---
title: "Machine monitoring troubleshooting"
slug: "machine-monitoring-troubleshooting"
updated: 2025-12-19T21:38:48Z
published: 2025-12-19T21:38:48Z
canonical: "support.tulip.co/machine-monitoring-troubleshooting"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.tulip.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Machine monitoring troubleshooting

*Learn how to troubleshoot common issues with machine monitoring.*

## Machine attribute not updating

**Symptoms**: Machine attribute shows "No Data" or stale timestamp

**Root causes**:

1. **OPC UA or MQTT connection lost**
  - Navigate to Shop Floor > Machines > Machine Data Sources to view the Connector Host status
  - Click the Test button on the connector to test the connection
  - Verify network connectivity, including firewall rules and port forwarding
2. **Attribute not mapped correctly**
  - Navigate to Machine > Configuration tab
  - Verify the attribute maps to the correct OPC UA node or MQTT topic
  - Click Get Latest Message (MQTT) or browse nodes (OPC UA) to verify the data source publishes
3. **Rate limit exceeded**
  - Verify the total Hz across your instance does not exceed the 500 Hz limit
  - Reduce polling frequency or remove unnecessary attributes

### Solution checklist

- Connector Host shows "Connected" status
- Machine attribute maps to an active data source
- Data source publishes data (verify in Kepware or broker UI)
- Machine is not in "Offline" state (verify in Machine Status widget)

## Machine trigger not firing

**Symptoms**: Expected state change or activity field update does not occur

**Root causes**:

1. **Trigger condition never met**
  - Example: Trigger specifies "When Machine Current > 10" but the attribute maximum is 8
  - Navigate to Machine > Activity tab to verify attribute values
2. **Trigger disabled**
  - Navigate to Machine Type > Triggers and verify the toggle is ON
3. **Multiple conflicting triggers**
  - Example: Trigger A sets the state to Running, and Trigger B immediately sets the state to Stopped
  - Review all triggers on the machine type for conflicts
4. **Trigger action references wrong machine**
  - If using "at this station" in app triggers, verify the machine is assigned to the station

### Solution checklist

- Trigger is enabled (toggle ON)
- Trigger condition is achievable (verify the attribute range)
- No conflicting triggers exist
- Station assignment is correct (if using "at this station")

## OEE calculation incorrect

**Symptoms**: OEE percentage does not match expected values

**Root causes**:

1. **Incorrect state mapping**
  - The "Running" state must be configured for the Availability calculation
  - Navigate to Machine Type > States and verify "Running" is marked as "uptime"
2. **Part count not incrementing**
  - Verify the machine trigger writes to the "Part Count" activity field
  - View the Machine Activity table for part count values
3. **Ideal Run Rate not set**
  - The Performance calculation requires an ideal run rate
  - Set the ideal run rate using the "Ideal Run Rate" machine activity field or an app input
4. **Clock skew**
  - Machine timestamps are out of sync with the Tulip server
  - Verify timezone settings on the Connector Host and Tulip instance

### Solution checklist

- "Running" state is configured as uptime in Machine Type
- Part Count activity field populates correctly
- Ideal Run Rate is set (either static or dynamic)
- Timezone alignment is verified

## App not displaying machine data

**Symptoms**: Machine Status widget shows "No Machine Selected" or appears blank

**Root causes**:

1. **Machine variable not populated**
  - If using a variable datasource, verify the variable is set at runtime
  - Add a text widget to display the variable value for debugging
2. **Station assignment missing**
  - If using "at this station" logic, verify:
    - A station is selected in Player
    - The machine is assigned to that station
3. **Machine permissions**
  - The user role may not have permission to view machine data
  - Navigate to Settings > Roles and verify the role has "Machine Monitoring" permissions

### Solution checklist

- Machine variable is populated (verify the variable value)
- Station is selected in Player (if using "at this station")
- Machine is assigned to the station (navigate to Shop Floor > Machines > Configuration)
- User has Machine Monitoring permissions (navigate to Settings > Roles)

## Automation tasks exceeding budget or rate limit

**Symptoms**: Unexpected automation costs due to high task execution volume

**Root causes**:

1. **Trigger fires too frequently**
  - Example: An automation on "Every time machine attribute changes"
  - If the attribute updates at 1 Hz, that results in 3600 tasks/hour per machine
2. **Missing conditional filters**
  - The automation runs even when not needed
  - Add a condition: "Only when attribute value > threshold"
3. **Redundant automations**
  - Multiple automations perform similar tasks

### Solutions

1. **Batch operations**

Before: Automation: When machine attribute changes → Write to table (Executes 3600 times/hour)

After: Machine Trigger: When attribute changes → Update activity field Automation: Every 1 hour → Copy activity field to table (Executes 1 time/hour)

1. **Add conditional filters**

Before: Automation: When machine state changes → Send notification (Executes on every state change, even Running → Running)

After: Automation: When machine state changes AND new state = "Stopped" → Send notification (Executes only on Stopped state)

1. **Use machine triggers for eligible tasks**

- If the task only updates machine state or activity fields, use a machine trigger (free)
- Reserve automations for table writes, connector calls, and notifications

## Further reading

- [Machine Monitoring](/r230/docs/machine-monitoring)
- [How to Add and Configure Machines](/r230/docs/add-and-configure-machines)
- [Machine Monitoring Architecture](/r230/docs/machine-monitoring-architecture)
- [Build Your First MQTT Data Source](/r230/docs/build-your-first-mqtt-connector)

---

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