Basic architecture
Mqtt Plugin provides many features that is not exist in any Mqtt Client beside the extra features that will be provided from the BMS Server itself.
- Subscribe to the Broker or many Brokers simultaneously.
- Get the Published messages from different topic.
- Publish messages from BMS Server other fieldbus technologies (KNX, . . ) through MQTT broker to other subscribed Clients.
- Add those info to the Server
Mqtt Plugin will allow the BMS Server to act like Mqtt Client. BMS Server will be able to connect not only to one Mqtt Server at one time, but also will be able to many Mqtt Server simultaneously. And subscribe to different Topic from those Servers at the same time.
Integration steps
After installing the Plugin, a new Menu under Modules will be added. This menu is corresponding with the configuration of the MQTT Plugin in the BMS Server
Adding a Broker:
Adding a Broker in BMS Server by choosing Broker menu. Broker Definitions tab will show up.
Definitions table allows to add as many Brokers as wanted.
Mqtt Broker handle two types of Brokers:
- Secure Broker (TLS)
- Non-Secure Broker
Secure Broker: TLS and SSL are cryptographic Protocols which provide a handshake mechanism to arrange different parameters to make a safe connection between the Client and the Server.
MQTT depends on TCP transport protocol, which implies the connection does not use an encryption. To encrypt the MQTT communication, MQTT brokers like Mosquitto permit to use TLS rather than plain TCP. Adding username and password fields of the MQTT Broker definition for authentication and authorization.
Port 8883 is for a secured MQTT connection, but this can be changed based on Broker configuration File.
In BMS Server adding a Secure Broker can be easily done.
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
Name | The given name of the Broker in BMS Server |
Path | The generated Path in Item Tree |
IP address | The IP address of the Broker |
Auto-Reconnect | The Reconnect time interval for the BMS Server to try to connect to the Broker if the Connection lost. |
Port | Port number |
Client ID | The Client ID that will be used at Broker |
Client username | If the Broker requires Authentication with a Username and a Password. |
Client Password | If the Broker requires Authentication with a Username and a Password. |
TLS[] | Enable/Disable TLS Connection to the Server |
TLS Version | Support many versions of TLS Connections. |
*CA -Cer[] | Certificate name |
CA-Password | Password for Certificate for self-signed Certificates. |
Certificate: The Certificate should be saved in DataFile Folder in the current Workspace, and it is enough to provide only the name of the certificate without the full path.
Non-Secure Broker:
Non-secure Broker supports only a TCP plain connection between Client and the Broker. To configure a non-secure Broker in BMS Server the IP Address and the Port usually 1883 is used.
After configuring the Broker, changes must be saved and the BMS Server needs to be restarted.
Adding a Datapoint:
In Broker definitions we added the connection configuration. But those Brokers should be represented in the BMS Server, and this Connections representation in BMS Server done by creating a Datapoint or many Datapoints for each of the Brokers. This Datapoint will make this Broker interactive and reachable in BMS Server. This Reachability will also allow other Datapoints form other Automation System like KNX or BACnet to interact with this Broker.
Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
Name | Should be the same as defined Broker Name in Broker definitions |
Path | Should be the same as defined Broker Path in Broker definitions |
Topic | The topic of subscription |
Data type | Data type of the Value BMS has two data types: REAL or String |
Port | Port number |
Access mode | Read, Read and Write or Write. |
Persistent | This parameter specifies whether the value of the datapoint is persistent (restored from the database after server start up) or not. |
Historical | This parameter specifies whether historical values of the datapoint are stored within the database or not. |
Synchronize | If this parameter is set to “True (T)”, the value is synchronized between the main and backup server (if present). |
