companion-specs.md

Companion Specifications

Load Companion Specifications

• Companion Specifications files can be downloaded from https://github.com/OPCFoundation/UA-Nodeset
• Add them to FactoryTalk Optix in one of these paths (make sure to replace your username or the proper FactoryTalk Optix setup folder):
  • C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Rockwell Automation\FactoryTalk Optix\CompanionSpecifications
  • C:\Program Files\Rockwell Automation\FactoryTalk Optix\Studio <version number>\CompanionSpecifications
• Restart the IDE after adding files to one of those paths to load new files
  • Check the FactoryTalk Optix output if any error was reported after loading the files

Note

Companion specifications can only be loaded at design time, so the XML files need to be added before starting the IDE.

Create an instance of a Companion Specs type

Please make sure the proper XML file was added to FactoryTalk Optix before starting the script

We will load an instance of the BlockType object from the DI specifications, the XML relevant part is:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
    <UANodeSet LastModified="2023-04-13T14:49:52.318Z" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns="http://opcfoundation.org/UA/2011/03/UANodeSet.xsd" xmlns:uax="http://opcfoundation.org/UA/2008/02/Types.xsd" xmlns:si="http://www.siemens.com/OPCUA/2017/SimaticNodeSetExtensions" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:s1="http://opcfoundation.org/UA/Machinery/ProcessValues/Types.xsd" xmlns:s2="http://opcfoundation.org/UA/PADIM/Types.xsd" xmlns:ua="http://unifiedautomation.com/Configuration/NodeSet.xsd">
    <NamespaceUris>
        <Uri>http://opcfoundation.org/UA/DI/</Uri>
    </NamespaceUris>

...

    <UAObjectType IsAbstract="true" NodeId="ns=1;i=1003" BrowseName="1:BlockType">
        <DisplayName>BlockType</DisplayName>
        <Description>Adds the concept of Blocks needed for block-oriented FieldDevices</Description>
        <Documentation>https://reference.opcfoundation.org/v105/DI/v103/docs/4.11</Documentation>
        <References>
            <Reference ReferenceType="HasSubtype" IsForward="false">ns=1;i=1001</Reference>
            <Reference ReferenceType="HasProperty">ns=1;i=6009</Reference>
            <Reference ReferenceType="HasProperty">ns=1;i=6010</Reference>
            <Reference ReferenceType="HasProperty">ns=1;i=6011</Reference>
            <Reference ReferenceType="HasProperty">ns=1;i=6012</Reference>
            <Reference ReferenceType="HasProperty">ns=1;i=6013</Reference>
        </References>
    </UAObjectType>
    
...

From the XML we can see that the numeric identifier for the BlockType is 1003, now in FactoryTalk Optix we need to read the NameSpaceIndex. We will also need the NamespaceUri for that CompanionSpecs, in this case is http://opcfoundation.org/UA/DI/

[ExportMethod]
public void CreateCompanionSpecsInstance()
{
    Log.Info("Create Companion Specs NetLogic", "Searching NameSpaceIndex for companion spec");
    // Get the NameSpaceIndex URI from the XML file
    var nameSpaceIndex = LogicObject.Context.GetNamespaceIndex("http://opcfoundation.org/UA/DI/");
    if (nameSpaceIndex == -1 || nameSpaceIndex == null)
    {
        Log.Error("Create Companion Specs NetLogic", "NameSpaceIndex not found, make sure the CompanionSpecification was properly loaded");
        return;
    }
    else
    {
        Log.Info("Create Companion Specs NetLogic", "NameSpaceIndex found: " + nameSpaceIndex);
    }
    // The ID of the Type we want to add is 1003 - we can get this value from the specs XML file
    var companionSpecsTypeNodeId = new NodeId(nameSpaceIndex, 1003);
    // Create an instance of the element
    Log.Info("Create Companion Specs NetLogic", "Type definition NodeId: " + companionSpecsTypeNodeId);
    var instanceName = InformationModel.Get(companionSpecsTypeNodeId).BrowseName + "Instance";
    var companionSpecsInstance = InformationModel.MakeObject(instanceName, companionSpecsTypeNodeId);
    Project.Current.Get($"Model/{instanceName}")?.Delete();
    // Optional, set a value to a children variable set as "optional" in the CompanionSpecs
    // companionSpecsInstance.GetOrCreateVariable("RevisionCounter").Value = 100;
    Project.Current.Get("Model").Add(companionSpecsInstance);
    Log.Info("Create Companion Specs NetLogic", $"Companion Specs instance \"{instanceName}\" created and added to the model");
}