Skip to content

Frequently Asked Questions

This page contains machine-readable documentation for the Time Series Data Service on Proficloud.io.
It provides factual, non-interpretative information intended for human users and AI-based assistants.
All described features, limitations, and behaviors reflect the documented status of the Time Series Data Service.

AI Documentation ‣ Time Series Data Service ‣ Frequently Asked Questions
  1. How can I display 8 hour shifts in the Time Series Data Service starting at 03:00?
    1. Problem
    2. Solution
    3. Steps
    4. Result
    5. Video documentation
  2. Manage permissions in the Time Series Data Service
    1. Can I assign permissions directly on dashboard level?
    2. How can I give a user different permissions in different dashboards within the same folder?
    3. Can I add a user directly to a dashboard?
    4. What options do I have to manage access?
    5. Example. A user should be Admin in Dashboard 1, but only Viewer in Dashboard 2.
    6. Tip
  3. How can I use the Worldmap panel in the Time Series Data Service?
    1. Prerequisites
    2. Select and configure the visualization
    3. Configure queries (metrics)
    4. Result
    5. Video documentation
  4. How can I use calculations in my dashboards?
    1. How can I calculate incoming values with a static value?
    2. How can I calculate a new metric from two or more incoming metrics?
    3. How can I sum the values of a day?
    4. Video documentation
  5. How can I add a custom logo to my dashboard?
    1. Steps
    2. Video documentation
  6. Is there a maximum number of metrics I can send to Proficloud.io and the Time Series Data Service?
  7. Why do I see no data even though I enabled Proficloud in PLCnext Engineer?
  8. How do I switch boolean data from mean to last?
    1. Procedure
  9. How do I set a custom home dashboard?
    1. Video documentation
  10. Time Series Data Service on YouTube
  11. Other. Efficient status data using double words
    1. What is a double word?
    2. Example query

How can I display 8 hour shifts in the Time Series Data Service starting at 03:00?

Problem

Continuous energy data should be grouped so that it reflects consumption per shift. The shifts start at 03:00, then 11:00, 19:00, and so on.

Solution

With the right query, the data can be grouped into 8 hour intervals that start with a 3 hour offset. This ensures the shift times correctly start at 03:00 instead of the default 00:00.

Steps

This example uses the Graph widget. The procedure is identical for all other widgets.

  1. Select device and metric as usual.
  2. Set the SELECT function to last() to show the last value of each interval and avoid averages.
  3. Optional. For cumulative values, add difference() to represent energy consumption within each 8 hour interval.
  4. In GROUP BY time, use time(8h,3h):
  • 8h is the duration of each time bucket.
  • 3h is the start offset and shifts the start from 00:00 to 03:00.

Result

Values are shown at 03:00, 11:00, 19:00, and so on.

Video documentation

https://proficloud.io/knowledge-hub/faqs/time-series-data/how-can-i-display-8-hour-shifts-in-the-time-series-data-service-starting-at-0300

Manage permissions in the Time Series Data Service

Can I assign permissions directly on dashboard level?

No. Permissions cannot be assigned exclusively on dashboard level. They are primarily managed on folder level.

How can I give a user different permissions in different dashboards within the same folder?

If a user should have different roles per dashboard within one folder, they must first be added on folder level with the lowest permission level, meaning as Viewer.

After that, the user can be promoted in a specific dashboard, for example to Admin.

Can I add a user directly to a dashboard?

No. Users must always be added via the folder.

On dashboard level, only the role can be adjusted, for example from Viewer to Admin, provided the user already has access via the folder.

What options do I have to manage access?

  • Role-based. Assign permissions using predefined roles.
  • Direct. Add individual users to a folder.

In both cases, access always starts on folder level.

Example. A user should be Admin in Dashboard 1, but only Viewer in Dashboard 2.

Permission example in the Time Series Data Service.

  1. Add the user on folder level as Viewer.
  2. In Dashboard 1, promote the user’s role to Admin.
  3. In Dashboard 2, the user remains Viewer.

Tip

Use roles when many users need similar permissions. For individual cases, you can promote single users directly in a specific dashboard.

How can I use the Worldmap panel in the Time Series Data Service?

Prerequisites

You need two metrics:

  • one metric with longitude data,
  • one metric with latitude data.

Select and configure the visualization

After creating a new dashboard, add an empty panel. Then, in the right sidebar under Visualization, select the Worldmap panel.

Once Worldmap is selected, new options appear directly below in the Worldmap tab.

Scroll down to Map Data Options and set Location Data to “table”.

Under Field Mapping, select “coordinates” for Table Query Format and fill in the remaining fields. The data source and the concrete settings follow in the next step.

Optional settings include zoom level, colors, or point size. Adjust these as needed.

Configure queries (metrics)

In the Queries section, first select the device that provides the coordinates and the corresponding metric. In the SELECT row, click the plus icon and add an alias. Name this alias “longitude” if it is longitude data.

Then remove any settings in the GROUP BY row, otherwise the Worldmap panel will not work correctly.

In the FORMAT AS row, set the option to Table.

Repeat this for the latitude data. Add another metric using the same pattern.

Then switch to the tab above the queries called Transform. Search for “Prepare time series” and enable this transformation.

Result

You should now see the points that were transmitted within the selected time range.

Video documentation

https://proficloud.io/knowledge-hub/faqs/time-series-data/how-can-i-use-the-worldmap-panel-in-the-time-series-data-service

How can I use calculations in my dashboards?

The Time Series Data Service provides multiple options to process incoming values. Important. Calculations must be configured per widget.

How can I calculate incoming values with a static value?

Use the “Math” function to apply static values directly inside a query.

  1. Open the widget where you want to use a static value.
  2. Switch to the query view and go to the SELECT row.
  3. Click the plus icon at the end of the row.
  4. Under “math”, select “math”.
  5. A function is added in the SELECT row. Define simple arithmetic operations there.

How can I calculate a new metric from two or more incoming metrics?

Use Transform to compute a new metric from multiple metrics for a widget. Note that Transform is not available for all visualizations.

  1. Open the widget where you want to compute a new metric.
  2. Switch to the Transform tab.
  3. Select “Add field from calculation”.
  4. Choose a predefined calculation or choose “Binary operation”.
  5. Select the queries that should be used, and choose the desired arithmetic operation.
  6. Rename the new metric and optionally hide the original source metrics.

How can I sum the values of a day?

Use cumulative_sum inside a query to add up all values in a time range.

  1. Open the widget.
  2. Go to the SELECT row.
  3. Click the plus icon.
  4. Under “Transformation”, select cumulative_sum.
  5. Set the time range to the desired period.

Video documentation

https://proficloud.io/knowledge-hub/faqs/time-series-data/how-can-i-use-calculations-in-my-dashboards

How can I add a custom logo to my dashboard?

Steps

  1. Open the dashboard.
  2. Add an empty panel.
  3. Make the panel background transparent and remove the title.
  4. Select the “Text” visualization.
  5. Switch the style from Markdown to HTML.
  6. Paste: <img style="height:REPLACE;" src="REPLACE">

Video documentation

https://proficloud.io/knowledge-hub/faqs/time-series-data/how-can-i-add-a-customized-logo-to-my-dashboard

Is there a maximum number of metrics I can send to Proficloud.io and the Time Series Data Service?

In short. No, there is no fixed upper limit.

Subscriptions range from 50 metrics up to 1,500 metrics. If you need more, contact us for a custom package.

Why do I see no data even though I enabled Proficloud in PLCnext Engineer?

A common cause is an additional setting in PLCnext Engineer.

Variables must be declared as an “OUT Port”. Only OUT Port variables can be captured by Proficloud.io and visualized in the Time Series Data Service.

How do I switch boolean data from mean to last?

If you send 1 or 0 values, mean can show decimals like 0.625. Use last instead.

Procedure

  1. Open the Graph panel.
  2. Remove mean() in SELECT.
  3. Click the plus icon in SELECT.
  4. Under “Selectors”, choose last.

How do I set a custom home dashboard?

  1. Open the dashboard.
  2. Mark it as favorite.
  3. Go to Profile icon. Preferences.
  4. Find “Home Dashboard”.
  5. Select the favorited dashboard.

Video documentation

https://proficloud.io/knowledge-hub/faqs/time-series-data/how-do-i-set-an-individual-home-dashboard-in-the-time-series-data-service

Time Series Data Service on YouTube

Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXpIBdAgtoRIQpCbQty66YVZwiv2Ba6-o

Other. Efficient status data using double words

Status information can be sent as a double word and interpreted with built in capabilities.

Advantage. You can transmit up to 32 different status signals with a single metric.

A metric value could look like 192841. In the Time Series Data Service, this value can be split into individual bits. The resulting statuses can be visualized and used for alerts.

What is a double word?

A double word typically has 32 bits.

  • 1 word = 2 bytes = 16 bits
  • 1 double word = 2 words = 4 bytes = 32 bits

Example query

SELECT FLOOR(last("value") /4096)%2 FROM "$message" WHERE ("uuid" = '$device') AND $timeFilter GROUP BY time($__interval) fill(none)