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Learn how to create a web application to monitor and control an Allen-Bradley PLC.
This guide will create a ThingWorx Foundation Mashup GUI to monitor and control an Allen-Bradley PLC connected via ThingWorx Kepware Server.
NOTE: The estimated time to complete all parts of this guide is 30 minutes.
Assuming you are using this guide as part of the Rockwell Automation Learning Path, then you have now completed each of the following installations:
You've also connected an Allen-Bradely PLC to Connected Components Workbench and then to ThingWorx Kepware Server.
You have propagated that information further from ThingWorx Kepware Server into Foundation.
In this final step, we'll create a simple Mashup to visualize the interface from Foundation to ThingWorx Kepware Server to the PLC.
NOTE: Both Rockwell Automation's Connected Components Workbench and ThingWorx Kepware Server are time-limited trials. If significant time has passed while persuing this Learning Path, you may need to reinitialize them. Consult the Troubleshooting step of this guide for more information.
A Mashup is a Graphical User Interface (GUI) to interact with your application.
In this step, you will create a new, blank Mashup. You will later populate it with Widgets (graphical elements) and tie those elements to data.
Select Responsive, then click OK.
Widgets are drag-and-drop, stand-alone, graphical elements which you can add to your Mashup to represent certain pieces of backend data.
In this step, you will add a pair of Checkboxes to represent the PLC functionality.
At the top of the RWLP_Mashup tab, click Design.
To have the Checkbox Widgets actually interact with the PLC, you need to bind them to the backend data.
To do so, you will make use of a Mashup Data Service from the previously-created PLCcoils Thing.
Click the right arrow to select SetProperties.
Click here to view Part 2 of this guide.