Frequently asked questions¶

General Usage¶

How do I access the graphical user interface and operate C-Gate?¶

The web interface offers various options for visualising data and managing C-Gate. It can be opened with any current web browser using the associated address. If your browser is not compatible, you will be informed on the web interface and will receive a recommendation.

Why does no process data (e.g. voltage or current) appear on the dashboard?¶

Process data can only be displayed if you either have a Carola programme with the old list concept, or you are working with the new QTI list concept and the control software version is QS2.8 or newer.

Why are my components not being recorded correctly?¶

Compare the procedures from your MASTER programme with the documentation and adapt it accordingly. Be sure to use the procedures SEAMSTRT and SEAMEND if you are using the module C-Gate.QM.

How is overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) or QINEO productivity calculated?¶

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is composed of the metrics availability, performance and quality. QINEO productivity consists of the metrics availability and performance. The exact calculation can be found in the OEE and Productivity documentation.

Why is the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) or QINEO productivity low?¶

The availability metric depends on capacity planning, which corresponds to the planned working time. As soon as the plant or equipment is switched off, it is assessed as unavailable.

For the performance metric, your component programmes must be equipped with the documented Carola instructions and the target times must be entered appropriately in the component templates.

The quality metric is determined either automatically via process data, or manually via an entry by the worker at the machine. QS2.8 or newer, QTI, SD monitoring, and the module C-Gate.QM are required for automatic determination.

Why does incorrect time information appear on the dashboard or in the component log?¶

The C-Gate time can be set in the settings of the web interface. Synchronise the time either manually or enter a time server for automatic synchronisation.

Why are functions not licensed?¶

The functions of C-Gate are divided into modules, each of which must be licensed. Contact CLOOS for the licensing of further modules or installations.

Why can't the robot exchange programmes with C-Gate?¶

The C-Gate programme management can only be used if:

• The C-Gate.PG module is licensed for the corresponding robot.
• The robot has the Programme management with C-Gate option set.
• Either the C-Gate IoT Connector address (if available) or the C-Gate IoT Hub address is stored in the robot.
• The robot's device-specific token is stored in the robot settings.
• The robot has at least software version QS2.12.

From time to time it also helps if the address of the C-Gate IoT Connector in the robot is set as the default gateway in the network configuration.

Data & Backup¶

Where is my C-Gate data stored?¶

Under Docker, data is stored in volumes. C-Gate uses one such volume for the internal directory /data.

How can I create a backup of my C-Gate data?¶

The following commands create a backup in the folder where the command is executed.

docker stop cgate
# ... perform backup ...
docker start cgate

Linux (Docker):

# Create backup
sudo docker run --rm --volumes-from cgate -v $(pwd):/backup ubuntu tar cvzf /backup/cgate-backup.tar.gz /data

# Restore backup
sudo docker run --rm --volumes-from cgate -v $(pwd):/backup ubuntu bash -c "cd /data && tar xvzf /backup/cgate-backup.tar.gz --strip 1"

Windows (WSL Ubuntu Shell):

# Create backup
podman run --rm --volumes-from cgate -v $(pwd):/backup ubuntu tar cvzf /backup/cgate-backup.tar.gz /data

# Restore backup
podman run --rm --volumes-from cgate -v $(pwd):/backup ubuntu bash -c "cd /data && tar xvzf /backup/cgate-backup.tar.gz --strip 1"

For a daily backup, a cron job (Linux) or a scheduled task (Windows) can be used.

Installation & Configuration¶

How can I reset my password?¶

Force a new admin password by setting the environment variable APP_ADMIN_PASSWORD for your C-Gate container.

Docker Compose (Linux) — add to the environment section in docker-compose.yml:

environment:
  - APP_ADMIN_PASSWORD="MySecretPassword"

Windows — set the password in ~/.config/cgate/cgate.conf within the WSL:

APP_ADMIN_PASSWORD="MySecretPassword"

How do I connect my devices to C-Gate?¶

1. Ensure a physical connection is available. For CLOOS robot systems this is usually a network cable connected to the robot controller and your company network. QINEO welding units can alternatively be connected via WiFi.
2. Assign an IP address and network settings to your devices so they can be reached from the server or PC running C-Gate IoT Hub. Verify the connection by running a ping on the device IP from the C-Gate server.
3. Activate your licence via the C-Gate web interface, then configure your devices in the device view by entering their IP addresses.

If everything is set up correctly, the devices appear as online in the C-Gate device view.

Which firewall rules and ports are needed for legacy systems?¶

Additional ports for QIROX Legacy Hardware (older than V7)

What is inside the C-Gate container?¶

The C-Gate IoT Hub container is based on a current official Ubuntu base image and contains the following services. Only services with a port specification are accessible from outside the container.

• C-Gate IoT Hub Java Application (Port 4840/tcp, 5000/tcp/udp, 5005/tcp, 5010/tcp)
• C-Gate IoT Hub NodeJS Graph-Converter Service
• nginx Webserver (Port 8080/tcp)
• mongoDB Database

The update of my C-Gate installation under Windows reports an error with access data. How can I fix this?¶

With an older C-Gate installation under Windows, access data to the CLOOS Docker Repository was sometimes not permanently stored. To fix the problem, execute the following command in your WSL installation (Ubuntu) and enter the access data you received with your C-Gate licence:

podman login --authfile=${HOME}/.docker/config.json docker.cloos.de

How can I set up an HTTPS proxy (reverse proxy) under Windows?¶

1. Activate the Windows feature IIS (Internet Information Services).
2. Install the ARR (Application Request Routing) and URL Rewrite plugins for IIS.
3. Import your desired certificate for the HTTPS proxy in the IIS interface.
4. Create a new site in IIS.
5. On the new site, select the URL Rewrite module and add a new rule as a reverse proxy. Configure the HTTPS connection and select the imported certificate.

For more detailed instructions, see the Microsoft documentation.

Is it possible to limit the memory consumption of C-Gate?¶

Under Linux, add the following to your docker-compose.yml (this example limits C-Gate to 6 GB RAM):

services:
  cgate:
    image: ...
    ...
    deploy:
      resources:
        limits:
          memory: 6G

There is currently no way to limit memory consumption under Windows.

Can I integrate C-Gate into another website or web application?¶

C-Gate can be run within an iframe with the following ENV vars set inside the docker-compose.yml file:

services:
  cgate:
    ...
    environment:
      - KC_SECURITY_X_FRAME_OPTIONS=
      - KC_SECURITY_CONTENT_SECURITY_POLICY="frame-src 'self'; frame-ancestors 'self https://your-website/'; object-src 'none';"

Why can't I log on to C-Gate IoT Hub or am I getting security warnings?¶

If you operate C-Gate behind a reverse proxy with HTTPS, certain HTTP headers must be forwarded or set. The relevant headers are:

• X-Forwarded-For
• X-Forwarded-Proto
• X-Forwarded-Host
• X-Forwarded-Port

Where is the IoT Connector physically located in the system?¶

The IoT Connector is installed in a QIROX robot system on the door of the robot's control cabinet or attached to a QINEO system for manual welding.