Learn about stations and the different versions of applications.
Feature update
From r283 onwards, display devices are renamed interfaces.
This guide details how apps are run through Tulip and the ways of creating different app Versions while still in production. You’ll learn to assign apps to Stations and also test and run apps. If you’re new to Tulip or still learning, this article will help you understand how to optimize your app building inline with production.
What is a Station?
A Station is your virtual space that runs your apps. Each Instance needs to have a station set up in order to run. Stations are meant to imitate real-life stations on the process floor, so that you can have a production-ready environment to use your apps.
Stations are different from Interfaces (display devices), in that stations represent a physical location, whereas interfaces are the physical devices used to run your application. Each station must map to an interface.
The station page gives you information associated with the app assigned to a station. It looks like the following:
Navigation Pane between stations and Station Groups
Station Name and Live-Preview of apps running on that station
Create a new station or station group
Station Information such as app operator, previously fired Events, and current connected devices
Configuration Information about app assignments
Device Information, including the interface, selected timezone, and connected Edge Devices
Assign Apps to a Station
Assigning an app to a Station determines where the app will run from, such as a tablet or machine. It gives your app a virtual place within your facility.
To assign an app to a station:
Navigate to the stations page by hovering over the Shop Floor tab in the top navigation bar.
Select the station you want to use and click Edit next to station app assignments.
Click the Add an App dropdown and select the app you want to assign among the list.
When building your app, there are two different versions: a Development Version and a Published Version. A development version is an iteration of the app that hasn’t been made available for public use, whereas a published version has been published and is ready for users.
Developing versions of apps are helpful when making edits to an already published version, users can still operate the published version of the app while developers are working on changes. Your data remains in the same state when you publish a new app version, carrying over from the previous one.
Testing Apps in Developer Mode
As you’re creating an application, it’s crucial that you test its functionality to ensure buttons, Widgets, Steps, and other assets are all operating as intended. This is where Developer Mode becomes essential for testing.
NOTE
Developer Mode is meant to run in Google Chrome.
Developer Mode is a separate window from the App Editor that allows you to use your app without affecting its utilization in production. This means that information you input won’t write to tables, completions, or connectors. Tables are mirrored as how they start when you open Developer Mode. No changes you make in the data will be reflected in the actual records of the app.
Developer Mode is useful for giving debugging information on assets and functions in your app to ensure that your logic is working properly. You can quickly diagnose issues to understand errors that need attention. When testing in Developer Mode you also have access to the Variables and Record Placeholders that are used on every step.
NOTE
Aggregations currently aren’t supported in Developer Mode.
To enter Developer Mode, click the Test button located at the top right of the App Info and App Editor pages. A new window opens that shows your app in Developer Mode.
The Tulip Player is designed to run your apps and change between them effortlessly. In the Tulip Player, you experience exactly what your users do, with the ability to call to connector functions, write to tables, and talk to external machines.
The Tulip Player is an external application that runs your apps, allowing you to switch between apps under your instance. Running apps through the Tulip Player should be done as the app is ready to be used.
Before running an app in the player, you’ll need to download the Tulip Player, which you can do here: Download the Tulip Player.
To open an app in the Tulip Player, click the Run button in the top right corner of the App Info and App Editor screens (next to the Test button). The Tulip Player opens and you can begin running your app.
You can also head to community.tulip.co to post your question or see if others have faced a similar question!
Published Version
The Published Version of a Tulip app is a complete version of your Application. When an app is ready to be run in production, its logic can be frozen by Publishing that app. One application can have multiple published versions. If a Station is assigned to run the Published version of an application, it will only see changes when they are published.
Station
Stations are a digital representation of a physical place or device in your facility. Stations are 1:1 with Interfaces (display devices) running Tulip Player, but Stations can also be assigned Edge Devices, Tulip Vision Camera Configurations, Machines,and more.
Station
Stations are a digital representation of a physical place or device in your facility. Stations are 1:1 with Interfaces (display devices) running Tulip Player, but Stations can also be assigned Edge Devices, Tulip Vision Camera Configurations, Machines,and more.
Tulip Instance
A Tulip customer account. Your instance can be found at https://[your-instance].tulip.co
When your instance is referenced, we are just talking about your Tulip account on an organization-level, not user-level.
Interface (Display Device)
Users interact with Tulip applications through physical devices like touchscreens, PC monitors, mobile devices, and LCD screens. We refer to these as interfaces. Interfaces must be assigned to a station in order to run applications.
Station Group
A higher-level grouping of Stations within an instance. Useful for application management and bulk station configuration.
Events
Events are Triggers fired by Custom Widgets. Users can configure as many Events as they want, and events can carry a payload of data to be used in a Trigger.
Edge Devices
Edge Devices are any hardware intended to connect physical things to the cloud. This can include entirely mechanical devices, older machines without network functionality, PLCs, and more.
Tulip sells the Edge IO and Edge MC that interface directly into Triggers in a breeze, but Tulip can also support other Edge Devices.
Station
Stations are a digital representation of a physical place or device in your facility. Stations are 1:1 with Interfaces (display devices) running Tulip Player, but Stations can also be assigned Edge Devices, Tulip Vision Camera Configurations, Machines,and more.
Development Version
The Dev Version of a Tulip app is the work-in-progress of your application after an app has been published. If a Station is assigned to run the Development version of an application, it will see live changes as they are made in the app editor.
Generally, Stations running in production will be running the Published Version of an Application.
Published Version
The Published Version of a Tulip app is a complete version of your Application. When an app is ready to be run in production, its logic can be frozen by Publishing that app. One application can have multiple published versions. If a Station is assigned to run the Published version of an application, it will only see changes when they are published.
Widgets
Widgets are the elements that make up a specific App Step. Widgets can display information to users, collect user input, or trigger app logic.
Common widgets include: Interactive Tables, Number inputs, Machine attribute widgets, and more.
Steps
A view your users will see within an application. Steps can be viewed chronologically or in whatever order best fits your process.
Steps can be grouped into Step Groups to manage and organize your app Steps.
Developer Mode
Developer Mode is a dedicated interface to test your applications. Dev mode doesn't write to Tables or create Completions so production data isn't impacted.
App Editor
The web interface used for building applications. Where you design a user interface, add logic, and connect your applications to Tables.
Developer Mode
Developer Mode is a dedicated interface to test your applications. Dev mode doesn't write to Tables or create Completions so production data isn't impacted.
Variables
Variables are a location to store app information. Variables have a specific type that must match the contents they can store.
Variables are only accessible within a single application and are cleared when the app is restarted or completed.
Table Record Placeholder
A Table Record Placeholder is a reference to a row in a Tulip Table. Table Records can be created either from the Table UI or from an App Trigger.
App Info
App Info is a subset of the data available within an application automatically. This data can be used both in Widgets and Triggers. This includes the current date and time, the app name, the app version, the current shift, and more.
App Editor
The web interface used for building applications. Where you design a user interface, add logic, and connect your applications to Tables.
Tulip Player
Tulip Player is the Windows/Mac executable program where users can run Tulip apps. Tulip player allows you to create a more seamless user experience by removing the need for a web browser and allows increased IT controls.
Tulip Player
Tulip Player is the Windows/Mac executable program where users can run Tulip apps. Tulip player allows you to create a more seamless user experience by removing the need for a web browser and allows increased IT controls.
App Info
App Info is a subset of the data available within an application automatically. This data can be used both in Widgets and Triggers. This includes the current date and time, the app name, the app version, the current shift, and more.
App Editor
The web interface used for building applications. Where you design a user interface, add logic, and connect your applications to Tables.
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