IoT & Connectivity Tips

Get Started with ThingWorx for IoT Guide Part 3   Step 7: Create Alerts and Subscriptions   An Event is a custom-defined message published by a Thing, usually when the value of a Property changes. A Subscription listens for a specific Event, then executes Javascript code. In this step, you will create an Alert which is quick way to define both an Event and the logic for when the Event is published.   Create Alert   Create an Alert that will be sent when the temperature property falls below 32 degrees. Click Thing Shapes under the Modeling tab in Composer, then open the ThermostatShape Thing Shape from the list.   Click Properties and Alerts tab.   Click the temperature property. Click the green Edit button if not already in edit mode, then click the + in the Alerts column.   Choose Below from the Alert Type drop down list. Type freezeWarning in the Name field.   Enter 32 in the Limit field. Keep all other default settings in place. NOTE: This will cause the Alert to be sent when the temperature property is at or below 32.        8. Click ✓ button above the new alert panel.       9. Click Save.     Create Subscription   Create a Subscription to this event that uses Javascript to record an entry in the error log and update a status message. Open the MyHouse Thing, then click Subscriptions tab.   Click Edit if not already in edit mode, then click + Add.   Type freezeWarningSubscription in the Name field. After clicking the Inputs tab, click the the Event drop down list, then choose Alert. In the Property field drop down, choose temperature.   Click the Subscription Info tab, then check the Enabled checkbox   Create Subscription Code   Follow the steps below to create code that sets the message property value and writes a Warning message to the ThingWorx log. Enter the following JavaScript in the Script text box to the right to set the message property.                       me.message = "Warning: Below Freezing";                       2. Click the Snippets tab. NOTE: Snippets provide many built-in code samples and functions you can use. 3. Click inside the Script text box and hit the Enter key to place the cursor on a new line. 4. Type warn into the snippets filter text box or scroll down to locate the warn Snippet. 5. Click All, then click the arrow next to warn, and Javascript code will be added to the script window. 6. Add an error message in between the quotation marks.                       logger.warn("The freezeWarning subscription was triggered");                       7. Click Done. 8. Click Save.   Step 8: Create Application UI ThingWorx you can create customized web applications that display and interact with data from multiple sources. These web applications are called Mashups and are created using the Mashup Builder. The Mashup Builder is where you create your web application by dragging and dropping Widgets such as grids, charts, maps, buttons onto a canvas. All of the user interface elements in your application are Widgets. We will build a web application with three Widgets: a map showing your house's location on an interactive map, a gauge displaying the current value of the watts property, and a graph showing the temperature property value trend over time. Build Mashup Start on the Browse, folder icon tab of ThingWorx Composer. Select Mashups in the left-hand navigation, then click + New to create a new Mashup.   For Mashup Type select Responsive.   Click OK. Enter widgetMashup in the Name text field, If Project is not already set, click the + in the Project text box and select the PTCDefaultProject, Click Save. Select the Design tab to display Mashup Builder.   Organize UI On the upper left side of the design workspace, in the Widget panel, be sure the Layout tab is selected, then click Add Bottom to split your UI into two halves.   Click in the bottom half to be sure it is selected before clicking Add Left Click anywhere inside the lower left container, then scroll down in the Layout panel to select Fixed Size Enter 200 in the Width text box that appears, then press Tab key of your computer to record your entry.   Click Save   Step 9: Add Widgets Click the Widgets tab on the top left of the Widget panel, then scroll down until you see the Gauge Widget Drag the Gauge widget onto the lower left area of the canvas on the right. This Widget will show the simulated watts in use.   Select the Gauge object on the canvas, and the bottom left side of the screen will show the Widget properties. Select Bindable from the Catagory dropdown and enter Watts for the Legend property value, and then press tab..   Click and drag the Google Map Widget onto the top area of the canvas. NOTE: The Google Map Widget has been provisioned on PTC CLoud hosted trial servers. If it is not available, download and install the Google Map Extension using the step-by-step guide for using Google Maps with ThingWorx . Click and drag the Line Chart Widget onto the lower right area of the canvas. Click Save

Connect Kepware Server to ThingWorx Foundation Guide Part 1   Overview   This guide has step-by-step instructions for connecting ThingWorx Kepware Server to ThingWorx Foundation. This guide will demonstrate how easily industrial equipment can be connected to ThingWorx Foundation without installing any software on production equipment. NOTE: This guide's content aligns with ThingWorx 9.3. The estimated time to complete ALL 2 parts of this guide is 30 minutes.    Step 1: Learning Path Overview     This guide explains the steps to connect ThingWorx Kepware Server with ThingWorx Foundation and is part of the Connect and Monitor Industrial Plant Equipment Learning Path. You can use this guide independently from the full Learning Path. If you want to learn to connect ThingWorx Kepware Server to ThingWorx Foundation, this guide will be useful to you. When used as part of the Industrial Plant Learning Path, you should have already installed ThingWorx Kepware Server and created an Application Key. In this guide, we will send information from ThingWorx Kepware Server into ThingWorx Foundation. Other guides in this learning path will use Foundation's Mashup Builder to construct a website dashboard that displays information and from ThingWorx Kepware Server. We hope you enjoy this Learning Path.   Step 2: Create Gateway   To make a connection between ThingWorx Kepware Server and Foundation Server, you must first create a Thing. WARNING: To avoid a timeout error, create a Thing in ThingWorx Foundation BEFORE attempting to make the connection in ThingWorx Kepware Server. In ThingWorx Foundation Composer, click Browse. On the left, click Modeling -> Things.   Click + NEW. In the Name field, enter IndConn_Server, including matching capitalization. If Project is not already set, click the + in the Project text box and select the PTCDefaultProject. In the Description field, enter an appropriate description, such as Industrial Gateway Thing to connect to ThingWorx Kepware Server.   In the Base Thing Template field, enter indus, then select the IndustrialGateway Thing template from the sorted list. Click Save.   Step 3: Connect to Foundation   Now that you’ve created an IndustrialGateway Thing and an Application Key, you can configure ThingWorx Kepware Server to connect to ThingWorx Foundation. Return to the ThingWorx Kepware Server Windows application. Right-click Project. Select Properties….       4. In the Property Editor pop-up, click ThingWorx.       5. In the Enable field, select Yes from the drop-down.       6. In the Host field, enter the URL or IP address of your ThingWorx Foundation server, Do not enter http://       7. Enter the Port number. If you are using the "hosted" Developer Portal trial, enter 443. 8. In the Application Key field, copy and paste the Application Key you just created. 9. In the Trust self-signed certificates field, select Yes from the drop-down. 10. In the Trust all certificates field, select Yes from the drop-down. 11. In the Disable encryption field, select No from the drop-down if you are using a secure port. Select Yes if you are using an http port. 12. Type IndConn_Server in the Thing name field, including matching capitalization. 13. If you are connecting with a remote instance of ThingWorx Foundation and you expect any breaks or latency in your connection, enable Store and Forward. 14. Click Apply in the pop-up. 15. Click Ok. In the ThingWorx Kepware Server Event window at the bottom, you should see a message indicating Connected to ThingWorx.   NOTE: If you do not see the "Connected" message, repeat the steps above, ensuring that all information is correct. In particular, check the Host, Port, and Thing name fields for errors.   Step 4: Bind Industrial Tag   Now that you've established a connection, you can use ThingWorx Foundation to inspect all available information on ThingWorx Kepware Server. ThingWorx Kepware Server includes some information by default to assist you with verifying a valid connection with ThingWorx Foundation. Create New Thing Return to ThingWorx Foundation. Click Browse. Click Modeling -> Industrial Connections.   Click IndConn_Server. At the top, click Discover.   The Discover option is exclusive to Things inheriting the IndustrialGateway Thing Template and displays information coming from ThingWorx Kepware Server. Expand Simulation Examples. Click Functions.   On the right, you’ll see several pre-defined Tags to assist with connectivity testing. Click the checkbox next to Random3. Click Bind to New Entity.   In the Choose Template pop-up, select RemoteThing and click OK.   Finalize New RemoteThing   You’ll now be in an interface to create a new Thing with a predefined Property based on ThingWorx Kepware Server Tag1. Type IndConn_Tag1 in the Name field. If Project is not already set, click the + in the Project text box and select the PTCDefaultProject. In the Description field, enter an appropriate description, such as Thing with a property fed from an Kepware Server Tag. The Base Thing Template has been automatically set to RemoteThing. The Implemented Shapes has been automatically set to IndustrialThingShape. 4. Click Save.   Test Connection   The IndConn_Tag1 Thing you created now has a Property with a value that will change with each update from ThingWorx Kepware Server. The Tag1 we utilized is a 'ramp' and therefore, the value will increase at regular intervals. At the top, click Properties and Alerts. Under Inherited Properties, you will see entries for both RemoteThing and IndustrialThingShape. The Property isConnected is checked, indicating a connection from Foundation to ThingWorx Kepware Server. The Property IndustrialThing has been automatically set to IndConn_Server. Notice the predefined Property named Simulation_Examples_Functions_Random3.   Click Refresh repeatedly. You’ll see the value increase with each Refresh. This represents data being simulated in ThingWorx Kepware Server. Click  here to view Part 2 of this guide.  

Get Started with ThingWorx for IoT Guide Part 4   Step 10: Display Data   Now that you have configured the visual part of your application, you need to bind the Widgets in your Mashup to a data source, and enable your application to display data from your connected devices.   Add Services to Mashup   Click the Data tab in the top-right section of the Mashup Builder. Click on the green + symbol in the Data tab.   Type MyHouse in the Entity textbox. Click MyHouse. In the Filter textbox below Services, type GetPropertyValues. Click the arrow to the right of the GetPropertyValues service to add it.   Select the checkbox under Execute on Load. NOTE: If you check the Execute on Load option, the service will execute when the Mashup starts. 8. In the Filter textbox under Services, type QueryProperty. 9. Add the QueryPropertyHistory service by clicking the arrow to the right of the service name. 10. Click the checkbox under Execute on Load. 11. Click Done. 12. Click Save.   Bind Data to Widgets   We will now connect the Services we added to the Widgets in the Mashup that will display their data.   Gauge   Configure the Gauge to display the current power value. Expand the GetPropertyValues Service as well as the Returned Data and All Data sections. Drag and drop the watts property onto the Gauge Widget.   When the Select Binding Target dialogue box appears, select # Data.   Map   Configure Google Maps to display the location of the home. Expand the GetPropertyValues service as well as the Returned Data section. Drag and drop All Data onto the map widget.   When the Select Binding Target dialogue box appears, select Data. Click on the Google Map Widget on the canvas to display properties that can configured in the lower left panel. Set the LocationField property in the lower left panel by selecting building_lat_lng from the drop-down menu.   Chart   Configure the Chart to display property values changing over time. Expand the QueryPropertyHistory Service as well as the Returned Data section. Drag and drop All Data onto the Line Chart Widget. When the Select Binding Target dialogue box appears, select Data. In the Property panel in the lower left, select All from the Category drop-down. Enter series in Filter Properties text box then enter 1 in NumberOfSeries . Enter field in Filter Properties text box then click XAxisField. Select the timestamp property value from the XAxisField drop-down. Select temperature from the DataField1 drop-down.   Verify Data Bindings   You can see the configuration of data sources bound to widgets displayed in the Connections pane. Click on GetPropertyValues in the data source panel then check the diagram on the bottom of the screen to confirm a data source is bound to the Gauge and Map widget.   Click on the QueryPropertyHistory data source and confirm that the diagram shows the Chart is bound to it. Click Save.   Step 11: Simulate a Data Source   At this point, you have created a Value Stream to store changing property value data and applied it to the BuildingTemplate. This guide does not include connecting edge devices and another guide covers choosing a connectivity method. We will import a pre-made Thing that creates simulated data to represent types of information from a connected home. The imported Thing uses Javascript code saved in a Subscription that updates the power and temperature properties of the MyHouse Thing every time it is triggered by its timer Event.    Import Data Simulation Entities   Download the attached sample:  Things_House_data_simulator.xml. In Composer, click the Import/Export icon at the lower-left of the page. Click Import. Leave all default values and click Browse to select the Things_House_data_simulator.xml file that you just downloaded. Click Open, then Import, and once you see the success message, click Close.   Explore Imported Entities   Navigate to the House_data_simulator Thing by using the search bar at the top of the screen. Click the Subscriptions tab. Click Event.Timer under Name. Select the Subscription Info tab. NOTE: Every 30 seconds, the timer event will trigger this subscription and the Javascript code in the Script panel will run. The running script updates the temperature and watts properties of the MyHouse Thing using logic based on both the temperature property from MyHouse and the isACrunning property of the simulator itself. 5. Expand the Subscription Info menu. The simulator will send data when the Enabled checkbox is checked. 6. Click Done then Save to save any changes.   Verify Data Simulation   Open the MyHouse Thing and click Properties an Alerts tab Click the Refresh button above where the current property values are shown   Notice that the temperature property value changes every 30 seconds when the triggered service runs. The watts property value is 100 when the temperature exceeds 72 to simulate an air conditioner turning on.   Step 12: Test Application   Browse to your Mashup and click View Mashup to launch the application.   NOTE: You may need to enable pop-ups in your browser to see the Mashup.       2. Confirm that data is being displayed in each of the sections.        Test Alert   Open MyHouse Thing Click the Properties and Subscriptions Tab. Find the temperature Property and click on pencil icon in the Value column. Enter the temperature property of 29 in the upper right panel. Click Check mark icon to save value. This will trigger the freezeWarning alert.   Click Refresh to see the value of the message property automatically set.   7. Click the the Monitoring icon on the left, then click ScriptLog to see your message written to the script log.   Click here to view Part 5 of this guide. 

    Build a remote monitoring application with our developer toolkit for real-time insight into a simulated SMT assembly line.   Guide Concept   This project will introduce methods to creating your IoT application with the ability to analyze real time information as the goal. Following the steps in this guide, you will create an IoT application with the ThingWorx Java SDK that is based on the functionality of an SMT assembly line. We will teach you how to use the ThingWorx Java SDK, ThingWorx Composer, and the ThingWorx Mashup Builder to connect and build a fully functional IoT application running numerous queues and "moving parts".   You'll learn how to   Use ThingWorx Composer to build an application that uses simulated data Track diagnostics and performance in real-time   NOTE: The estimated time to complete this guide is 60 minutes       Step 1: Completed Example   Download the completed files for this tutorial attached here: ManagementApplication.zip.   In this tutorial, we walk through a real-world scenario for a Raspberry Pi assembly line. The ManagementApplication.zip file provided to you contains a completed example of an SMT application. Utilize this file to see a finished example and return to it as a reference if you become stuck creating your own fully flushed out application. Keep in mind, this download uses the exact names for Entities used in this tutorial. If you would like to import this example and also create Entities on your own, change the names of the Entities you create. The download contains the following Java classes that support this scenario:    Name                          Description Motherboard Abstract representation of a Thing inheriting from a MotherboardTemplate AssemblyLine Abstract representation of a Thing inheriting from a SMTAssemblyLineTemplate AssemblyMachine Abstract representation of a Thing inheriting from a AssemblyMachineTemplate   Once you complete the Java environment setup by installing a Java JDK, import the Entities/ThingWorxEntities.xml file into ThingWorx Composer. This file contains various Data Shapes, Mashups, Value Streams, Things, and Thing Templates necessary to support the application. The more important Entities are as follows:    Feature                                                 Entity Type          Description RaspberryPi 1 - 6 Thing Things that inherit from the motherboard template SolderPasteAssemblyMachine Thing A Thing that inherits from the assembly machine template PickPlaceAssemblyMachine Thing A Thing that inherits from the assembly machine template ReflowSolderAssemblyMachine Thing A Thing that inherits from the assembly machine template InspectionAssemblyMachine Thing A Thing that inherits from the assembly machine template RaspberryPiSMTAssemblyLine Thing A Thing that inherits from the assembly line template MotherboardTemplate ThingTemplate A template used for building motherboard devices AssemblyMachineTemplate ThingTemplate A template used to create the various types of SMT assembly machines SMTAssemblyLineTemplate ThingTemplate A template used to represent the entire assembly line and all devices in it Advisor User User created to be used with the Java SDK examples   NOTE: An Application Key is NOT included in the zip file you downloaded. You will need to create your Application Key and assign it to the Advisor user provided in the ThingWorxEntities.xml file, the Administrator (which is not recommended for production applications), or any user you've created. If you do not know how to create one or just need a refresher, visit the Create An Application Key guide, then come back to this guide.       Step 2: Run Application   The Java code provided in the download is pre-configured to run and connect to the entities in the ThingWorxEntities.xml file. Open the Executable/Script in a text editor, and edit the script with your host and port.  Operating System   File Name Mac/Linux Script.sh Windows Script.bat Update the <HOST> and <PORT> arguments to that of your ThingWorx Composer and update the Application Key argument to the one you have created. Use the examples in the file for assistance. NOTE: If you are using the hosted trial server, follow the HTTPS example and use 443 as the port. After updating the script that pertains to your operating system, double-click or run Script.sh (Linux, Mac) or Script.bat (Windows) to run the Java program. In your browser, proceed to the following URL (replace the host field with your ThingWorx Composer host) in order to see the application work:   <host>/Thingworx/Runtime/index.html#master=AssemblyLineMaster&mashup=RaspberryPiAssemblyLine   You can also open the RaspberryPiAssemblyLine Mashup in the Composer and click View Mashup.   You should be able to see rows of assembly machines with buttons. Click the Start button to start the assembly line. Click the Add Board button to add Raspberry Pi motherboards.   NOTE: The screen will not update and properties cannot be changed until the Java backend starts running. Ensure the connection is made before attempting to start the assembly line.   Functional Breakdown   At runtime, the Mashup executes the following functions:                Mashup Component        Function 1  Assembly Machines Selecting an assembly machine will provide you with information on the diagnostic status of that assembly machine and access to charts highlighting its performance. 2  Start Button Start up the assembly line and all assembly machines. 3  Shutdown Button Stop the assembly line and shutdown all assembly machines. Queues will not be purged. 4  Motherboard Add Dropdown A dropdown that shows the available motherboards that can be added to the assembly line. 5  Add Boards Button If a MotherboardTemplate Entity is selected in the Motherboard Add dropdown, that Raspberry Pi will be added to the assembly line. If no Motherboard is selected, this will add a new Raspberry Pi Thing to the assembly line. 6  Motherboard Image Show all motherboards currently inside the assembly line queue of Raspberry Pi. 7  Motherboard Pick Up Dropdown A dropdown that shows the motherboards in the assembly line that are not in a Complete Stage. 8  Add Pick Up Button If a MotherboardTemplate entity is selected in the Motherboard Pick Up dropdown, that Raspberry Pi will be removed from the assembly line and no longer be available. This can be done if a Raspberry Pi is slowing down the other queues. 9  Box Image Show all motherboards currently in the Complete Stage.         Step 3: Services and Java Implementation   JavaScript using ThingWorx Services   To support and run the application quickly, ThingWorx Services are utilized as much as possible. This ensures the speed and quality of the application are maintained while also ensuring code changes can be made quickly.   Opening and Starting Up   Open the RaspberryPiAssemblyLine Mashup by going to the URL provided in the last section. The machines will all be in a shut-down (RED) state. This is ensured by a call to the Shutdown service within the SMTAssemblyLineTemplate ThingTemplate. This method begins the process of resetting the Motherboards to their default states and AssemblyMachines to a shutdown state.   Click the Start button to call the StartUp Service. This call will notify the Java Code to turn the simulated machines on and begin waiting for any motherboards to be added to the queue.   INFO: The StartUp and Shutdown services call other services, some of which can be overrided. If you would like to make a change to the implementation, make the change in an implementation of the SMTAssemblyLineTemplate ThingTemplate. You can use RaspberryPiSMTAssemblyLine as an example.   New Raspberry Pi Names   The CommonServices Entity provides services that can be reused by other entities easily. The GenerateRandomThingName service is utilized to create a psuedo-random name for a new Motherboard. You can use this service to create names - names may start with “Raspberry,” but not necessarily - they are based on how you set the parameters.   Creating and Adding Boards   Select the Add Board button to make a call to the AddBoard service of the SMTAssemblyLineTemplate ThingTemplate. This service will call the CommonServices Thing to create a new name for the Motherboard, then begin the process of creating, enabling, and adding that Motherboard to the simulated devices in the Java code.   Pickup Boards   Select the Pickup Board button to make a call to the PickUpMotherboard service of the SMTAssemblyLineTemplate ThingTemplate. This service will remove a Motherboard from the assembly line, update the status to having been picked up, and ensure the simulated devices are updated with this new information.   Queue Processing   Add a Motherboard to the available queue of a machine when the Motherboard is ready to be worked on that machine. A machine will NOT know information about a Motherboard until that motherboard is ready for that stage of processing.   The Motherboard is then added to the internal queue of the machine based on the size of the internal queue of that machine. Being in the internal queue of a machine does not mean it is being worked on. The Motherboard is ONLY being worked on when the machine has added the Motherboard to it’s working queue. The size of the working queue is based on the machine’s placement heads. You can play with these values to increase or descrease queue performance.   INFO: The heads, speeds, and queue sizes of the machines are created in the RaspberryPiSMTAssemblyLine Thing. To change these configurations, update the AddStartingMachines service with new values or new machines.   Java Implementation using ThingWorx Java SDK   The Java code we created for the Assembly Line scenario creates a connection to the ThingWorx Composer as any ThingWorx SDK utility would. This code is used to allow extended functionality for the application, and mimics the behavior of devices or machines connected to the ThingWorx Composer.   Motherboard Class   The Motherboard Class contains several methods to ensure the location of the motherboard is known at all times. It also updates the status level from 0 to 100 as the motherboard is being assembled.   AssemblyMachine Class   The fields in the AssemblyMachine class ensure that the queues handled by the machine are working correctly. When an AssemblyMachine is created, it will load both the available queue and the internal queue if the machine will be the first stage in the assembly line (Soldering). If not a solder machine, the queues will be empty, as no device is pending its task. If the machine is on, it will continue to work based on its current status of the motherboards in its queue. When a machine is turned on or the current task is complete, the AssemblyMachine will re-evaluate the queues to optimize timing and decrease idle time.   Challenge: Find a way to improve the timing of the queue and reduce the idle time even more. Think of a problem an assembly line might have when machines are waiting on a prior machine to complete a task.   SMTAssemblyLine Class   The SMTAssemblyLine class handles the overall process and controls how motherboards are handled when entering and exiting the assembly line. There are also listeners to start up the assembly machines.   When a board is added to the queue of the assembly line, it will instantly be added to the available queue for a solder machine to begin processing. This is the only machine that will have immediate access to the motherboard. When a board is picked up from the assembly line queue, the status of the board is set to “PICKED UP”. That motherboard will be available later for processing by the assembly line.     Click here to view Part 2 of this guide.  

As of May 24, 2023, ThingWorx 9.4.0 is available for download!  Here are some of the highlights from the recent ThingWorx release.   What’s new in ThingWorx 9.4? Composer and Mashup Builder  New Combo chart and Pie chart based on modern Web Components architecture along with several other widget enhancements such as Grid toolbar improvements for custom actions, highlighting newly added rows for Grid widget and others Ability to style the focus on each widget when they are selected to get specific styling for different components Absolute positioning option with a beta flag to use by default is available now Several other Mashup improvements, such as Export function support is made available; improved migration dialogue (backported to 9.3 as well) to allow customers to move to new widgets; and legacy widgets language changes   Foundation  Heavily subscribed events could now be distributed across the ThingWorx HA cluster nodes to be scaled horizontally for better performance and processing of ThingWorx subscriptions. Azure Database for PostgreSQL Flex Server GA support with ThingWorx 9.4.1 for customers deploying ThingWorx Foundation on their own Azure Cloud infrastructure Improved ThingWorx APIs for InfluxDB to avoid Data loss at a high scale with additional monitoring metrics in place for guardrails Several security fixes and key third-party stack updates   Remote Access and Control (RAC) Remote Service Edge Extension (RSEE) for C-SDK, currently under Preview and planned to be Generally Available (GA) by Sept 2023, would allow ThingWorx admins to use Remote Access and Control with the C-SDK based connected devices to use Global Access Server (GAS) for a stable, secure, and large number of remote sessions With 9.4, a self-signed certificate or certificate generated by the trusted certificate authority can be used for RAC with the ThingWorx platform Ability to use parameter substitution to update Auto Launch commands dynamically based on data from the ThingWorx platform is now available   Software Content Management  Support for 100k+ assets with redesigned and improved performance on Asset Search Better control over package deployment with redesigned package tracking, filtering, and management Improved overall SCM stability, performance, and scalability and a more user-friendly and intuitive experience   Analytics  Improvements to the scalability of property transforms to enable stream processing of the larger number of properties within a ThingWorx installation Refactoring of Analytics Builder UI to use updated widgets and align with the PTC design system Updates to underlying libraries to enable the creation and scoring of predictive models in the latest version of PMML (v4.4) End of Support for Analytics Manager .NET Agent SDK     View release notes here and be sure to upgrade to 9.4!     Cheers, Ayush Tiwari Director, Product Management, ThingWorx      

Build a Predictive Analytics Model Guide Part 1   Overview   This project will introduce ThingWorx Analytics Builder. Following the steps in this guide, you will create an analytical model, and then refine it based on further information from the Analytics platform. We will teach you how to determine whether or not a model is accurate and how you can optimize both your data inputs and the model itself.   NOTE: This guide's content aligns with ThingWorx 9.3. The estimated time to complete ALL 2 parts of this guide is 60 minutes.      Step 1: Scenario   MotorCo manufactures, sells, and services commercial motors. Recently, MotorCo has been developing a new motor, and they already have a working prototype. However, they've noticed that the motor has a chance to FAIL CATASTROPHICALLY if it's not properly serviced to replace lost grease on a key moving part. In order to prevent this type of failure in the field, MotorCo has decided to instrument their motors with sensors which record vibration. The hope is that these sensors can detect certain vibrations which indicate required maintenance before a failure occurs. MotorCo has decided to utilize ThingWorx Analytics to scan their prototype data for any insights they can gain to address this issue. Challenges: There is a known failure mode of a prototype, but it is not currently possible to predict when the failure might happen Until this failure mode is mitigated, the prototype cannot move into full production While connected data is being monitored, what to do with that data is not currently known The additional sensors are adding to the overall cost of the product   Step 2: Settings   If you manually installed the Analytics extension, then you need to complete the steps below to finalize the connection.  On the ThingWorx Composer Analytics tab, click ANALYTICS BUILDER > Settings. In the Analytics Server field, search for and select your Server Thing Entity, such as AnalyticsServer_Thing or localhost-AnalyticsServer. Click Verify Configuration.   Click Save. WARNING: You MUST CLICK SAVE or the configurations will be lost when you move to Data in the next step.   Step 3: Upload Data   We will now load the data that ThingWorx Analytics will use to generate a model. Download the attached analytics_vibration.zip to your computer. Unzip the analytics_vibration.zip file to access the vibration_data_and_header.csv and vibration_metadata.json files. On the left, click ANALYTICS BUILDER > DATA.   Under Datasets, click New.... The New Dataset pop-up will open.         5. In the Dataset Name field, enter vibration_dataset. 6. In the File Containing Dataset Data section, search for and select vibration_data_and_header.csv. 7. In the File Containing Dataset Field Configuration section, search for and select vibration_metadata.json.   8. Click Submit. Note that it will take a variable amount of time for the data-upload to complete, based on the size of your dataset.              Step 4: Signals   The Signals section of ThingWorx Analytics looks for the most statistically correlated single field in the dataset which relates to your selected goal. This doesn't necessarily indicate that it is the cause of your goal, whether maximizing or minimizing. It just means that the dataset indicates that this single field happens to correlate with the goal that you desire. On the left, click ANALYTICS BUILDER > Signals.   At the top, click New…. A New Signals pop up will open.   3. In the Signal Name field, enter vibration_signal. 4. In the Dataset field, select vibration_dataset. 5. Leave the Goal field set to the default of low_grease. 6. Leave the Filter field set to the default of all_data. 7. Leave the Excluded Fields from Signal field set to the default of empty. 8. Click Submit. 9. Wait ~30 seconds for Signal State to change to COMPLETED The results will be displayed at the bottom.             The results show that the five Frequency Bands for Sensor 1 are the most highly correlated with determining our goal of detecting a low grease condition. For Sensor 2, only bands one and four seem to be at all related, and bands two, three, and five are hardly related at all.   Click here to view Part 2 of this guide. 

This video is Module 11: ThingWorx Analytics Mashup Exercise of the ThingWorx Analytics Training videos. It shows you how to create a ThingWorx project and populate it with entities that collectively comprise a functioning application. 

Connect and Monitor Industrial Plant Equipment Learning Path   Learn how to connect and monitor equipment that is used at a processing plant or on a factory floor.   NOTE: Complete the following guides in sequential order. The estimated time to complete this learning path is 180 minutes.   Create An Application Key  Install ThingWorx Kepware Server Connect Kepware Server to ThingWorx Foundation Part 1 Part 2 Create Industrial Equipment Model Build an Equipment Dashboard Part 1 Part 2

Configure Permissions Guide Part 1   Overview   This project will introduce you to permissions inside of the ThingWorx platform. Permissions are used to control usage during development, runtime, and experience. Following the steps in this guide, you will be able to create Users, User Groups, Application Keys, and Organizations and tie them together. We will teach you how to create functional permission schemes in the ThingWorx platform to create a secure application and development environment.   NOTE: This guide's content aligns with ThingWorx 9.3. The estimated time to complete ALL 2 parts of this guide is 30 minutes.    Step 1: Completed Example   Download and unzip the completed files attached to this tutorial: PermissionsEntities.zip.   In this tutorial, we walk through security concepts within ThingWorx. Utilize this file to see a finished example and return to it as a reference if you become stuck creating your own fully flushed out application.   Keep in mind, this download uses the exact names for entities used in this tutorial. If you would like to import this example and also create entities on your own, change the names of the entities you create.   Step 2: Common Terms   It is important to understand the terminology before creating Users, Groups, and Permissions: Term Definition Entity Generic name for any of the customizable building blocks inside the ThingWorx Platform User An Entity dedicated to identifying a person or device accessing the platform User Group An Entity that defines role-based permissions for Users in bulk Tags and Projects Mechanisms used to group Entities together by marking them as similar or related Composer The ThingWorx GUI tool for building your solution Resource A collection of Services which are not stateful (i.e. they do not have Properties, Events, etc.); they can be found in Composer under the System category Organization Hierarchical structures that allow you to assign visibility to Entities in the ThingWorx Model     Step 3: Users   Users represent an individual person or connected system. They contain information such as a username, email, and password (Standard Credentials) as well as peripheral information such as Name of the actual person/system/device it was created for. Users can be created, updated, and deleted just like every other Entity.   Create User   In the ThingWorx Composer, click the + New at the top of the screen. Select User in the dropdown. Name the User default_user and add a password. Set the Project field (ie, PTCDefaultProject) and click Save. User-Related Services   There are a few Services available through a resource called EntityServices, that allow you to interact with user entities programmatically.   Once a user has been created, you can interact with it through some built-in Services:     Default Users   There are two key users built into every instance of ThingWorx when initially created.   Administrator: When setting up your platform, you'll use the Administrator user first, because it is the user that will allow you to set up new users and assign them to Administrator or other roles.   NOTE: It is extremely important to reset the Administrator password after your first login. Leaving the default password could allow the system to be compromised in the future.   System User: The System User is created to allow service chaining on a given Thing when a user may not have direct permissions for every part of the chain. It exists so that access to given Services can be granted based on some previous logic instead of direct overarching permissions. For example: if the user is within the building, then trigger a Service, otherwise do not trigger the Service.     Step 4: User Groups   In many IoT solutions there will be a large scale of Users using the system. Because of this it doesn’t make sense to manually set the permissions of every User added to the system. This is why we created User Groups. User Groups provide a role-based approach to permissions and exist to give similar Users the same permissions across multiple Entities on the platform. User groups set permissions exactly the same way as Users do (see next section), but you can simply add a User to a User Group in order to set permissions at scale. For example: Creating a User group such as "Solution Architects" would allow you to do something like set all permissions for design time but limit permissions for run time. Similarly you could create a user group called "Solution Users" who have no design time permissions and specific run time permissions.   Create Group and Add Users   In the ThingWorx Composer, click the + New at the top of the screen. Select User Group in the dropdown. Name your group ExampleGroup. Set the Project field (ie, PTCDefaultProject) and click Save. Click Members to view current members in the group. Filter and select the user you want to add in the Available Members section. Click the arrow on their row or drag the User to the Members section. Click Save. NOTE: Individual user permissions will override group user permissions. In other words, if you initially add a user to a group so they inherit the permissions of the group, you will still be able to customize permissions for an individual user in that group as needed.   User Group Services   There are a few Services available through a resource called EntityServices, that allow you to interact with user group entities programmatically. Service Name Description CreateGroup Creates a new User Group DeleteGroup Deletes a user Group   Once a group has been created you can interact with it through built-in services to add or remove a User. Service Name Description AddMember Adds a User or User Group to this group AssignMembers Adds a list of Users or User Groups to this group DeleteMember Removes a User or User Group from the members of this group     Default User Groups   The platform has a few User Groups included in the platform by default. These are used to set up common roles that are often associated with using the platform and have built in permissions.   Click here to view Part 2 of this guide. 

Install ThingWorx Kepware Server Guide    Overview   This guide will walk you through the steps to install ThingWorx Kepware Server. NOTE: This guide's content aligns with ThingWorx 9.3. The estimated time to complete this guide is 30 minutes.    Step 1: Learning Path Overview   This guide is the first on the Connect and Monitor Industrial Plant Equipment Learning Path, and it explains how to get up and running with ThingWorx Kepware Server. If you want to learn to install ThingWorx Kepware Server, this guide will be useful to you, and it can be used independently from the full Learning Path. In the next guide on the Learning Path, we will create an Application Key which is used to secure the connection between Kepware Server and ThingWorx Foundation. Later in the Learning Path, we will send information from ThingWorx Kepware Server into ThingWorx Foundation. In other guides in this Learning Path, we will use Foundation's Mashup Builder to construct a website dashboard that displays information from ThingWorx Kepware Server. We hope you enjoy this Learning Path.   Step 2: Install ThingWorx Kepware Server   ThingWorx Kepware Server includes over 150 factory-automation protocols. ThingWorx Kepware Server communicates between industrial assets and ThingWorx Foundation, providing streamlined, real-time access to OT and IT data — whether that data is sourced from on-premise web servers, off-premise cloud applications, or at the edge. This step will download and install ThingWorx Kepware Server. Download the ThingWorx Kepware Server executable installer. Select your Language and click OK 3. On the "Welcome" screen, click Next.        4. the End-User License Agreement and click Next.   5. Set the destination folder for the installation and click Next.   6. Set the Application Data Folder location and click Next. Note that it is recommended NOT to change this path. 7. Select whether you'd like a Shortcut to be created and click Next. 8. On the "Vertical Suite Selection" screen, keep the default of Typical and click Next. 9. On the "Select Features" screen, keep the defaults and click Next. 10. The "External Dependencies" screen simply lists everything that will be installed; click Next. 11. On the "Default Application Settings" screen, leave the default of Allow client applications to request data through Dynamic Tag addressing and click Next. 12. On the “User Manager Credentials” screen, set a unique strong password for the Administrator account and click Next. Note that skipping setting a password can leave your system less secure and is not recommended in a production environment. 13. Click install to begin the installation. 14. Click finish to exit the installer.     Step 3: Open ThingWorx Kepware Server   Now that ThingWorx Kepware Server is installed, you will need to open it. In the bottom-right Windows Taskbar, click Show hidden icons. 2. Double-click on the ThingWorx Kepware Server icon. 3. ThingWorx Kepware Server is now installed. 4. For additional information on ThingWorx Kepware Server, click Server Help on the Menu Bar.   Step 4: Next Steps   Congratulations! You've successfully completed the Install ThingWorx Kepware Server guide. In this guide, you learned how to:   Download, install, and open ThingWorx Kepware Server   The next guide in the Connect and Monitor Industrial Plant Equipment learning path is Connect Kepware Server to ThingWorx Foundation.    The next guide in the Using an Allen-Bradley PLC with ThingWorx learning path is Connect to an Allen-Bradley PLC. . 

Get Started with ThingWorx for IoT Guide Part 5   Step 13: Extend Your Model   Modify the application model, enhance your UI, and add features to the house monitoring application to simulate a request as it might come from an end user. For this step, we do not provide explicit instructions, so you can use critical thinking to apply your skills. After completing the previous steps, your Mashup should look like this:   In this part of the lesson, you'll have an opportunity to: Complete an application enhancement in Mashup Builder Compare your work with that of a ThingWorx engineer Import and examine ThingWorx entities provided for download that satisfy the requirements Understand the implications of ThingWorx modeling options   Task Analysis   Add a garage to the previously-created house monitoring web application and include a way to display information about the garage in the UI. You will need to model the garage using Composer and add to the web application UI using Mashup Builder. What useful information could a web application for a garage provide? How could information about a garage be represented in ThingWorx? What is the clearest way to display information about a garage?   Tips and Hints   See below for some tips and hints that will help you think about what to consider when modifying the application in ThingWorx. Modify your current house monitoring application by adding a garage: Extend your model to include information about a garage using Composer. Add a display of the garage information to your web application UI using Mashup Builder.   Best Practices   Keep application development manageable by using ThingWorx features that help organize entities you create.   Modeling   The most important feature of a garage is the status of the door. In addition to its current status, a user might be interested in knowing when the garage door went up or down. Most garages are not heated, so a user may or may not be interested in the garage temperature.   Display   The current status of the garage door should be easily visible. Complete the task in your Composer before moving forward. The Answer Key below reveals how we accomplished this challenge so you can compare your results to that of a ThingWorx engineer.   Answer Key   Confirm you configured your Mashup to meet the enhancement requirements when extending your web application. Use the information below to check your work.   Create New Thing   Creating a new Thing is one way to model the garage door. We explain other methods, including their pros and cons, in the Solution discussion below. Did you create a new Thing using the Building Template? Did you apply a Tag to the new Thing you created?   Review detailed steps for how to Create a Thing in Part 2 of this guide.   Add Property   Any modeling strategy requires the addition of a new Property to your model. We explore options for selecting an appropriate base type for the garage Property in the Solution discussion on the next step. Did you add a Property to represent the garage door? Did you use the Boolean type? Did you check the Logged? check-box to save history of changes?   Review detailed steps for how to Add a Property. in Part 1, Step 3 of this guide.   Add Widget   In order to display the garage door status, you must add a Widget to your Mashup. We used a check-box in our implementation. We introduce alternative display options in the Solution discussion on the next step. Did you add a Widget to your Mashup representing the garage door status? Review detailed steps for how to Create an Application UI in Part 3, Step 8 of this guide.   Add Data Source   If you created a new Thing, you must add a new data source. This step is not required if you added a Property to the existing Thing representing a house. Did you add a data source from the garage door Property of your new Thing? Did you check the Execute on Load check-box? Review detailed steps for how to Add a Data Source to a Mashup in Part 4, Step 10 of this guide.   Bind Data Source to Widget   You must bind the new garage door Property to a Widget in order to affect the visualization. Did you bind the data source to the Widget you added to your Mashup? Review detailed steps for how to Bind a Data Source to a Widget in Part 4, Step 10 of this guide.   Solution   If you want to inspect the entities as configured by a ThingWorx engineer, import this file into your Composer. Download the attached example solution:   FoundationChallengeSolution.xml Import the xml file into, then open MyHouseAndGarage Thing. See below for some options to consider in your application development.   Modeling   There are several ways the garage door property could be added to your existing model. The table below discusses different implementations we considered. We chose to model the status of the garage door as a Property of a new Thing created using the building Template. Modeling Method Pros Cons Add Property to BuildingTemplate The Garage property will be added to existing house Thing All future Things using Building Template will have a garage door property Add Property to existing house Thing House and garage are linked No separate temperature and watts Property for garage Add Property to new Thing created with BuildingTemplate All Building features available No logical link between house and garage   Property Base Type   We chose to represent the status of the door with a simple Boolean Property named 'garageDoorOpen' Thoughtful property naming ensures that the values, true and false, have a clear meaning. Using a Boolean type also makes it easy to bind the value directly to a Widget. The table below explains a few Base Type options. Modeling Method Pros Cons Boolean Easy to bind to Widget Information between open and closed is lost Number Precise door status Direction information is lost String Any number of states can be represented An unexpected String could break UI   Visualization   We chose a simple Check-box Widget to show the garage door status, but there are many other Widgets you could choose depending on how you want to display the data. For example, a more professional implementation might display a custom image for each state.   Logging   We recommended that you check the Logged option, so you can record the history of the garage door status.   Step 14: Next Steps   Congratulations! You've successfully completed the Get Started with ThingWorx for IoT tutorial, and learned how to: Use Composer to create a Thing based on Thing Shapes and Thing Templates Store Property change history in a Value Stream Define application logic using custom defined Services and Subscriptions Create an applicaton UI with Mashup Builder Display data from connected devices Test a sample application The next guide in the Getting Started on the ThingWorx Platform learning path is Data Model Introduction.

  The latest release of ThingWorx, version 9.7, brings powerful updates across performance, scalability, security, and developer productivity. Designed to meet the evolving demands of IoT and AR solutions, this version equips businesses with the tools to build smarter applications, improve operational efficiency, and stay ahead of the curve.   Performance & Scalability ThingWorx 9.7 introduces key updates that enhance performance and scalability for large-scale operations. The addition of partitioned value streams enables faster queries and purging of massive data sets, streamlining data management. Lazy loading for grid components optimizes application responsiveness, ensuring a seamless user experience, even in data-intensive environments. Additionally, the new Data Ordering feature ensures that ingested data is processed in the exact order it is received, even across asynchronous systems. This capability guarantees accurate execution of application logic and precise end calculations, addressing critical needs in industries requiring serialized data processing.   Reliability Enhancements Reliability is critical in enterprise applications, and ThingWorx 9.7 delivers with automated disaster recovery, providing quick failover mechanisms for deployments on the PTC Cloud. Enhanced diagnostics and tools for high-availability environments address challenges such as large cache collections, helping maintain stability and preventing bottlenecks in mission-critical systems.   Developer Productivity ThingWorx 9.7 offers developers a range of productivity-boosting features. The Mashup Builder enhancements include binding filtering, container zooming, and intuitive design tools that make application development faster and more efficient. Grid customizations, like inline editing and bulk selection, further streamline workflows. Developers also benefit from the latest Eclipse plugin, ensuring compatibility with modern tools and technologies.   Security & Compliance Security continues to be our highest priority in this release. ThingWorx 9.7 fully supports Java 21, delivering enhanced memory management and access to the latest security patches. TLS 1.3 Phase-2 integration brings advanced encryption protocols to secure communication across platforms. Additional security measures, such as granular file permissions, give administrators more control over sensitive data and operations.   Industry-Specific Solutions ThingWorx 9.7 introduces several innovative features tailored for specific industries: Route Versioning in Connected Work Cells: Manufacturers can now revise and track work cell routes with precision, creating complete traceability for serial numbers, routes, and associated work instructions. This feature streamlines workflows, enhances traceability, and boosts operational efficiency. Enhanced Operational Insights: The release includes new key performance indicators (KPIs) and reporting tools to deliver actionable insights at the factory line, site, and enterprise levels. These updates help organizations measure efficiency, reduce downtime, and improve overall productivity. Asset Muting for Chatty Devices: In scenarios where connected devices become overly chatty—sending excessive or unnecessary data—administrators can now mute these assets. This prevents data overload and mitigates risks such as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, optimizing platform performance and ensuring uninterrupted operations. Improved Deployment Reliability: Enhancements in software content management ensure reliable and scalable management of large-scale deployments, reducing downtime and improving device performance.   Third-Party Library Upgrades ThingWorx 9.7 includes key updates to its underlying technology stack, ensuring compatibility with modern enterprise systems, improved performance, and robust security. To stay future-ready, we have updated its core technology stack, including Tomcat 9.0.95, Ignite 2.16 and RabbitMQ 3.13.7 to highlight few.   Why Upgrade to ThingWorx 9.7? ThingWorx 9.7 sets a new benchmark for IoT platforms, offering enhanced scalability, state-of-the-art security, and intuitive tools for developers. The updates cater to both enterprise-scale deployments and industry-specific challenges, ensuring that businesses can innovate and operate with confidence in an increasingly complex digital landscape.   Upgrade to ThingWorx 9.7 today and unlock new possibilities for innovation and success! View release notes here for more details on exact updates and be sure to upgrade to 9.7! Vineet Khokhar Principal Product Manager- IOT Security  

Design and Implement Data Models to Enable Predictive Analytics Learning Path   Design and implement your data model, create logic, and operationalize an analytics model.   NOTE: Complete the following guides in sequential order. The estimated time to complete this learning path is 390 minutes.    Data Model Introduction  Design Your Data Model Part 1 Part 2 Part 3  Data Model Implementation Part 1 Part 2 Part 3  Create Custom Business Logic  Implement Services, Events, and Subscriptions Part 1 Part 2  Build a Predictive Analytics Model  Part 1 Part 2 Operationalize an Analytics Model  Part 1 Part 2  

  Connect   Connect Your Data to ThingWorx In the world of IoT application development, connectivity refers to the infrastructure and protocols which connect devices to the cloud or network. Edge devices handle the interface between the physical world and the cloud. ThingWorx provides you with several different tools for connecting to the ThingWorx platform. Your decision on which connectivity method to pick will be dependent on your individual use case.   Learning Paths Connect and Configure Industrial Devices and Systems   Featured Guides Install ThingWorx Kepware Server Connect to an Azure OPC UA Server   REST API Use the REST API to Connect Low-Capability Devices to ThingWorx   Using the ThingWorx REST API is an easy way for low-capability devices to connect with the ThingWorx platform and push data to the platform. Any edge device that can make an HTTP POST can read and update properties or execute services on the ThingWorx platform.   Choose a Connectivity Method Use REST API to Access ThingWorx Connect an Arduino Developer Board   Edge SDKs Connect natively to ThingWorx using an AlwaysOn protocol SDK.  Secure, embeddable, and easily deployable communications designed for connecting sensors, devices and equipment across any network topology and any communication scenario.   SDKs are available for Java, C, .net and allow you to connect your devices to ThingWorx with the AlwaysOn protocol. Using the Edge SDKs will give you all the flexibility you need to meet your application's requirements and build robust, secure, full-featured edge integrations and gateways for any platform.   ThingWorx Edge SDKs SDK Reference C SDK Tutorial Java SDK Tutorial   Edge Microserver The Edge Microserver proxies connections via AlwaysOn   Connect your devices to the ThingWorx platform with the Edge MicroServer, a pre-built application that enables devices incapable of making TLS connections to securely interact with the platform.   Connect Raspberry Pi to ThingWorx Choose a Connectivity Method   Kepware Server Access data from industrial machine controllers   ThingWorx Kepware Server with 150+ industrial protocol drivers allows you to easily connect to different types of industrial equipment. The interface provides real-time, bi-directional industrial controls data to the ThingWorx Platform via the AlwaysOn protocol.   Install ThingWorx Kepware Server   Device Cloud Connectors Connect devices with the adapter of your choice and integrate with ThingWorx to build scalable IoT applications.   Connect Azure IoT Devices     Analyze   Analyze and Visualize IoT Data The AI and Machine Learning technologies used in ThingWorx Analytics automate much of the complex analytical processes involved in creating data-driven insights for your IIoT application. Simulate behavior of physical products in the digital world, use predictive analytic algorithms to find patterns in your business data and generate a prediction model, or build a real-time anomaly detection model by monitoring for data points that fall outside of an expected range.   Learning Paths Monitor Factory Supplies and Consumables Design and Implement Data Models to Enable Predictive Analytics   Featured Guides Operationalize an Analytics Model Build a Predictive Analytics Model   Perform Analytical Calculations Embed analytics capabilities into your industrial IoT applications in order to monitor real-time data, predict future events and conditions, and optimize performance of devices and organizations.   Operationalize an Analytics Model Build a Predictive Analytics Model Monitor an SMT Assembly Line Statistical Monitoring with Descriptive Analytics Perform Statistical Calculations with Descriptive Analytics     Build   Rapid, Model-based Application Development Build your industrial IoT application using ThingWorx’s drag-and-drop GUI development environment, model-based development platform. Using the ThingModel to describe assets, processes, and organizational elements and how they relate to each other. Define the functional behavior, add business logic, and extend your application with pre-built plugins. With a properly-constructed framework, your application will be scalable, flexible and more secure.   Learning Paths Medical Device Service Design and Implement Data Models to Enable Predictive Analytics   Featured Guides Get Started with ThingWorx for IoT Data Model Introduction   Build the Data Model Define the properties, services, and events of Things you want to expose to your application developers. The ThingWorx Data Model is a logical representation of the physical devices, systems, and people that interact with your application.   Data Model Introduction Monitor an SMT Assembly Line Data Model Implementation Design Your Data Model   Leverage the Data Model Leverage your data model using events subscriptions, and custom business logic.   Monitor an SMT Assembly Line Methods for Data Storage Bind Data to Widgets Implement Services, Events, and Subscriptions Create Custom Business Logic Application Development Tips & Tricks Create Session Parameters   Extend the Platform Capabilities Take advantage of extensions from partners and third-parties to add new functionality into your system in a seamless manner. Extensions can be service (function/method) libraries, connector templates, widgets, and more.   Create An Extension Create A Mashup Widget Extension Create An Authentication Extension     Manage   ThingWorx Platform Management Efficiently manage your assets with visibility and control over your IoT solution. Install, configure and troubleshoot your application, while monitoring performance and communication with devices. Offering a comprehensive set of tools and features, ThingWorx enables remote access, file transfers, software upgrades, logging, debugging, and more.   Learning Paths Getting Started on the ThingWorx Platform Using an Allen-Bradley PLC with ThingWorx   Featured Guides Deploy an Application   Manage Your Platform Compare Persistence Providers   Manage Your Applications Operationalize application updates, OS upgrades, patches and documentation.   Deploy an Application Compare Persistence Providers     Experience   Design Engaging Experiences Use the industry’s first purpose built IoT application development environment to design engaging experiences for web and mobile applications. Designed to reduce the time, cost, and risk required to build new innovative IoT applications, this layer has two distinct functions: build-time and run-time. Build-time encompasses the technology to create the things in your Industrial IoT solution while Run-time includes the operational permissions to execute and manage those things.   Learning Paths Getting Started on the ThingWorx Platform Customize UI and Display Options to Deploy Applications   Features Guides Create Your Application UI   Application Layout (UI)  Utilize the ThingWorx Mashup Builder tools to design and create engaging IoT applications.   Define Your UI Style Add Style to Your UI with CSS Effective UI Implementation   Charts & Graphs Bring your IoT data to life with dynamic charts and graphs.   How to Display Data in Charts   Reusable Components Leverage the ThingWorx widget library to create a robust user experience and enhance your application capabilities.   Object-Oriented UI Design Tips Display Geolocation Data Using Google Maps Organize Your UI with the Collection Widget     Secure   Securely Collect and Process Data ThingWorx is secure by design and offers multiple authentication options to increase the security of your IoT application. From TLS-encrypted communication and role-based access controls to the distribution of security patches, ThingWorx integrates a range of security features that you can leverage in your development process.   Learning Paths Getting Started on the ThingWorx Platform   Featured Guides Configure Permissions   IoT Application Security Authenticate devices on our platform. ThingWorx handles data transformation, data persistence, and business logic so you can focus on developing your application.   Configure Permissions Enabling LDAP Authentication in ThingWorx Create An Authentication Extension Create An Application Key

Design Your Data Model Guide Part 1   Overview   This project will introduce the process of taking your IoT solution from concept to design. Following the steps in this guide, you will create a solution that doesn’t need to be constantly revamped, by creating a comprehensive Data Model before starting to build and test your solution. We will teach you how to utilize a few proposed best practices for designing the ThingWorx Data Model and provide some prescriptive methods to help you generate a high-quality framework that meets your business needs. NOTE: This guide’s content aligns with ThingWorx 9.3. The estimated time to complete ALL 3 parts of this guide is 60 minutes. All content is relevant but there are additional tools and design patterns you should be aware of. Please go to this link for more details.    Step 1: Data Model Methodology   We will start by outlining the overall process for the proposed Data Model Methodology.       Step Description 1 User Stories Identify who will use the application and what information they need. By approaching the design from a User perspective, you should be able to identify what elements are necessary for your system. 2 Data Sources Identify the real-world objects or systems which you are trying to model. To create a solid design, you need to identify what the “things” are in your system and what data or functionality they expose. 3 Model Breakdown Compose a representative model of modular components to enable uniformity and reuse of functionality wherever possible. Break down user requirements and data, identifying how the system will be modeled in Foundation. 4 Data Strategy Identify the sources of data, then evaluate how many different types of data you will have, what they are, and how your data should be stored. From that, you may determine the data types and data storage requirements. 5 Business Logic Strategy Examine the functional needs, and map them to your design for proper business logic implementation. Determine the business logic as a strategic flow of data, and make sure everything in your design fits together in logical chunks. 6 User Access Strategy Identify each user's access and permission levels for your application. Before you start building anything, it is important to understand the strategy behind user access. Who can see or do what? And why? NOTE: Due to the length of this subject, the ThingWorx Data Model Methodology has been divided into multiple parts. This guide focuses on the first three steps = User Stories, Data Sources, and Model Breakdown. Guides covering the last three steps are linked in the final Next Steps page.    Step 2: User Stories     With a user-based approach to design, you identify requirements for users at the outset of the process. This increases the likelihood of user satisfaction with the result. Utilizing this methodology, you consider each type of user that will be accessing your application and determine their requirements according to each of the following two categories: Category Requirement Details Functionality Determine what the user needs to do. This will define what kind of Services and Subscriptions will need to be in the system and which data elements and Properties must be gathered from the connected Things. Information What information do they need? Examine the functional requirements of the user to identify which pieces of information the users need to know in order to accomplish their responsibilities.   Factory Example   Let’s revisit our Smart Factory example scenario. The first step of the User Story phase of the design process is to identify the potential users of your system. In this example scenario, we have defined three different types of users for our solution: Maintenance Operations Management Each of these users will have a different role in the system. Therefore, they will have different functional and informational needs.   Maintenance   It is the maintenance engineer’s job to keep machines up and running so that the operator can assemble and deliver products. To do this well, they need access to granular data for the machine’s operating status to better understand healthy operation and identify causes of failure. They also need to integrate their maintenance request management system to consolidate their efforts and to create triggers for automatic maintenance requests generated by the connected machines. Required Functionality Get granular data values from all assets Get a list of maintenance requests Update maintenance requests Set triggers for automatic maintenance request generation Automatically create maintenance requests when triggers have been activated Required Information Granular details for each asset to better understand healthy asset behavior Current alert status for each asset When the last maintenance was performed on an asset When the next maintenance is scheduled for an asset Maintenance request for information, including creation date, due date, progress notes   Operations   The operator’s job is to keep the line running and make sure that it’s producing quality products. To do this, operators must keep track of how well their line is running (both in terms of speed and quality). They also need to be able to file maintenance requests when they have issues with the assets on their line. Required Functionality File maintenance request Get quality data from assets on their line Get performance data for the whole line Get a prioritized list of production orders for their line Create maintenance requests Required Information Individual asset performance metrics Full line performance metrics Product quality readings   Management   The production manager oversees the dispatch of production orders and ensures quotas are being met. Managers care about the productivity of all lines and the status of maintenance requests. Required Functional Create production orders Update production orders Cancel production orders Access line productivity data Elevate maintenance request priority Required Information Production line productivity levels (OEE) List of open maintenance requests   Step 3: Data Sources – Thing List     Thing List   Once you have identified the users' requirements, you'll need to determine what parts of your system must be connected. These will be the Things in your solution. Keep in mind that a Thing can represent many different types of connected endpoints. Here are some examples of possible Things in your system: Devices deployed in the field with direct connectivity or gateway-connectivity to Foundation Devices deployed in the field through third-party device clouds Remote databases Connections to external business systems (e.g., Salesforce.com, Weather.com, etc.)   Factory Example   In our Smart Factory example, we have already identified the users of the system and listed requirements for each of those users. The next step is to identify the Things in our solution. In our example, we are running a factory floor with multiple identical production lines. Each of these lines has multiple different devices associated with it. Let’s consider each of those items to be a connected Thing. Things in each line: Conveyor belt x 2 Pneumatic gate Robotic Arm Quality Check Camera Let's also assume we already have both a Maintenance Request System and a Production Order System that are in use today. To add this to our solution, we want to build a connector between Foundation and the existing system. These connectors will be Things as well. Internal system connection Thing for Production Order System Internal system connection Thing for Maintenance Request System NOTE: It is entirely possible to have scenarios in which you want to examine more granular-level details of your assets. For example, the arm and the hand of the assembly robot could be represented separately. There are endless possibilities, but for simplicity's sake, we will keep the list shorter and more high-level. Keep in mind that you can be as detailed as needed for this and future iterations of your solution. However, being too granular could potentially create unnecessary complexity and data overload.    Click here to view Part 2 of this guide.

This video concludes Module 9: Anomaly Detection of the ThingWorx Analytics Training videos. It gives an overview of the "Statistical Process Control (SPC) Accelerator"

Overview A global leader in chemical processing and industrial manufacturing, with a strong international footprint and multiple production sites worldwide, set out to transform its production ecosystem by adopting Industrial IoT (IIoT). The objective was to unify fragmented factory data, enable real-time analytics, and drive operational efficiency through AI-powered insights. Based on detailed use case documentation and architectural workshop findings, this reference architecture outlines a robust, scalable solution designed to integrate factory systems, deliver AI-supported insights in real time, and empower teams through self-service applications.   The solution leverages PTC’s ThingWorx suite—along with Microsoft Azure services and complementary technologies—to address key challenges in production, quality, and efficiency across engineering, manufacturing, and operations. About Beyond the Pilot series Use Case   A. Engineering – Process Optimization & Quality Control   Problem: Resolving Data Integration & Visibility Challenges   Customer’s engineering teams struggled with fragmented data across various factory systems, limiting their ability to analyze process performance and optimize production parameters. Without a unified data platform, engineers could not effectively compare historical and real-time machine center lining values, making it difficult to maintain consistent production quality.   Solution: Unified Data Integration & Advanced Process Analytics   The reference architecture establishes a central, cloud-based data platform that aggregates and correlates machine data from various sources in real time. By integrating OPC Aggregators and Kepware with Azure IoT Hub, factory data is ingested, processed, and made accessible via ThingWorx applications. Engineers can now visualize mechanical and digital process values, set dynamic thresholds, and receive alerts when deviations occur—ensuring precise process control and quality optimization.   Role of PTC Products:   PTC Kepware: Standardizes and integrates machine data from disparate factory systems, ensuring a seamless flow of real-time process variables. ThingWorx Platform: Provides a robust dashboard for analyzing centerlining data, visualizing production trends, and enabling data-driven decision-making. ThingWorx Digital Performance Management (DPM): Automates the identification of process inefficiencies, allowing engineers to fine-tune machine settings dynamically.   B. Manufacturing – Scrap Reduction & Production Efficiency   Problem: Enhancing Scalability and Reducing Operational Inefficiencies   Customer faced challenges in scaling its IIoT solution as new sensors and data sources were introduced. Traditional systems struggled with the increased volume of factory data, leading to slow system response times and ineffective real-time analytics. Additionally, manual process adjustments resulted in inconsistencies, contributing to increased scrap rates and wasted materials.   Solution: Cloud-Scalable Infrastructure with Real-Time Process Optimization   To address these issues, the architecture leverages Azure IoT Hub, Azure Data Explorer (ADX), and Influx DB to handle massive data streams and provide low-latency analytics. This ensures that production trends, environmental conditions, and machine parameters are continuously monitored and optimized in real time. Advanced machine learning models predict process inefficiencies, enabling operators to make automatic adjustments to reduce scrap and optimize yield.   Role of PTC Products:   ThingWorx Platform: Acts as the central command hub, enabling real-time decision-making based on factory data trends. ThingWorx Digital Performance Management (DPM): Uses historical data to provide AI-supported recommendations for reducing material waste and improving overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). PTC Kepware: Ensures reliable, high-speed data acquisition from sensors, production lines, and environmental monitoring systems, feeding critical information into ThingWorx for optimization.   C. Driving Digital Transformation & Quality Optimization   Problem: Lack of Digital Process Automation & AI-Powered Decision Making   Customer’s previous factory systems relied on manual reporting and fixed thresholds for process control, limiting the ability to detect and respond to process inefficiencies in real time. Operators needed a system that could provide intelligent, self-service applications with AI-driven recommendations for optimal production performance.   Solution: AI-Driven Automation & Dynamic Quality Control   The IIoT architecture integrates AI-powered predictive analytics to analyze deviations in real-time and suggest automatic machine adjustments. Real-time applications, customizable process recipes, and dynamic alerting systems empower production teams with actionable insights. By embedding self-service applications in ThingWorx, engineers and operators can fine-tune process settings and receive automated recommendations for improving quality and efficiency.   Role of PTC Products:   ThingWorx Platform: Serves as the central analytics hub, delivering AI-powered insights for continuous process improvement. ThingWorx DPM: Uses machine learning to correlate scrap rates with process variables, recommending changes that minimize waste and enhance quality. PTC Kepware: Captures real-time process data, ensuring that AI models receive accurate inputs for predictive analysis.   Customer’s digital transformation journey is now backed by a robust, PTC-powered IIoT ecosystem that delivers continuous improvement, higher production efficiency, and proactive maintenance capabilities—ultimately driving the future of smart manufacturing. Technical Architecture and Implementation Details   This section combines detailed technical descriptions with the overall reference architecture. It describes the core components, integration points, and implementation strategies that deliver a robust IIoT solution for the customer.   A. Architecture Overview Diagram       High-level architecture diagram for the final solution B. Detailed Technical Components     Component Role Key Features OPC Aggregators & Kepware Stream and bridge machine data from production, DEV, and QA environments to Azure IoT Hub for real-time processing in ThingWorx. Scalable ingestion; latency monitoring; secure device connectivity; segregated closed environments for DEV/QA. Azure IoT Hub Ingests and secures machine telemetry data for analytics. Centralized data ingestion; integration with Azure services. ThingWorx on VMs Hosts the core IIoT application that processes data, provides end-user applications, and manages workflows. High performance; disaster recovery via VM snapshots; enhanced security through Azure AD integration and SSL support. Managed PostgreSQL Provides high availability for persistent application data through replication and failover. Data redundancy; managed service benefits; automated backup and recovery. Azure Data Explorer / Influx DB Handles advanced analytics, timeseries visualization, and predictive insights for telemetry data. Real-time analytics; anomaly detection; cost-effective long-term storage. Monitoring & Logging Tools Ensure comprehensive observability and prompt incident response across all components. Real-time applications monitoring; alerting; centralized log aggregation. RESTful APIs Enable seamless integration with ERP systems, legacy data sources, and other IoT devices. Secure data exchange; standardized connectivity protocols.     C. User Personas   The success of this solution relies on a well-defined team of technical experts responsible for deployment and ongoing management:     Persona Key Responsibilities Plant Manager Oversee overall factory performance and use data insights for strategic decision-making Drive process improvements and efficiency Digital Transformation Lead Analyzes and prioritizes valuable use-cases for the business Implement IIoT solutions across factory operations and scale AI-driven automation and data analytics Ensure long-term digital innovation and adoption Operations Manager Oversee production lines and ensure efficiency and optimize machine settings based on real-time insights Troubleshoot and resolve process issues quickly Quality Assurance Engineer Monitor production quality in real time and ensure compliance with quality standards Reduce scrap and rework by addressing deviations early Maintenance Engineer Monitor equipment health and respond to alerts and perform predictive maintenance to prevent failures Minimize downtime through proactive repairs Software Engineer Develop and maintain IIoT backend and frontend systems and ensure seamless data integration and API connectivity Optimize system performance and scalability Cloud Architect Design and manage IIoT cloud infrastructure and ensure scalable and secure cloud deployments Optimize data storage and processing in the cloud Security Analyst Implement and monitor security measures for IIoT systems and conduct risk assessments and threat analysis Ensure compliance with cybersecurity standards DevOps Engineer Manage CI/CD pipelines for IIoT applications and automate deployments and infrastructure management Optimize system performance and reliability     NOTE : Although these personas were required, the needs were fulfilled by a team of only 4–5 developers effectively playing multiple roles. Outcome   Optimized Production Efficiency By unifying machine telemetry, process parameters, and historical trends, customer empowers engineers with real-time insights. AI-driven recommendations and automated adjustments replace trial-and-error, enabling precise, dynamic optimizations. Bottlenecks and inefficiencies are identified instantly, allowing rapid corrective actions for peak performance.   Reduced Waste & Enhanced Quality Real-time process optimization and automated quality control significantly reduce material waste and variability. The system detects deviations at the source, enabling instant adjustments and ensuring consistent product quality, minimizing scrap, rework, and compliance risks.   Seamless Data Visibility & Collaboration A centralized dashboard provides real-time access to critical metrics, eliminating fragmented reports and delays. Engineers and operators can compare production data across sites, standardize best practices, and drive continuous improvements across the network.   Future-Ready Innovation Beyond immediate gains, this IIoT transformation lays the foundation for scalable sensor integration, AI-driven automation, and advanced predictive analytics. It’s not just a solution for today—it’s a long-term framework for sustained digital innovation in smart manufacturing. This reference architecture is not just about solving today’s challenges—it establishes a long-term, adaptive framework that will continue to evolve, enabling our customer to remain at the forefront of smart manufacturing and industrial digitalization. Additional Information   This section provides further insights into the project implementation and future strategic direction.   Parameter Description Example/Notes Time to First Go-Live Estimated duration from project initiation to initial production deployment. Approximately 16 weeks Partner Involvement Key strategic and technical partners collaborating on the deployment. Microsoft, Ansys, and Deloitte were supporting the digital transformation initiative centered around ThingWorx. Customer Roadmap Future enhancements planned by customer, such as AI-based predictive analytics and further automation. An expansion to incorporate AI and advanced machine learning–driven insights is planned       Vineet Khokhar Principal Product Manager, IoT Security   Disclaimer: These reference architectures will be based on real-world implementation; however, specific customer details and proprietary information will be omitted or generalized to maintain confidentiality.   Stay tuned for more updates, and as always, in case of issues, feel free to reach out to <support.ptc.com>  

    Step 4: Create Extension Project   In this tutorial, you will create a ThingWorx extension that retrieves weather information using OpenWeatherMap API. Create Account In this part of the lesson, you will create a free account in OpenWeatherMap that creates an AppKey so you can access their REST API. Sign-up for a free account. Log in to your account. Create a new API Key   NOTE: We will use this generated API key as a parameter in the REST calls.   Create New Extension Project   NOTE: Make sure that you are in the ThingWorx Extension Perspective. To verify, you should see a plus icon:   in the menu bar. If you don’t see this, you are probably in the wrong perspective. Go back to the previous step to learn how to set the perspective to ThingWorx Extension in Eclipse.   Go to File->New->Project. Click ThingWorx->ThingWorx Extension Project.  Click Next. NOTE: A New ThingWorx Extension window will appear. Enter the Project Name (for example, MyThingworxWeatherExtension). Select Gradle or Ant as your build framework. Enter the SDK location by browsing to the directory where the Extension SDK is storeed.   NOTE: The Eclipse Plugin accepts the Extension SDK version 6.6 or higher. Enter the Vendor information (for example, ThingWorx Labs). Change the default package version from 1.0.0 to support extension dependency. NOTE: The information from ThingWorx Extension Properties is used to populate the metadata.xml file in your project. The metadata.xml file contains information about the extension and details for the various artifacts within the extension. The information in this file is used in the import process in ThingWorx to create and initialize the entities. Select the JRE version to 1.8. Click Next then click Finish. Your newly created project is added to the Package Explorer tab.   Create New Entity   Select your project and click Add to create a new entity. NOTE: You can also access this from the ThingWorx menu on the menu bar. Create a Thing Template for your MyThingWorxWeatherExtension Project.   NOTE: In this guide, we are using a Template, but in a real-world scenario, you may consider using a Thing Shape to encapsulate extension functionality. By using Thing Shapes you give users of your extension the ability to easily add new functionality to existing Things. It is simple to add a new Thing Shape to an existing Thing Template, while using the properties or services defined by a Thing Template would require recreating all existing assets using the new Template. Since subscriptions cannot be created on Thing Shapes, you might choose to create Thing Templates that implement one or more subscriptions for convenience. In the pop-up window, browse to add the source folder of your project in Source Folder. NOTE: It should default to the src directory of your project. In our case it will be MyThingworxWeatherExtension/src. Browse to add the package where you want to create this new class, or simply give it a name (such as com.thingworx.weather). Enter a name and description to your Thing Template (WeatherThingTemplate).  NOTE: By default, the Base Thing Template is set to GenericThing. Select Next. NOTE: If you want to give other users of this entity permission to edit it in ThingWorx Composer, select the entity as an editable entity. Only non-editable entities can be upgraded in place; editable entities must be deleted and recreated when your extension is updated. If you need to make it possible to customize the extension, consider using a configuration table to save user customizations. Select Finish.   Verify that you have a WeatherThingTemplate class created that extends the Thing class. @ThingworxBaseTemplateDefinition(name = "GenericThing") public class WeatherThingTemplate extends Thing { public WeatherThingTemplate() { // TODO Auto-generated constructor stub } } NOTE: You might see a warning to add a serial version. You can add a default or generated serial value.   Step 5: Add Properties    In this section, you are going to add CurrentCity, Temperature and WeatherDescription properties to the WeatherThingTemplate. These properties are associated with the Thing Template and add the @ThingworxPropertyDefinitions annotation before the class definition in the code.   Right click inside the WeatherThingTemplate class or right click on the WeatherThingTemplate class from the Package Explorer. Select ThingWorx Source-> Add Property. In the popup window, create a property to store the city name. Name = CurrentCity, Base Type = STRING, Description = ‘’ Select the Has Default Value checkbox and enter a city name (eg. Boston). This will be the default value unless a specific value is passed. Select the “Persistent” checkbox. This will maintain the property value if a system restart occurs. NOTE: If you select the Logged checkbox, the property value is logged to a data store. If you select the Read Only checkbox, the data will be static. Select VALUE from the Data Change Type drop down menu       NOTE: This allows any Thing in the system to subscribe to a data change event for this property. Choose to use one of the following Data Change Types:   Data Change Type Description Always Fires the event to subscribers for any property value change Never Does not fire a change event On For most values, any change will trigger this. Off Fires the event if the new value is false Value For numbers, if the new value has changed by more than the threshold value, fire the change event. For non-numbers, this setting behaves the same as Always. Select Finish. Create another property called Temperature with a base type of NUMBER. You can keep the default values for the other parameters. Create another property called WeatherDescription with a base type of STRING. Keep the default values for the other parameters.   Step 6: Create Configuration Table   In this part of the lesson, we will create a configuration table to store the API Id that you generated from the openMapsWeather. Configuration tables are used for Thing Templates to store values similar to properties that do not change often.   Right-click inside the WeatherThingTemplate class and select ThingWorx Source->Add Configuration Table. Create a new configuration table with name OpenWeatherMapConfigurationTable. Click Add in the Data Shape Field Definitions frame. NOTE: Configuration tables require fields (columns) with a defined table structure (DataShape). Enter appid as the name with a base type STRING. Select the Required checkbox. Click OK, then Finish to add the Configuration Table To use the appid in the REST calls, you need to obtain the value from the configuration table and assign it to a field variable in the Java code. We will use the initializeThing method to obtain the appid value at runtime. NOTE: The initializeThing() method acts as an initialization hook for the Thing. Every time a Thing is created or modified, this method is executed and the value of appid is obtained from the configuration table and stored in a global field variable of the class. initializeThing() must call super.initializeThing() to ensure it performs initialization of the Thing. Create the initializeThing() method and field variable _appid with base type STRING anywhere in the WeatherThingTemplate class. private static Logger _logger = LogUtilities.getInstance().getApplicationLogger(WeatherThingTemplate.class); private String _appid; @Override public void initializeThing() throws Exception { super.initializeThing(); _appid = (String) this.getConfigurationSetting("OpenWeatherMapConfigurationTable", "appid"); } NOTE: In the code above we used ThingWorx LogUtilities to get a reference to the ThingWorx logging system, then assigned the reference to the variable _logger. In the steps below we will use this variable to log information. There are multiple kinds of loggers and log levels used in the ThingWorx Platform, but we recommend that you use the application or script loggers for logging anything from inside extension services. If prompted to import the logger, use slf4j.     Click here to view Part 3 of this guide.

  What Is “Beyond the Pilot” and Why it matters?   Beyond the Pilot is a reference architecture series that highlights how real-world manufacturing challenges are addressed at enterprise scale across engineering, manufacturing, and service lines of business.   These stories reflect solutions built using — but not limited to — industrial IoT (IIoT), AI, and cloud technologies. Each entry captures how a specific use case — ranging from quality optimization to predictive maintenance — was solved using a combination of proven tools and repeatable design patterns.   Our goal is simple: To provide a blueprint for repeatable success, enabling technical leaders, architects, and operations teams to move from isolated wins to sustained value — securely, scalably, and strategically. Because technology doesn’t create impact in the lab — it creates impact when it’s scaled across the enterprise. Because innovation is only as powerful as its ability to sustain value across engineering, manufacturing, and service. Because manufacturers everywhere face the same question: How do we take what works in a pilot and make it work at scale? That’s exactly what this series will explore.     What You’ll Find in This Series   Each blog will highlight: The Context – The real-world problem we set out to solve The Architecture – The design patterns and integrations that made it possible The Execution – How we turned a concept into a production-ready system The Outcome – Tangible business results, from efficiency gains to cost savings The Lessons Learned – Best practices and insights you can reuse in your own journey   What’s Next   Upcoming posts will dive into: Manufacturing efficiency gains through connected operations Secure, cloud-native deployments that balance scale with compliance How digital twins are reshaping design, operations, and customer experience And much more…   Each story will link back here as the anchor introduction to this series. So stay tuned — and join us as we explore what it really takes to go beyond the pilot. Because that’s where innovation becomes transformation. Vineet Khokhar Principal Product Manager, IoT Security   Disclaimer: These reference architectures will be based on real-world implementation; however, specific customer details and proprietary information will be omitted or generalized to maintain confidentiality.   Stay tuned for more updates, and as always, in case of issues, feel free to reach out to <support.ptc.com>  

  Use the Collection Widget to organize visual elements of your application.   GUIDE CONCEPT   This project will introduce the Collection Widget.   Following the steps in this guide, you will learn to display different values from a single dataset in real-time.   We will teach you how to utilize the Collection Widget to generate a series of repeated Mashups for every row of data in a table.     YOU'LL LEARN HOW TO   Create a Datashape to define columns of a table Create a Thing with an Infotable Property Create a base Mashup to display data Utilize a Collection Widget to display data from multiple rows of a table   NOTE: This guide's content aligns with ThingWorx 9.3. The estimated time to complete ALL 3 parts of this guide is 60 minutes.      Step 1: Create a Datashape    Create a Datashape   The Collection Widget uses a Service to dynamically define visual content.   The data must be in a tabular format (for example: Data Table, Info Table, or external Database-connection) in order for the Collection Widget to access it.   In this part of the lesson, we'll create a Data Shape to define the columns of the table.   In a subsequent step, we'll create an Info Table Property within a Thing in order to store the information.   In the ThingWorx Composer Browse tab, click Modeling > Data Shapes, + New              2.  In the Name field, enter cwht_datashape.                      3. If Project is not already set, search for and select PTCDefaultProject.         4. At the top, click Field Definitions          First Definition:          1. Click + Add to open the New Field Definition slide-out.          2. In the Name field, enter first_number.          3. Change the Base Type to NUMBER.          4. Check the Is Primary Key box. All Datashapes must have a single Primary Key, and the first Field is as acceptable as any other for our purposes here.                5. At the top-right, click the "Check with a +" button for Done and Add.   Second Definition:   In the Name field, enter second_number.       2. Change the Base Type to NUMBER.               3. At the top-right, click the "Check with a +" button for Done and Add.     Third Definition:   In the Name field, enter third_number.         2. Change the Base Type to NUMBER.               3. At the top-right, click the "Check" button for Done         4. At the top, click Save.                   Step 2: Create a Thing   Create a Thing   In the previous step, we created a Data Shape to define the Info Table Property columns.   Now, we will create a Thing, add an Info Table Property, format the Info Table Property with the Data Shape, and set some default values.   On the ThingWorx Composer Browse tab, click Modeling > Things, + New.           2. In the Name field, enter cwht_thing.         3. If Project is not already set, search for and select PTCDefaultProject.         4. Select GenericThing in the Base Thing Template field       Add InfoTable Property         1. At the top, click Properties and Alerts.        2. Click the + Add button to open the New Property slide-out.        3. In the Name field, enter infotable_property.        4. Change the Base Type to INFOTABLE.        5. In the Data Shape field, select cwht_datashape.        6. Check the Persistent checkbox.       First Default   Check the Has Default Value checkbox. A cwht_datashape icon will appear underneath.            2. Under Has Default Value, click the cwht_datashape button to open the pop-up menu which  sets the default values               3. Click the + Add icon.         4. Enter values in each number field, such as 1, 2, and 3.              5. At the bottom-right, click the green Add button.     Second Default   Click the + Add icon.         2. Enter values in each number field, such as 10, 20, and 30            3. At the bottom-right, click the green Add button       Third Default   Click the + Add icon.       2. Enter values in each number field, such as 100, 200, and 300            3. At the bottom-right, click the greenAddbutton           4.  At the bottom-right, click Save to close the pop-up menu               5. At the top-right, click the "Check" button for Done.       6. At the top, click Save          Click here to view Part 2 of this guide.

Create Your Application Guide UI Part 1    Overview   This project will introduce the ThingWorx Mashup Builder. Following the steps in this guide, you will learn how to use this tool to create a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for your IoT Application. We will teach you how to rapidly create and update a Mashup, which is a custom visualization built to display data from devices according to your application's business and technical requirements. NOTE: This guide's content aligns with ThingWorx 9.3. The estimated time to complete ALL 5 parts of this guide is 30 minutes.    Step 1: Create New Mashup   The Mashup Builder is a drag-and-drop environment with a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) interface. With the Mashup Builder you can quickly and easily create a visualization of your IoT data. In this step, we'll explain various options to customize your application GUI. Click Browse > VISUALIZATION > Mashups.   Click + New. You are now on the New Mashup pop-up window.           Layout Options When creating your UI, you must choose whether you want a Responsive, Static, or Responsive (Advanced) Mashup, depending on the resolutions of the displays you want your application users to utilize when running your application. Mashup Layout Description When to Use Responsive Expands to the resolution of the display in an even more dynamic manner than the Responsive (Legacy) option. Previously-labeled as Responsive (Advanced), this is now the default option with modifications to the Mashup Builder interface versus previous versions. For instance, divisions such as a header or footer are available with the Template options at the bottom of the pop-up. Static (Legacy) Sized to the dimensions that you define. Static Mashups are appropriate when your users have a standard device on which they’ll be utilizing your application, such as a smartphone or tablet. When displayed in a lower resolution you will see scroll bars, in a higher resolution there will be unused space around the Mashup. Responsive (Legacy) Expands to the resolution of the display without leaving any unused space around the Mashup. Responsive Mashups should be utilized when you anticipate that users will interface with your application through various-sized screens. Responsive Mashups should always be tested at various resolutions to ensure optimum display of your IoT data.   Keep the default of Responsive (with NO Responsive Templates chosen), and click OK in the pop-up window. In the Name field, enter appui_mashup.   If the Project is not already set, search for and select PTCDefaultProject.  At the top, click Save.   At the top, click Design. This is the Mashup Builder user interface we will use for the remainder of this guide.              6. On the left, click the "left arrow" Collapse icon to cause the Composer Navigation to slide-out, revealing more room for the Mashup Builder interface.         Step 2: Mashup Builder Sections Now that you've launched the Mashup Builder, you'll need an understanding of the layout and configuration options.     NOTE: Section 1 in the top-left has a drop-down arrow you can click to reveal additional sections if your screen resolution is too small to show all of Widgets, Layout, and Explorer. There is also the Mashups tab in Section 1, but it is not covered in this guide.   Mashup Builder Section Description 1a Widgets Widgets provides a list of every graphical element within the platform. There are a wide variety of selections, from grids to graphs to text boxes to buttons. There is also a Filter Widgets field where you can enter the name of a particular Widget to sort the list. 1b Layout Layout is used to divide your Mashup into logical sub-sections. 1c Explorer Explorer allows you to reach any individual element of a Mashup. This can be helpful when multiple Widgets are overload on top of each other in the central Canvas window, making it difficult to click on them individually. 2 Canvas This is an area into which you can drag-and-drop Widgets to your desired location to build your application UI. You can also drag-and-drop data onto the Widgets in the Canvas. 3a Data Data is fundamental to any Mashup that wants to display ThingWorx IoT data, as it allows you to bind backend-data to particular Widgets. 3b Session Session provides access to Session Parameters, which are similar to global variables that may be used across multiple Mashups, such as cookies or security information for a logged-in User. 3c User User provides access to the User Extensions. User Extensions are the Properties of the logged-in User and can be used on the Client side and/or the Server side. 4a Properties Properties displays the Properties for the selected Mashup or Widget. These Properties allow you to perform a variety of modifications to Widgets, such as setting its exact position. 4b Style Properties Style Properties are a sub-set of Properties dealing with items such as changing color. 5a Bindings As data connections are made to various Widgets, the Bindings window will show these links in an easy-to-understand 'arrow' format. For instance, if a button press causes a Thing’s Service to be called, then you’ll see a connection from the Button Widget’s *Clicked* Event over to the Thing’s Service. 5b Reminders Reminders points out issues with your Mashup, such as unbound but required Properties, which often must be fixed before the Mashup can be saved. 6a Data Properties Data Properties displays properties of the selected data element. This can be helpful, for instance, when you want something to be triggered only when something else has completed. In that scenario, you’d look for the ServiceInvokeCompleted Event in this bottom-right area. 6b Functions Functions provides the ability to write custom business logic within the Mashup itself.   Step 3: Introducing Widgets   The primary way in which you'll create the GUI for your IoT application is with Widgets. Widgets are self-contained graphical elements that you can drag-and-drop onto the central Canvas area. Once placed on the Canvas, you can: Modify Widget layout Resize Widgets Bind Data to Widgets Combining several Widgets together will allow you to quickly and easily create a functional GUI for your IoT application. Widget Name Widget Example Picture Description Button   The Button Widget triggers an Event when it is clicked. Typically, this Event will be used to trigger a Service to either push or pull data from the platform’s backend. Checkbox   The Checkbox Widget provides a simple box which can be either set or not-set. You primarily use a Checkbox when you’re setting or displaying Boolean data. Gauge   The Gauge Widget provides a more “graphically interesting” way to display a numerical value. You can set the minimum and maximum values which a Gauge displays, or style a Gauge so that different areas are different colors. Label   The Label Widget displays a non-user-interactable string within your Mashup. You can use this to create headings or descriptions for parts of your Mashup. Text Field   The Text Field Widget is a small, one-line area into which you can either accept an input string from the User or display a string from the platform’s backend. Combining a few of the basic Widgets described above allows you to create a Mashup for your IoT application. However, without data being supplied to these Widgets from the platform's backend, they're just pretty graphics. In the next section, we will introduce a few of the Mashup Services that enable bidirectional data flow between your GUI and device data.   Click here to view Part 2 of this guide.