Counts Widget
Summary
The counts widget is used to visualize numeric data that represents discrete events or quantities over time. Common examples would include machine cycles (e.g., cuts or presses), flow meter pulses, or part counts from proximity sensors. This widget is typically used with data from dry contact switches, digital inputs, or PLCs. Data is displayed as both a bar chart (aggregated by time) and a timestamped text table for analysis.
Examples at a glance
Counting the number of times a switch is flipped each day, using 'Sample Count' type in configuration. Additional detail for the current day is shown via mouse hover, corresponding to the topmost row in the data table.
Common applications
- Track machine cycles to monitor output and compare activity across shifts.
- Measure the number of parts moving through a packaging line in hourly intervals.
- Visualize cumulative roller or flow meter data to estimate material usage over time.
Configuration options
Hover over a widget and click the Configure Widget button (
) to control which tags to include and how data should be handled, such as defining the amount of data to display or scaling up subtle signals to make them easier to use. Once you have selected the tags to be shown, click ‘Next’ to configure data handling options using the properties below.
| Property | Options | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Time Frame | Determine the time window of data to be displayed in the widget. | |
| Moving | Continuously update the current view with the most recent data. | |
| Fixed | Display data within a fixed time window, established from a specific date and time. | |
| Refresh Interval | Determines the frequency with which the widget will refresh the displayed data. Set longer refresh times for widgets that are not checked often. | |
| Auto | Sets the refresh rate automatically, based on the incoming signal. | |
| Set | Specify a refresh rate in seconds, minutes, or hours. | |
| Count Type | Determines how the widget interprets incoming values to calculate event totals over time. | |
| Sample Count | Count the number of times the tag reports a value. Use with binary inputs like buttons or digital states. Use the ‘Match If Value’ field to specify which incoming values should be counted. | |
| Sum | Add together the values received during the time window. Use with flow meters or other tags that report a quantity per sample. Use the ‘Match If Value’ field to filter which values are included in the sum. | |
| Cumulative Sum | Calculate the difference between start and end values to show total change over the selected time range. Use with data values that increase continuously over time. | |
| Scale and Offset | Modify the raw data to either scale up the value by a multiplier, or offset the value by a fixed amount. Used to convert units (eg, watts to kW), or to correlate data streams with drastically different scales (eg, °F vs vibrations per second). | |
| Raw | No adjustment. | |
| Custom | Specify a scale factor and/or offset amount. |