Configuration
The agent has two configuration tracks that you work through in order:
- Collect data — connect the agent to your industrial devices.
- Forward data — decide where that data goes.
Each track is a short sequence of steps. You can configure as many devices and destinations as you need, and you can add or remove them at any time without restarting the agent.
Part 1 — Collecting Data
The agent collects data by polling endpoints. An endpoint is a connection to a single industrial device or system. You add one endpoint per device, pick its protocol, and set how often to read from it.
Step 1 — Add an Endpoint
Go to Endpoints in the sidebar and click Add Endpoint.
- Give the endpoint a name that identifies the physical device — for example
Boiler Room ModbusorHVAC OPC-UA Controller. - Select the protocol your device uses.
- Fill in the connection details (host, port, URL, serial port — these vary by protocol).
- Set the poll interval. The default is 5,000 ms (every 5 seconds). Lower it for faster-changing values; raise it for slow sensors to reduce load.
- Click Add Endpoint.
The agent connects to the device immediately and begins collecting readings. Each reading has a metric name, a value, and a timestamp.
Supported Source Protocols
| Protocol | Use When |
|---|---|
| Modbus TCP | Device is on Ethernet and speaks Modbus. Common for power meters, PLCs, VFDs, and sensors. |
| Modbus RTU | Device is connected via RS-485 or RS-232 serial. |
| OPC-UA | Modern SCADA systems, Siemens S7 PLCs, and any OPC-UA server. |
| BACnet | HVAC controllers, VAV boxes, thermostats, and building automation systems. |
| MQTT (source) | A device or system that already publishes data to an MQTT broker. The agent subscribes to it. |
| SNMP | Network equipment, environmental monitors, and UPS systems. |
| CAN Bus | Automotive or heavy equipment ECUs connected via a CAN interface. |
You can mix protocols freely. Each endpoint runs its own adapter — ten Modbus devices run as ten independent adapters, and a problem with one does not affect the others.
Step 2 — Discover Devices (Optional)
Instead of entering connection details manually, you can let the agent scan your network.
Click Discover next to the Add Endpoint button. The discovery engine probes the local network for Modbus, OPC-UA, BACnet, and MQTT devices and presents what it finds for review. You can then add discovered devices with a single click.
You can also set up discovery rules (under Discovery in the sidebar) to run scans automatically on a schedule — useful when devices are added to your facility over time.
See Discovery for a full walkthrough.
Part 2 — Forwarding Data
Once data is flowing in from your endpoints, you route it outbound in two steps: create a destination, then create a subscription that connects endpoint data to that destination.
Step 1 — Create a Destination
Go to Destinations in the sidebar and click New Destination.
A destination is a named, persistent connection to a service — an MQTT broker, a time-series database, or a cloud IoT platform. The agent maintains one connection per destination and reuses it for all subscriptions that point to it.
Give it a recognisable name (for example Local Mosquitto or Azure Production Hub), select the type, and fill in the connection details.
Supported Destination Types
| Type | Best For |
|---|---|
| MQTT | Any MQTT broker — local Mosquitto, a managed cloud broker, or a self-hosted instance. |
| InfluxDB | InfluxDB v2 for time-series storage, Grafana dashboards, and long-term metrics. |
| Azure IoT Hub | Routing data into Azure via a device connection string. |
| AWS IoT Core | Routing data into AWS using X.509 device certificates. |
| GCP IoT Core | Routing data into Google Cloud via a service account key. |
You can have multiple destinations of the same type — for example a local Mosquitto broker and a cloud MQTT broker simultaneously.
Step 2 — Create a Subscription
Go to Subscriptions in the sidebar and click New Subscription.
A subscription is a routing rule: it says "take data from this source protocol and send it to this destination, in this format, on this topic."
| Field | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Source | Which endpoint protocol to pull from (Modbus, OPC-UA, BACnet, etc.) |
| Destination | Which destination to send to |
| Payload format | How the data is serialised — JSON, tag/field pairs (InfluxDB line protocol), or ECP (Sparkplug-compatible) |
| Topic / Measurement | The MQTT topic to publish on, or the InfluxDB measurement name |
| Source filter | Optionally restrict to a specific device or metric |
| Compression | Optional payload compression before sending |
The agent begins routing data as soon as you save the subscription. You can have multiple subscriptions from the same source — for example, sending Modbus data to both a local MQTT broker and InfluxDB simultaneously.
See Subscriptions for the full field reference.
Supported Protocols Reference
Global Standards
| Protocol | Variants | Typical Devices |
|---|---|---|
| Modbus | TCP, RTU (serial) | Power meters, VFDs, PLCs, sensors |
| OPC-UA | — | SCADA servers, Siemens S7, modern PLCs |
Building Automation
| Protocol | Typical Devices |
|---|---|
| BACnet | HVAC controllers, VAV boxes, thermostats, lighting panels |
Infrastructure & Networks
| Protocol | Typical Devices |
|---|---|
| SNMP v1/v2c | Switches, routers, UPS systems, environmental monitors |
| MQTT (source) | Any device that already publishes to a broker |
Industrial Bus
| Protocol | Typical Devices |
|---|---|
| CAN Bus | Automotive ECUs, heavy equipment, industrial actuators |
End-to-End Example
Here is a minimal working configuration: a Modbus power meter sending data to a local MQTT broker.
1. Add an endpoint
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Power Meter 1 |
| Protocol | Modbus TCP |
| Host | 192.168.1.55 |
| Port | 502 |
| Poll interval | 5000 ms |
2. Add a destination
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Local Mosquitto |
| Type | MQTT |
| Host | 127.0.0.1 |
| Port | 1883 |
3. Add a subscription
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Source | Modbus |
| Destination | Local Mosquitto |
| Payload format | JSON |
| Topic | factory/power/meter1 |
Readings from the power meter now arrive on factory/power/meter1 as JSON every 5 seconds. Add more endpoints and subscriptions following the same pattern.
Related Docs
- Endpoints — full connection reference for each protocol
- Destinations — connection settings for each destination type
- Subscriptions — payload formats, topic routing, and filters
- Discovery — auto-scan your network for devices
- Quick Start — first-time setup walkthrough