Oct 2018 - Feb 2019
Vertech
Large Aerospace Company
Aerospace
I constructed a rules engine in MSSQL and Javascript (the scripting language in Thingworx) that can take in input from an RFID reader (a numerical code, an object type, and some other metadata). The rules for each each kind of object and operation are programmable via a user interface in Thingworx designed by a colleague of mine, that uses the rules engine I devised to allow for a particular ordered sequence of operations for each object type. I also worked on setting up two different types of RFID readers, 4 Siemens SIMATIC RF600 devices, as well as at least 2 Zebra RFID guns. The former would be able to talk to Thingworx via OPC-UA device connection, while the latter required an entirely new protocol or driver. The RFID guns could only scan in the RFID or barcode, but could not, by default, send this data anywhere. As such, I took the default mobile scanner program and revised it in Java within Android Studio to create an API capable of POST requests of this data to Thingworx. I also had to add various default parameters and an interface to visualize the API settings and keys, as well as determine if a message was actually sent or if the scan failed. Once fully implemented and connected, I successfully tested out the RFID gun with test barcodes on my rules engine to confirm the validity of the solution.
Zebra, Thingworx, Siemens, RFID, MSSQL, MES, Kepware, Javascript, Java, C#, API