Define Template

A template is a pre-defined structure required to manage devices and their associated properties. The structure helps you to provision your IoT system to take care of the entire device management system with the seamless data flow.

IoT connect template feature will help you with the following:

Add and manage devices.
Assign rules to each device.
Define associated data captured by the device in the form of attributes.
Set commands to allocate the actions you want the device to perform.

Users need to click on the template at the bottom of the screen, which will redirect user to template creation page where user needs to add the following details

Template code – add unique template code to help you identify or communicate the template.
Template name – add template name
Authentication type – select the type of authentication: Self signed certificate
Device message version – select the message version from the given dropdown list

[screen 1 : Create Template]

Save button – select save button to save the template details, once user clicks on the save button it open ups the details addition page as shown in screen 4.2
Cancel button – select ‘cancel’ button to go back to the templates listing page without saving the details

Add template properties

User needs to add template properties which includes following data

Description – Add the description of the template
Data frequency (in seconds) – Select the data frequency in seconds
Hardware version – Non editable field, displays the hardware version
Save button – Select save button to save the template properties details
Reset button – Select reset button to reset all the fields

[screen 2 : Add Template Properties]

Add template attributes

User needs to add template attributes which includes the following data

Local name – Add attribute name.
Data type – Choose the data type of the sensor attribute based on the output format of the particular sensor. Select a data type from the drop-down based on your attribute characteristics.
Description – Provide the general description for a given attribute.
Color code – Select the color code for the template attribute
Unit – Enter a unit of the attribute. For example, enter °c/°f for temperature
Save button – Select save button to save the template properties details
Reset button – Select reset button to reset all the fields

[screen 3 : Add Template Attribute]

Add template shadow

User needs to add template shadow which include the following data

Property – enter the twin property name
Key – device property for which twin property is generated
Data type – user needs to select the data type from the drop-down list
Default value – enter the value from which device starts sensing again
Save button – Select save button to save the template properties details
Reset button – Select reset button to reset all the fields

[screen 4: Add Template Shadow]

Add template command

Command allows you to add the commands, which are the functions or actions that you want your devices to perform.

When user clicks on commands, user will redirect to the command addition page where user needs to add the following data

Command name – enter the unique command name to help you identify the command.
Command – enter the function or action that devices should perform.
Parameter required – on switching the toggle button, entry of parameter value becomes mandatory in command execution.
Receipt required – on switching the toggle button, receipt becomes compulsory in command execution.
Is OTA command – on switching the toggle button, the last created or updated command gets available for the OTA update.
Save button – Select save button to save the template properties details
Reset button – Select reset button to reset all the field

[screen 5: Add Template Command]

Note:

User need to use ca signed certificate and tpm for production environments.

Templates list

User is allowed to view the templates list and able to take actions like edit or delete

List includes the following columns

Name – template name which you have entered while creating a template.
Auth type – authentication type can be anything from key, self-signed certificate, ca signed certificate and tpm.
Message version – device message version
Attribute – attribute counts associated with the template.
Shadow – twin property counts linked with the template.
Command – command counts connected with the template.
Device – number of devices accompanying the template.
Rule – number of rules set with the template.
Actions – actions you can perform on the template.
- Edit template – edit the template details like template name, description, attributes, twin property and command. Note that you cannot edit template code and authentication type.
- Delete template – delete the template from IoT connect.

[screen 6: Templates List]

Delete template

To delete the template, user needs to go to Devices> Device> Templates. User can delete the templates by selecting the delete icon from listing page

A click on delete icon form the actions lane brings the pop-up as shown in the screenshot below.

Click on ‘ok’ to delete the template

[screen 7: Delete Template]