System Variables widget

What this widget is for

The System Variables widget exposes the site's configurable system variables directly on the dashboard. Each ticked variable appears as a control — a switch, a number input, a dropdown — so you can both read its current value and, if you have permission, change it without leaving the page.

Use it to pin the handful of settings you adjust often (e.g. a load-shed threshold, a tariff schedule, a control set-point) onto the dashboard, instead of digging into device pages every time. For one-off changes you can still use the device pages; this widget is for frequent changes.

Companion guides

• Dashboard overview — how to add, move, resize, and remove widgets.
• Digital Input widget — for digital on / off controls specifically (the same idea, focused on digital channels).

Where to find it

Open the Dashboard, click the pencil icon to enter edit mode, then click Add New Widget. Search the picker for System Variables and click Add Widget.

The widget at a glance

The widget shows:

• A title at the top (editable).
• A control for each enabled variable, each labelled with the variable's name and showing its current value. The control type depends on the variable — a switch for booleans, a number input for numerics, a dropdown for enumerations.

Update a control and the new value is sent to the device. If you don't have permission to change a particular variable, the control is shown as read-only.

Choosing which variables to show

Open the gear icon. The settings dialog lists every system variable the site exposes; tick the ones you want to appear on the widget. Untick the ones you don't.

Set a Title at the top of the dialog to label the widget (for example "Load-shed settings" if you're using it for a focused subset).

Reading and changing values

• Read — the widget shows the current value next to each variable's label. It updates as the device reports changes.
• Change — adjust a control (toggle the switch, type a new number, pick a new dropdown option). The new value is sent to the site as soon as you finish editing. The widget reflects the new value once the device confirms it.

Who can do what

• Any signed-in user can add the widget, choose which variables to display, and see their current values.
• Changing a variable requires the matching permission — typically advanced for operational settings, oem for protected ones. If your account doesn't have the required level, the control is read-only; the value is shown but the input is disabled.

Common issues

• A variable shows but is read-only when I expected to be able to edit it. Your account doesn't have the required permission for that variable. Speak to the site administrator to be granted advanced or oem access.
• I changed a value but it snapped back. Either the change was rejected by the device (out of valid range, conflicting with another setting) or it timed out before being confirmed. Try again; if it keeps reverting, check the device-page for that variable to see if there's an error message.
• The variable I want isn't in the list. Only variables the device exposes appear here. Some configuration is editable only on the device pages, not through this widget.

Tips and gotchas

• Group by purpose, not by device. A widget titled "Tariff window" with a few related variables reads better than one called "Logger Config" with everything. Add several System Variables widgets, each focused on a task.
• Pair with the Plant Control Notifications widget so you can see events your changes trigger right next to the controls that caused them.
• A change is logged. Every adjustment to a system variable is captured in the device's event log, so support can trace what was changed and when.