Hello PLCnext Community,
I’m experiencing an issue where variables configured for IoT monitoring, in earlier PLCnext Engineer versions this was Proficloud, are not appearing in the Time Series Data Service metrics assignment list (app.proficloud.com, despite following the documented procedures.
Setup:
- 3 PLCnext controllers connected to Proficloud
- Variables configured as „Outport“ with IoT checkbox enabled
- Programs successfully downloaded to controllers
- Controllers show active connection to Proficloud
- Steps Already Taken:
Verified variables are set as Outport (not local)
- Enabled IoT checkbox for relevant variables
- Downloaded updated programs to controllers
- Performed controller reboots
- Reset device tokens in Device Management Service
- Additional controller reboots after token reset
Problem: The IoT-enabled variables are not appearing in the „assign metrics“ list within the Time Series Data Service, preventing me from using them for data monitoring.
Question: What additional troubleshooting steps should I try to make these metrics visible in the TSD assignment list? Are there any specific configuration requirements or timing considerations I might be missing?
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
Hello Michel,
In some cases it can take some time until the marked variables in PLCnext Engineer are synchronized with the PLC. Did you try to reboot the PLC?
BR Eduard
Yes I’ve tried rebooting, rebooting is no problem, but it didn’t fix the problem.
I will try download another PLCnext programma, sligthtly altered… hopefully that helps.
Still no metrics available… used both „Write and Start Project“ and „Write and Start Project (with Sources)“.
Using PLCnext Engineer 2024.6
PLCnext FW: 2024.6.1
Hi,
I’m encountering the same issue.
Did you find a solution?
Thanks in advance.
Best regards,
Hi Maxime,
Unfortunately, no solution yet for getting variables to appear in Proficloud’s Time Series Data Service with the newer firmware versions.
Current Status: I’m still troubleshooting this with Phoenix Contact support. The controllers are connected to Proficloud (confirmed in both Web-Based Manager and Proficloud’s Device Management Service), but IoT-enabled variables aren’t showing up in the metrics assignment list.
Key Finding from Support: Florian from Phoenix Contact mentioned that „Metrics in the Device Management Service are only displayed once data is actually being sent to Proficloud.io.“ This suggests the issue might be that variables aren’t actually transmitting data, despite the connection being established.
Next Steps I 'm Planning:
- Test with firmware 2023.0.0 LTS (which worked reliably with the old „Proficloud“ checkbox)
- Move a test controller to a less restrictive network to isolate potential network issues
- Find diagnostic methods to verify if variable data is actually being transmitted
- Questions for the Community:
Has anyone successfully used the new „IoT“ checkbox with firmware 2024.x/2025.x versions?
- Are there additional configuration steps beyond setting variables as Outports and enabling the IoT checkbox?
- What diagnostic tools can confirm variables are transmitting data to Proficloud?
I’ll update this thread once I have more information from my testing or support interactions.
Best regards, Michel
Update: Network issues ruled out - device-specific problem confirmedI’ve made progress isolating this issue and can now definitively rule out network-related causes.
What’s ruled out through testingNetwork connectivity: Took an identical test machine (same firmware 2024.6.1, different I/O modules) and tested it on both a less restrictive network and then on the exact same production network where my problem controllers are located. The test machine worked perfectly in both locations - IoT variables appeared instantly in Proficloud metrics, even newly created boolean variables that aren’t used in the program logic.
Firmware issues: Since the test machine with identical firmware 2024.6.1 works fine, this rules out general firmware problems.
Configuration problems: All standard troubleshooting completed - variables as Outport with IoT checkbox, multiple downloads/reboots, device tokens reset, controllers re-added to Proficloud, direct network connections bypassing switches, UTC time sync verified.
Current status of affected controllers
- Connection status: „Online“ in Proficloud Device Management
- Device status: „No status received“ (despite being online)
- Available metrics: Only „auto~con_TrafficLightColor“
- IoT variables: Zero appearing in assignment list
This appears to be a wider issue
Looking at recent forum activity, I’m clearly not alone with this problem. MaximeB reported the same issue here in June in this topic, and just this month Priscilla posted about the exact same symptoms in her topic: No Data Displayed in Proficloud Dashboard Despite Correct Tag Setup
This suggests something has changed either in recent firmware versions or on the Proficloud service side that’s preventing IoT variable transmission for certain controllers while maintaining basic connectivity.
Request for Phoenix Contact interventionSince this is clearly a device-specific issue affecting multiple users with properly configured systems, I need direct assistance from Phoenix Contact to:
- Perform device-level diagnostics on affected controllers
- Compare internal service status between working and non-working units
- Investigate if specific hardware/firmware combinations are affected
- Check if there are Proficloud service changes impacting certain device types/combinations
This functionality worked reliably before and should work now. With multiple users reporting identical symptoms, this needs Phoenix Contact’s direct technical investigation rather than standard configuration troubleshooting.
Can someone from Phoenix Contact please provide guidance on advanced diagnostic procedures or escalate this for technical investigation?
Additional firmware testing: I also tested firmware 2025 but rolled it back. Beyond the WBM GUI regression, PLCnext Engineer started showing ‚deprecated‘ warnings for I/O modules that are only 1-2 years on the market - including a DOR module. How can hardware that should simply read/write I/O reliably be labeled as ‚deprecated‘ so quickly? This raises serious concerns about Phoenix Contact’s hardware lifecycle management and software stability. If this is actually true, otherwise and actually anyway Phoenix Contact needs to invest more attention into their software development department… it’s starting to give me SAP-vibes – and we all know how SAP users feel about their software experience!
The fact that identical hardware works fine while other units with the same configuration fail indicates this is a systemic issue that requires manufacturer-level analysis.
I understand that you’ve also given this latest information to the Proficloud Support team, so they should be in touch to continue helping with this issue.
Regarding the „deprecated“ warnings in PLCnext Engineer - these warnings relate to the device description files for those modules, and not the hardware modules themselves. The device description files are occasionally updated in PLCnext Engineer and this warning is a reminder to use the latest device description file for the corresponding I/O module(s):
Inserting Devices/Modules in the Station Editor ');\n mywindow.document.close(); \n mywindow.focus();\n setTimeout(function () {\n mywindow.print();\n mywindow.close();\n }, 1000)\n return true;\n}\r\n\r\n\r\n image.pngFor further technical questions on this or any other topic: the technical experts in your local Phoenix Contact office are ready, willing, and able to help with any questions, if you want to contact them directly.
Hi Martin,
It’s now September 16th - nearly 7 weeks since your message - and I have received absolutely zero follow-up from the Proficloud Support Team despite your assurance that „they should be in touch.“
My request was straightforward: diagnostic tools in WBM or SSH to verify what data is being transmitted, since network issues have been definitively ruled out through testing. This should be a basic support capability for any IoT platform.
The complete silence from Proficloud Support, combined with the recurring pattern of unresolved issues (firmware regressions, broken functionality after updates), is frankly unacceptable for industrial automation equipment.
Phoenix Contact markets PLCnext as innovative technology, but the support experience feels more like dealing with legacy enterprise software; bureaucratic, unresponsive, and leaving users to solve problems independently.
I need either:
- Direct technical assistance with diagnostic procedures, or
- Escalation to engineering teams who can actually investigate this systemic issue
This problem is affecting multiple users and requires manufacturer-level investigation, not radio silence.
Hi Michel,
thank you for your detailed feedback – I completely understand your frustration.
To move forward efficiently, we’d like to offer you a joint troubleshooting session. A connectivity expert and I will participate from our side, with the goal of checking directly on the affected device why the metrics are not appearing in Proficloud.io.
I’ll send you an email shortly with a few proposed times so we can schedule the meeting.
Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience this issue has caused. We want to make sure we resolve this with you as quickly as possible.
Best regards,
Florian
Hello Michel,
Thank you for bringing this up again and thank you for the uncomplicated meeting.
During a joint session we were able to identify the cause: the option for Time Series Data in the device’s Web-Based Management had not been enabled. After activating this setting, the data was successfully transmitted to Proficloud.io.
We will update our documentation to make this step clearer, so that similar situations can be resolved more quickly in the future.
Hi Florian,
Thanks again for the quick resolution and excellent support from both you and Mirko during the session.
Good to hear you’ll be updating the documentation; that should definitely help prevent this oversight for other users experiencing similar issues.
Appreciated the collaborative approach to getting this sorted.