Tag Properties by category

Each set of tag properties is organized by category. In this article, we will define each category, list the properties it contains, and explain their application.

Standard Properties

Standard Properties are labels that make it easier to identify a tag and the kind of data it is sending.

• Name: Replace the internal tag ID with a custom tag name throughout the MyStacks front-end.
• Units: Display this unit in certain visualizations, such as vertical axis of line charts.

Numeric Measurement Properties

Numeric Measurement Properties control how much data gets passed to a widget to be displayed, and make adjustments to scale or smooth data.

• Moving Average Window: Set the size of the window to determine the degree of data smoothing to reduce data noise. 
• Minimum / Maximum: Set the minimum and maximum values that will be passed to a widget. 
• Scale Factor: Scale incoming data values up by a multiplier.
• Offset: Offset incoming data values by a fixed +/- amount. Note that offset is added after any scale factor is applied.

Range Properties

Range Properties define ranges of values to establish visual thresholds in the Datapoint, Gauge, and Line Chart widgets. Exact rendering behavior differs among these widgets.

• Notify High: Define the threshold between  ‘Green’ and ‘Blue’ status. Values below the Notify threshold will be displayed in green. 
• Warning High: Define the threshold between ‘Blue’ and ‘Yellow’ status. Values between Notify and Warning will be displayed in blue. 
• Critical High: Define the threshold between ‘Yellow’ and ‘Red status. Values between Warning and Critical will be displayed in yellow. Values above Critical will be displayed in red.

Asset Properties

Asset Properties allow you to enter any internal asset identifiers that may exist in your organization, to help document which device this tag is monitoring.

• Asset ID: An ID that may be used in your organization. 
• Equipment Class: A category that may be used in your organization.

States Properties

States Properties define the mapping of raw data to semantically meaningful ‘states,’ defined by upper and lower boundary values. For clarity, the example below has three states already created.  Use the ‘Add State’ button to create another row, or the X button under Actions to delete a row.

To begin editing states, first uncheck the checkbox at the bottom of the screenshot. This extra confirmation is required because changing these parameters only takes effect at the date and time of the change, which can cause confusion when comparing data from before and after changes (for example, using two different definitions of ‘On’). Please contact Interstacks if you need past data recalculated using updated parameters.

• Series type: Change this setting to accommodate either a continuous (analog) or discrete (digital) data series. Switching from Continuous to Discrete will hide or disable irrelevant UI elements until the setting is switched back; No entered data will be lost while a field is disabled.
• Color for Missing/Unclassified Data: Set the color to be displayed in gaps when data is missing, or does not match any defined state.
• Minimum Duration for Missing/Unclassified Data: Set how many seconds to wait before data is assigned as missing/unclassified. Use to smooth over expected levels of signal noise.
• State Label: Set the label that will be used on the X axis or legend in data visualizations.
• Lower / Upper Bound: Set the ranges within which data will be defined to be in a given state.
• Min. Duration: Set how many seconds data must be in a given range before entering  a state. Use to smooth over expected levels of signal noise.
• Color: Set the color with which to render a state on the dashboard.

Counts Properties

Compiles a count or accumulation of tag values over a defined time window. Three count types are available: Sum, Sample, and Difference.

To edit the counts duration, first uncheck the checkbox at the bottom of the screenshot. This extra confirmation is required because changing this parameter only takes effect at the date and time of the change, which can cause confusion when comparing data from before and after changes. Please contact Interstacks if you need past data recalculated using updated parameters.

• Sum: Adds together the values received during the time window. Use with flow meters or other tags that report a quantity per sample.
• Sample: Counts the number of times the tag reports any value. Use with binary inputs like buttons or digital state changes.
• Difference: Calculates the difference between the start and end value of the time window to show total change over time. Use with tags that increase continuously and never reset, such as a totalizing meter.

Calculated Values

Calculated Value Tags (CVTs) let you create new data feeds by applying mathematical calculations to one or more existing tags. While States and Counts are the most common examples and have dedicated controls above, this feature allows you to create specialized CVTs for your specific workflows. Example applications and detailed instructions are available in the Understanding Calculated Tags article.