Configuration - Proficloud Services
Available from firmware 2021.0 LTS
(pre-released as "Proficloud V3" on AXC F 2152 from firmware 2020.6, see scope below)
Accessibility
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This WBM page is accessible with user role:
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How to get into the WBMHow to get into the WBM
Establishing a connection to the Web-based Management (WBM):
- Open a web browser on your computer.
- In the address field, enter the URL https://<IP-address-of-the-controller>/wbm,
for example: https://192.168.1.10/wbm.
For further information, see WBM.
Scope of the Proficloud
Proficloud offers an easy way of managing and maintaining remote PLCnext devices, such as controllers in off-shore wind power plants. Main functions are:
- Showing a device overview with exact geolocation of all connected devices
- Showing a health status of all connected devices
- Showing key information for all connected devices
- Reporting logs from the connected devices
- Checking for firmware updates and updating on connected devices via the cloud
- Using time series data (TSD) from a connected PLCnext Control
Additional services will be available in future.
Availability on devices
| Device(s) | AXC F 2152 | AXC F 1152, AXC F 3152, RFC 4072S, EPC 1502, EPC 1522 |
BPC 9102S | RFC 4072R |
| Firmware | ≥ 2020.6 | ≥ 2021.0 LTS | ≥ 2021.3 | ‒ |
Proficloud Services page
The Proficloud Services WBM page provides status information on the connection between a PLCnext Control and Proficloud. For more information on the Proficloud services see Device Management Service and Time Series Data.
You can specify to operate the controller with or without Proficloud connection. Proficloud services are disabled by default:
(Proficloud) Connection
Renamed from firmware release 2024.0 LTS
From firmware release 2024.0 LTS, this section in the Proficloud Services WBM page is renamed to just Connection. That is because the ability to connect to MQTT brokers for Time Series Data in general was added. For details on that ability and how to make use of it, see Communication via MQTT.
Enabling the Proficloud connection
If you want to operate the controller with Proficloud connection, you need to enable the Proficloud service of the controller. As soon as the Proficloud service of the controller is enabled, the controller tries to establish a connection to the Proficloud.
- Make sure that the requirements described in Proficloud - Connecting to the service are met.
- Enable the Enable Connection checkbox.
- Click on the button.
↪ The Proficloud connection for the controller is enabled. Now you can use your Proficloud account to manage and update the firmware of this controller.
Disabling the Proficloud connection
If you want to operate the controller without Proficloud connection, you have to disable the Proficloud service of the controller. In this case, it is not technically possible to establish a connection between the controller and Proficloud.
- Disable the Enable Connection checkbox.
- Click on the button.
↪ The Proficloud connection of the controller is disabled.
Services
Device Management
To manage your devices in the Proficloud, the Proficloud Device Management must be enabled. See Proficloud Device Management Service for more information on the device management.
- To enable the Proficloud Device Management on the device, enable the Device Management checkbox.
- Click on the button.
↪ The Proficloud Device Management connection for the controller is enabled.
Time Series Data
The Time Series Data (TSD) service allows to transfer process data from a PLCnext Engineer project to the TSD Proficloud service on proficloud.io.
- To enable the TSD service, enable the Time Series Data at proficloud.io checkbox (from firmware version 2022.9 the checkbox is named Time Series Data).
- Click on the button.
↪ The TSD service is enabled.
Note: An already installed Proficloud dashboard on the former proficloud.net is no longer present because that service has been retired in September 2022.
From firmware version 2022.9 on the following configuration items are available:
- Sampling Interval: Interval of the internally used subscription in which the data points of a variable are created. The default value is 1000 ms.
- Sending Interval: Interval in which the device will transfer the data to the Proficloud in ms. The default value is 1000 ms.
(Remanent) Buffering
Available from firmware version 2022.9
Renamed and extended from firmware version 2024.0 LTS
If you enable remanent buffering, data (e.g., time series data) is buffered on a remanent medium. In the event of a connection loss to the Proficloud, the buffered data will be transferred to the Proficloud when the connection is restored. The buffering is only active as long as a connection loss is detected. Data is therefore not permanently written to the memory.
Make sure that there is sufficient storage space on the internal flash memory of the controller or on an SD card.
The buffering of the data is performed by the DataLogger (see DataLogger). The DataLogger session used to buffer the data is called ProficloudBuffering. The buffered data is stored in /opt/plcnext/data/Services/Proficloud/ProficloudBuffering.db on the file system of the controller.
The feature is disabled per default. The buffering feature can only be enabled if the feature Time Series Data is enabled.
When the buffering feature is disabled, the buffered data is deleted from the memory.
- To enable the buffering on the device, enable the checkbox Remanent Buffering Enabled.
- Click on the button.
↪ The buffering feature is enabled.
When the buffering is enabled, you have the following configuration options:
- Write Interval: Number of records, which will be collected and then written from the internal data base to the SD Card.
- Maximal File Size: Maximum size in bytes for the data base file on the internal flash memory or the SD Card.
- Delete ratio: If the maximum file size is reached, the defined percentage of the records will be deleted from the data base starting with the oldest data.
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