REST API Client

REST API Client is an upcoming connection type for inSCADA. With this protocol, data can be periodically fetched from external REST/HTTP services and written to inSCADA variables.

Current Alternative: ins.rest() Script API

Until the REST API Client protocol is ready, the ins.rest() function via the Script Engine can be used for similar needs. This function allows you to send HTTP requests to any external service from within scheduled scripts.

ins.rest() Usage

The ins.rest() function can be used with two different signatures:

Signature 1 — With Content-Type:

ins.rest(httpMethod, url, contentType, body)

Signature 2 — With Custom Headers:

ins.rest(httpMethod, url, headers, body)

Parameter	Type	Description
httpMethod	String	`"GET"`, `"POST"`, `"PUT"`, `"DELETE"`
url	String	Target URL
contentType	String	Content type (e.g., `"application/json"`)
headers	Map	Custom HTTP headers
body	Object	Request body (for POST/PUT)

Return value: A Map with the structure {statusCode, body, headers}

Example 1: Fetching Data from a Weather API

// Scheduled script (e.g., every 5 minutes)
var response = ins.rest("GET",
    "https://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?q=Istanbul&appid=YOUR_KEY&units=metric",
    "application/json", null);

if (response.statusCode == 200) {
    var data = JSON.parse(response.body);
    ins.setVariableValue("outdoor_temperature", {value: data.main.temp});
    ins.setVariableValue("outdoor_humidity", {value: data.main.humidity});
    ins.setVariableValue("wind_speed", {value: data.wind.speed});
}

Example 2: Sending Data to an IoT Platform

// Scheduled script — send inSCADA data to an external system
var temp = ins.getVariableValue("temperature").value;
var press = ins.getVariableValue("pressure").value;

var payload = JSON.stringify({
    deviceId: "plant-01",
    timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
    measurements: {
        temperature: temp,
        pressure: press
    }
});

var response = ins.rest("POST",
    "https://api.example.com/telemetry",
    "application/json", payload);

if (response.statusCode != 200) {
    ins.consoleLog("Telemetry submission failed: " + response.statusCode);
}

Example 3: API Call with Custom Headers

var headers = {
    "Authorization": "Bearer eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIs...",
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
    "X-Custom-Header": "my-value"
};

var response = ins.rest("GET",
    "https://api.example.com/data",
    headers, null);

var data = JSON.parse(response.body);
ins.setVariableValue("api_value", {value: data.result});

Example 4: ERP Integration — Sending Production Data

// Send production data to ERP every hour
var production = ins.getVariableValue("production_count").value;
var energy = ins.getVariableValue("energy_consumption").value;

var payload = JSON.stringify({
    line: "Line-1",
    shift: "morning",
    produced: production,
    energyKwh: energy,
    timestamp: ins.now().toISOString()
});

ins.rest("POST", "https://erp.company.com/api/production", "application/json", payload);

Script Scheduling

To run the ins.rest() function periodically, create a script in inSCADA’s Script module and select the scheduling type:

Scheduling Type	Parameters	Description
Periodic	Period (ms), Offset (ms)	Recurring execution at fixed intervals. E.g.: Period = 300000 → every 5 minutes
Daily	Hour:Minute	Execution at a specific time every day. E.g.: 08:00
Once	Delay (ms)	One-time execution. The script runs once and stops
None	—	No automatic scheduling. The script is only triggered via API or manually

This way, periodic HTTP data collection and submission operations can be performed even without the REST API Client protocol.