How do I use PI Connector for UFL to import file data?

How do I use PI Connector for UFL to import file data?

PI Connector for UFL (Universal File Loader) parses structured text files (CSV, JSON, XML) and writes values to PI Data Archive.

When to Use UFL

Importing data from CSV exports or lab systems
Receiving data via REST POST (UFL has a built-in HTTP listener)
Processing log files with custom formats
One-time historical data backfills

Configuration

1. Create a .ini Configuration File

The .ini file defines how UFL parses your data:

[FIELD]
FIELD(1).NAME = "TagName"
FIELD(1).TYPE = "String"
FIELD(2).NAME = "Timestamp"
FIELD(2).TYPE = "DateTime"
FIELD(3).NAME = "Value"
FIELD(3).TYPE = "Number"

[MSG]
MSG(1).NAME = "DataRow"

[DataRow]
DataRow.FILTER = C1=="*"

STORETRANS(TagName, Timestamp, Value)

2. For CSV Files

If your CSV looks like:

Pump1_Flow,2024-01-15 10:00:00,42.5
Pump1_Pressure,2024-01-15 10:00:00,120.3

The .ini config parses each line and maps columns to tag name, timestamp, and value.

3. For REST Input

UFL can listen on an HTTP port:

[API]
API.PORT = 5460
API.METHOD = POST

Send data via:

curl -X POST http://ufl-server:5460 -d "Pump1_Flow,2024-01-15 10:00:00,42.5"

PI Point Configuration

For auto-created tags:

Set PointSource to your UFL instance ID
UFL can create PI points on the fly if configured with AUTOADDTAG

Testing

Run UFL in interactive mode to see parsing output:

PI_UFL.exe -ini myconfig.ini -file testdata.csv

Tips

Use FILTER rules to skip header rows
Handle multiple file formats with separate MSG blocks
Set up a watch folder for automatic file processing
Check the UFL log file for parsing errors

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Related Questions

How do I write data to PI Data Archive?How do I set up the PI Interface for OPC DA?

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