the configured tuning policy.

Conversion Displays the conversion type.

Fault cause Display the reason for a fault.

Read value Displays the last status of the object.

Buttons
• New Folder creates a new folder for devices.
• New creates a new device record in the database.
• Edit opens the device’s database record for updating.
• Discover runs a discover job to locate installed devices, which appear in the Discovered pane. This view
has a standard appearance that is similar to all EC-NetAX Pro Device Manager views.
• Cancel ends the current discovery job.
• Add inserts a record for the discovered and selected device in the database.
• Match associates a discovered device with a record that is already in the database.
• TagIt associates metadata, such as location or unique configuration with the object.

April 6, 2022 65
Chapter 5 Plugins Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

66 April 6, 2022
Chapter 6 Windows
Topics covered in this chapter
♦ New Device Windows
♦ Add point windows

Windows create and edit database records or collect information when accessing a component. You access
them by dragging a component from a palette into a station or by clicking a button.
Windows do not support On View (F1) and Guide on Target help. To learn about the information each con-
tains, search the help system for key words.

New Device Windows

This window configures device properties.

Figure 22 New device window

To access these windows, expand Config→Drivers, double-click AbstractMqttDriverNetwork and click New.

Property Value Description

Type to Add drop-down list Selects the name of the device to add.
Number to Add number (defaults to Configures how many devices to add.
1)
Name text Provides descriptive text that reflects the identity of the entity or
logical grouping.In this case, it defines the device name.
Type drop-down list Selects the type of device.
Enabled true (default) or Activates (true) and deactivates (false) the object (network,
false device, point, component, table, schedule, descriptor, etc.).

Add point windows

After a discovery job runs, this window opens to configure the points as they are added to the database.

April 6, 2022 67
Chapter 6 Windows Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

Figure 23 New point window properties

To access these properties, expand Config→Drivers→AbstractMqttDriverNetwork, expand a device, dou-

ble-click Points and click New.
Property Value Description
Type to Add drop-down list Selects from among eight point types.
Number to Add number Defines how many points of the selected type to add.
Name text Provides descriptive text that reflects the identity of the entity or
logical grouping.
Type drop-down list Selects the type of point.
Enabled true (default) or Activates (true) and deactivates (false) the object (network,
false device, point, component, table, schedule, descriptor, etc.).
Local Point identifier (defaults Identifies the point in the station.
to the ord)
When added from the discovered points, Local Point refers to
the ord of the point. If null, the point is not linked to any point by
default. You must link the point manually, if needed.
Topic text Defines a string that the broker uses to filter messages for each
client. A topic consists of one or more topic levels. Each level is
separated by a forward slash (topic level separator).
Local Point Slot for subscribe Links directly to the functional block. Options are available for
points: slot number; subscribe points only.
for publish points,
defaults to out.
Facets additional Determine how values are formatted for display depending on
properties the context and the type of data. For example, instead of the
Boolean facets trueText and falseText you may want to

68 April 6, 2022
Abstract MQTT Driver Guide Chapter 6 Windows

Property Value Description

display ON and OFF, Access Granted and Access Denied or
Locked and Unlocked.
You access facets by clicking an Edit button or a chevron >>.
Both open an Edit Facets window.
Tuning Policy drop-down list Selects a pre-defined tuning policy.
Name
Device Facets additional Determine how values are formatted for display depending on
properties the context and the type of data. For example, instead of the
Boolean facets trueText and falseText you may want to
display ON and OFF, Access Granted and Access Denied or
Locked and Unlocked.
You access facets by clicking an Edit button or a chevron >>.
Both open an Edit Facets window.
Conversion drop-down list (de- Defines how the system converts proxy extension units to parent
faults to Default) point units.
Default automatically converts similar units (such as Fahren-
heit to Celsius) within the proxy point.
NOTE: In most cases, the standard Default conversion is
best.
Linear applies to voltage input, resistive input and voltage out-
put writable points. Works with linear-acting devices. You use
the Scale and Offset properties to convert the output value to a
unit other than that defined by device facets.
Linear With Unit is an extension to the existing linear con-
version property. This specifies whether the unit conversion
should occur on “Device Value” or “Proxy Value”. The new linear
with unit convertor, will have a property to indicate whether the
unit conversion should take place before or after the scale/offset
conversion.
Reverse Polarity applies only to Boolean input and relay
output writable points. Reverses the logic of the hardware binary
input or output.
500 Ohm Shunt applies to voltage input points only. It reads a 4-
to-20mA sensor, where the Ui input requires a 500 ohm resistor
wired across (shunting) the input terminals.
Tabular Thermistor applies to only a Thermistor input point
and involves a custom resistance-to-temperature value re-
sponse curve for Type 3 Thermistor temperature sensors.
Thermistor Type 3 applies to an Thermistor Input point,
where this selection provides a “built-in” input resistance-to-tem-
perature value response curve for Type 3 Thermistor tempera-
ture sensors.
Generic Tabular applies to non-linear support for devices
other than for thermistor temperature sensors with units in tem-
perature. Generic Tabular uses a lookup table method similar to
the “Thermistor Tabular” conversion, but without predefined out-
put units.

April 6, 2022 69
Chapter 6 Windows Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

70 April 6, 2022
Index
A publish point ....................................................57
subscribe point ................................................59
Abstract MQTT Driver..........................................25
Abstract Mqtt Driver Device Ux Manager...............63
abstractMqttDriver-AbstractMqttDevice.................33
abstractMqttDriver-AbstractMqttDriverNetwork......31 G
abstractMqttDriver-AwsMqttAuthenticator .............35 GCP........................................................ 17, 19, 21
abstractMqttDriver-AzureIotSasToken ..................38 GCP Authenticator ..............................................17
abstractMqttDriver-AzureMqttSasAuthenticator .....36 GCP Console......................................................22
abstractMqttDriver-AzureSasTokenParameters .....38 GcpMqttDevice ............................................. 20, 33
abstractMqttDriver-GcpAuthenticator....................41 guide....................................................................7
abstractMqttDriver-GcpIotParameters ..................42
abstractMqttDriver-GenericMqttAuthenticator........39
abstractMqttDriver-MqttCallbackRouter ................43 I
abstractMqttDriver-
MqttClientDriverDeviceFolder.............................44 introduction...........................................................9
abstractMqttDriver-
MqttClientDriverPointDeviceExt..........................44
abstractMqttDriver-MqttClientDriverPointFolder.....44 L
abstractMqttDriver-TokenParameters ...................43
legal notices .........................................................2
authenticator
license requirement .............................................10
adding............................................................. 11
default.............................................................39
authenticators .......................................... 10, 35, 41
AwsMqttDevice ...................................................33 M
Azure SAS tokens Microsoft Azure...................................................25
authentication..................................................25 Abstract MQTT driver .......................................25
Microsoft Azure IoT Hub ......................................25
MQTT ..................................................................9
B Mqtt Client Driver Point Manager ..........................64
Boolean
publish point ....................................................45
subscribe point ................................................47 N
broker ..................................................................9 network ..............................................................10
component ......................................................31
New device window.............................................67
C New point ...........................................................67
certificate authentication ...................................... 11 numeric
client ....................................................................9 publish point ....................................................49
components.................................................. 31, 38 subscribe point ................................................51
Connecting Abstract MQTT Driver to Microsoft
Azure IoT Hub ...................................................25
P
plugins ...............................................................63
D PointCallbackHandler..........................................44
DefaultMqttDevice...............................................33 points
device ..................................................................9 adding.............................................................14
adding............................................................. 11 discovering......................................................12
components .............................................. 33, 36 publish ........................................................... 9, 14
document change log ............................................7

R
E requirements ......................................................10
enum

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Index Abstract MQTT Driver Guide

S
secure communication......................................... 11
Setting up Azure IoT Hub on Azure portal..............25
Setting up station to connect to Azure IoT Hub ......27
software version..................................................10
string
publish point ....................................................53
subscribe point ................................................55
subscribe..............................................................9

W
windows .............................................................67

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73 April 6, 2022
Abstract MQTT_UG_15_EN