If you highlight the Topics node, you can define the topics that are sent to the broker. Different formats are available, depending on the information required for subscribers.

Buttons for the configuration of the topics:

Note
	Use <Shift> and <Ctrl> to select multiple cells and copy/paste/delete them.

If you select JSON as data format, you can set whether digital signals are sent as 1/0 or true/false.

You can reduce the amount of data to be transmitted if you enable the Send only changed values option.

The Compact JSON format option also reduces the amount of data transmitted and removes filler characters, such as multiple spaces, line breaks, etc., from the telegram.

The fields to the right show the number of active topics and active signals.

For the text format, a period or comma can be selected as floating point separator.

Meaning of the columns:

Active

Here you enable/disable writing to a topic.

Name

Enter an unambiguous name for the topic here.

Metadata

If you chose one of the JSON formats as the data format for the topic, you can choose metadata in the drop-down menu that is saved with the topic.

Available for selection are: Unit, comment 1 + 2, timestamp, signal name, signal ID, identifier. Select the desired metadata with a check mark.

Signal reference

In the drop-down menu, select whether the signal ID or the signal name should be used as a signal reference.

Data format

Choose a data format in the drop-down menu:

• Single value as text: A single signal is written under this topic into the broker and formatted as plain text.

• Single value as binary: A single signal is written under this topic into the broker and saved in binary format.

• JSON (per signal): An individual signal is written under this topic as a JSON-formatted line into the broker and provided with optional metadata.

• JSON (grouped): Several signals are written under this topic as a JSON-formatted line into the broker and provided with optional metadata.

• Protobuf (grouped): Multiple values are written into a block, starting with a timestamp. The time base is defined by the profile used. Optionally, metadata can be selected. The metadata timestamp and identifier cannot be selected because they are a fixed part of the protobuf definition.

  The Protobuf definition file, which can be used for decoding the values, is installed with the ibaPDA server under: C:\Program Files (x86)\iba\ibaPDA\Server\AuxiliaryFiles\Protobuf\ibaPDA_data.proto

Examples for the description of the data formats JSON (per signal) and JSON (grouped) can be found in Description of the data formats.

Combine values (ms)

For JSON and Protobuf data formats, multiple values can be combined over a period of time in one message.

If you enter a value greater than 0 in the Combine Values (ms) column, data from that time period is written to the message. A value of 0 disables this function.

Retain

If you enable this option, the messages in this topic are stored on the broker until they are overwritten.

Signals

In order to configure the signals that are to be written in a topic to configure, select the topic in the structure tree or click on the <...> button in the Signals column.

In the following dialog, you assign the desired signals to the Topics using the storage profiles. See chapter Signal selection.