This path is for engineers who work with PLCs, sensors, and industrial protocols. By the end, you will be able to connect physical equipment to Proxus, verify that data is flowing correctly, and set up basic automation rules to detect anomalies.
What You Will Be Able To Do
- Deploy an Edge Gateway and register it with the Central Server
- Create Device Profiles for Siemens, Modbus, OPC UA, and MQTT devices
- Verify data flow using the UNS Explorer and Device Details
- Read data quality scores and diagnose connection problems
- Create rules that trigger alerts when sensor values go out of range
Estimated time: 2–3 hours (spread across sessions)
Prerequisites
- Proxus is installed and running (Quick Start Guide)
- You have access to a PLC, simulator, or MQTT device on your network
- You can log in to the Management Console
Step-by-Step Path
Understand the architecture (15 min)
Read these two pages to understand how data moves from machines to the platform:
- Platform Architecture — Learn the Hub & Spoke model and where your Gateway fits in.
- Stateless Edge Architecture — Understand why Gateways are stateless and what happens when hardware fails.
After reading: You should be able to explain the difference between the Central Server and an Edge Gateway, and why Gateways do not store configuration locally.
Connect your first Gateway (20 min)
- Connect a Gateway — Step-by-step guide to registering and activating a Gateway.
After completing: Your Gateway should show a green Connected status in the Management Console.
The default SYSTEM gateway is installed with your Central Server. You can use it to follow along without a separate device.
Learn how devices are modeled (15 min)
- Devices & Assets Overview — Understand the relationship between Device Profiles, Devices, and Tags.
- Device Profiles — How reusable profiles define which signals to read and how.
After reading: You should understand why you create a Profile first and then assign it to one or more Devices.
Connect your first device (30 min)
Pick the protocol guide that matches your equipment:
| Equipment | Guide |
|---|---|
| Siemens S7 (S7-300, S7-1200, S7-1500) | Siemens S7 Guide |
| Modbus TCP/RTU sensor or PLC | Modbus Guide |
| OPC UA server | OPC UA Guide |
| MQTT device (IoT sensor, edge gateway) | Embedded MQTT Broker |
| Test without hardware | Quick Start Simulator |
After creating the profile and device:
- Add a Device — Assign the profile, select the gateway, and activate.
- Tag Browser — Discover available data points for OPC UA, SNMP, and MTConnect.
After completing: Your device should show live values in the Latest Values tab.
Verify data flow (10 min)
- Device Details — Check Latest Values, trend charts, and diagnostic metrics.
- UNS Explorer Navigation — Find your device in the ISA-95 hierarchy and confirm published topics.
After completing: You should see your device data in the UNS tree under the correct Enterprise/Site/Area path.
Understand data quality (15 min)
- Data Quality & Metrics — Learn the 5 dimensions that Proxus tracks for every device.
Key question to answer: If your device's Data Freshness score drops to 60%, what does that mean and what should you check first?
Set up your first automation rule (20 min)
- Rules Engine Overview — How the rule evaluation pipeline works.
- Visual Editor — Create a rule without code.
- Alerts — Configure the action that fires when a rule triggers.
Suggested exercise: Create a rule that triggers when Temperature exceeds 75°C and sends an alert.
Troubleshoot common issues (10 min)
- Gateway Issues — What to check when a gateway disconnects.
- Protocol Issues — Address formatting, timeout settings, and connection errors.
Keep this bookmarked for when you add production devices.
Where to Go Next
After completing this path, consider: