Data Source

There are many data sources for the TwinCAT Analytics products. Likewise, there are many output formats, thus ensuring a seamless transition from product to product and from tool to tool. The following graphic is intended to provide a general overview.

The most universal are the Analytics binary formats in the form of the Analytics File and an MQTT stream.

In Engineering itself, you can see the data sources in the Solution Explorer in the Inputs area divided into Virtual Input Source and Source. The Source embodies the actual data source as shown in the diagram above. For the engineering products TE3500 and TE3520 these are MQTT as live and historical stream, Analytics File and ADS.

The Virtual Input Source is an abstract mapping of the actual source. The Virtual Input Source is used for linking at the inputs of the algorithms. It is very convenient that through this mapping the actual data source can be exchanged very quickly and conveniently without having to re-link the algorithms.

Configurations for different sources can be created at the Virtual Input Sources. A configuration contains the mapping of the individual symbols of a source with a virtual input. It is also possible to create different configurations for a source, where the mapping of the symbols differs with a Virtual Input.

When adding sources and replacing them, you can optionally use the Source Wizard, which is explained on the following pages.