MCP Designer Context

Purpose

This document provides essential knowledge for AI assistants working with ProView DS Designer through MCP (Model Context Protocol). It should be loaded at the start of each session.

What is ProView DS?

ProView DS is an industrial automation platform for building SCADA/HMI applications. It provides:

• Designer — Windows application for configuration (what you're connected to via MCP)
• Runtime — Cross-platform execution engine (Windows, Linux, Web, Mobile)
• Solution files — SQLite databases (.dbSLN) containing all configuration

The Four Pillars Architecture

ProView DS organizes functionality into four pillars:

Object Model Summary

Hierarchy Pattern

All modules follow a three-level pattern:

• Module Container
  • Collection Table (plural name)
    • Object Instance (singular name)

Object Types by Module

UNS (Data Foundation)

Devices (Industrial Operations)

Alarms (Industrial Operations)

Historian (Industrial Operations)

Datasets (Business Operations)

Scripts (Business Operations)

Reports (Business Operations)

Security (Operator Interface)

Displays (Operator Interface)

Pre-defined Objects

These objects exist in every new solution:

Dependencies (What Requires What)

Runtime Namespace Syntax

By Context

Server vs Client Domain

Tag Types

JSON Format for Creating Objects

Use the standard JSON export format for import. The import process ignores metadata sections (ObjectIdentification, VersionInfo, ExportMetadata) and auto-generated fields (ID, DateCreated, DateModified, etc.).

Create Tags

json

{
  "ObjectIdentification": {
    "TableType": "UnsTags"
  },
  "Data": [
    {
      "Name": "Temperature",
      "Type": 153,
      "Path": "\\Line1\\Tank1",
      "Description": "Tank temperature",
      "Min": "0",
      "Max": "100",
      "Units": "°C"
    },
    {
      "Name": "MotorRunning",
      "Type": 151,
      "Path": "\\Line1",
      "Description": "Motor status"
    }
  ]
}

Tag Type Values: 151=Digital, 152=Integer, 153=Double, 154=Text, 155=DateTime, 156=Long, 157=Decimal, 158=TimeSpan, 162=Timer, 163=Counter, or UserType ID.

Create Channel and Node

json

{
  "ObjectIdentification": {
    "TableType": "DevicesChannels"
  },
  "Data": [
    {
      "Name": "ModbusPLC1",
      "Protocol": "ModbusTCP",
      "Description": "Main PLC"
    }
  ]
}

json

{
  "ObjectIdentification": {
    "TableType": "DevicesNodes"
  },
  "Data": [
    {
      "Name": "PLC1",
      "Channel": "Channel.ModbusPLC1",
      "PrimaryStation": "192.168.1.10:502"
    }
  ]
}

Create Alarm Items

json

{
  "ObjectIdentification": {
    "TableType": "AlarmsItems"
  },
  "Data": [
    {
      "TagName": "Tag.Line1.Tank1.Temperature",
      "Group": "Alarm.Group.Critical",
      "Condition": 0,
      "Setpoint": "100",
      "Message": "Temperature critical high!"
    }
  ]
}

Create Historian Tags

json

{
  "ObjectIdentification": {
    "TableType": "HistorianTags"
  },
  "Data": [
    {
      "TagName": "Tag.Line1.Tank1.Temperature",
      "Table": "Historian.Table.Table1"
    }
  ]
}

Create Script Task

json

{
  "ObjectIdentification": {
    "TableType": "ScriptsTasks"
  },
  "Data": {
    "Name": "StartupTask",
    "Code": 2,
    "Domain": 0,
    "InitialState": 1,
    "Description": "System initialization",
    "Contents": "CSharp\r\n@Tag.SystemReady = true;\r\n@Tag.StartupTime = DateTime.Now;\r\n"
  }
}

Code Values: 0=VB.NET, 2=C#, 4=Python

Create Dataset Query

json

{
  "ObjectIdentification": {
    "TableType": "DatasetsQueries"
  },
  "Data": {
    "Name": "GetAlarms",
    "DB": "DB.AlarmHistorian",
    "Contents": "SQL\r\nSELECT * FROM Alarms WHERE Timestamp > {Tag.StartTime}\r\n"
  }
}

Reference Format

When referencing objects in JSON, use runtime path format:

Common Workflows

1. Connect to PLC and Read Data

1. Create Channel (select protocol)
2. Create Node (set device address)
3. Create Tags for data points
4. Create Points (map tags to addresses)

2. Connect to MQTT Broker (TagProvider - Recommended)

1. Create TagProvider with MQTT connection
2. Topics auto-discovered under provider namespace
3. Access as Tag.{ProviderName}.{topic.path}
4. Optionally create AssetTree folders for organization

TagProvider JSON:

json

{
  "ObjectIdentification": {"TableType": "UnsTagProviders"},
  "Data": [{
    "Name": "ProductionMQTT",
    "Protocol": "MQTT",
    "PrimaryStation": "mqtt.factory.local;1883;ClientID;;;;;None;False;;AtLeastOnce;10;False;False;",
    "Separators": "BranchSeparator=/;AttributeSeparator=/;",
    "Description": "Production MQTT broker"
  }]
}

3. Connect to MQTT Broker (Device Module - Explicit)

1. Create Tags for data points
2. Create Channel with MQTT protocol
3. Create Node with broker address
4. Create Points mapping tags to topics

4. Add Alarms to Tags

1. Ensure Tags exist
2. Create AlarmItems referencing Tags and Groups
3. Optionally create custom AlarmGroup first

5. Log Tags to Historian

1. Ensure Tags exist
2. Create HistorianTag entries (use pre-defined Table1)

6. Bulk Operations Pattern

1. Use search_tags to select tags by criteria
2. Use add_tags_to_historian, add_tags_to_alarms, or create_device_points

MCP Tools Available

Best Practices

Do

• Use descriptive Tag names and descriptions
• Organize Tags in path hierarchy (\Area\Equipment\Point)
• Use UserTypes for repeated structures (Motors, Valves, Tanks)
• Use pre-defined AlarmGroups (Critical, Warning) when appropriate
• Use pre-defined HistorianTable (Table1) for simple logging
• Verify references exist before creating dependent objects

Don't

• Create Tags without meaningful names
• Hardcode device addresses in multiple places
• Create duplicate alarm items for same tag/condition
• Forget to set alarm messages
• Leave descriptions empty in production projects

Error Handling

When operations fail, errors indicate:

• Missing required fields
• Invalid references (with list of valid options)
• Duplicate names (for create operations)
• Permission issues

Example error:

json

{
  "success": false,
  "error": "Channel 'PLC99' does not exist. Available: ModbusPLC1, ControlLogix1"
}

Documentation Links

Key Reference Pages

• Object Model Quick Reference — Complete object reference with TableTypes and Type IDs
• JSON Import/Export Specification — Detailed JSON format and field reference
• Git Integration and Export Reference — Version control and export configuration

Module References

• Unified Namespace Reference
• Devices Module Reference
• Alarms Module Reference
• Historian Module Reference
• Scripts Module Reference
• Datasets Module Reference
• Security Module Reference
• Displays Module Reference