When your machine runs a VNC server, you can access its screen without you first needing to establish a VPN connection to your device.
Add a VNC service
The VNC service is configured in the Fleet Manager and used in the Portal.
- Go to Fleet Manager > Devices and click on your device name.
- At Services, click on the
icon and select VNC server.
- Enter the requested information (details below) and click on Add.
Field Description Name Enter a name for the VNC service. Service group Services with the same Service group (case sensitive) will be visually grouped together in the Fleet Manager, the Device Card Actions component on cards, and the Web Access component on pages. This feature can be turned off in the respective components in the Studio. IP address Enter the IP address of your machine. Leave empty if you're using an IXagent. Port The port number where the VNC server can be reached. Default port for VNC is 5900. Password If your machine's VNC server is password protected, enter its password here. Access category The access category determines who can use this VNC service. More information: How to use access categories?. Read-only mode Enabling read-only mode will ignore any user input for this VNC service. Long press triggers right-mouse click on mobile On some HMI's you may need to do a right-mouse click every once in a while, often to open a context menu. On mobile, however, you can't do a right-mouse click. With this setting enabled, the gesture "long press" (also called tap and hold) will become the equivalent of a right-mouse click.
In most situations you will want to leave this setting disabled. It changes the behavior of the "long press" gesture on mobile, meaning you can no longer do a regular "long press" (i.e. keep a button pressed).Encoding Leave "automatic" for compatibility with most systems.
Using Lenze hardware? Set the encoding to Hextile instead.Color depth Leave "automatic" for compatibility with most systems.
Using B&R hardware? Set the color depth to what is set on your B&R device instead (default is 8-bit).
Using VIPA hardware? Set the color depth to what is set on your VIPA device instead (either 8 or 32-bit).Show in device overview on mobile Show or hide the VNC service button in the Portal's device overview on mobile (list view only). This makes it just a little easier to access the service that you need to access. Note that users can still use the VNC service, if they have permission, by using the Web Access component on a Device page. Machine settings You may need to adjust your machine settings.
Using Siemens hardware? First, go to "Runtime Settings" for your HMI in your TIA Portal project, ensure that "Start Sm@rtServer" is checked and apply it by downloading the hardware configuration to the HMI. Then open the Sm@rtServer settings on the HMI by stopping the runtime, opening "Settings", then open "WinCC Internet Settings", go to the "Remote" tab, click on "Change settings", and go to the "Server" tab. There, set a password and uncheck "Encrypt communication".
Using Universal Robots hardware? Make sure you have installed the IXON URcap, enabled its VNC server, and set a password.
Using PC hardware? Make sure that your VNC server is set to accept unencrypted connections.
You have now made the changes in the IXON Cloud, but these are not yet active in your device. You will need to push your changes to your device for them to take effect.
Temporary disconnect
After this next step, the config push, the device may temporarily disconnect and LAN communication may be temporarily interrupted while it's applying the new settings. This only takes a moment.- Click on Push config to device.
Use a VNC service
The VNC service can be accessed from the Portal.
- Go to Portal > Devices and find your device.
- If you're using the List view
, click on the arrow
and select the VNC service.
- If you don't see the button, make sure that you have access to the VNC service. More information: How to use access categories?.
- If you're using the Card view
, click on the VNC service button.
- If you don't see the button, make sure that the Device Card Actions component is added to the Card and that it is large enough to fit all buttons.
- Alternatively, click on the device, find the Web Access component, and click on the VNC service button.
- If you don't see the button, make sure that the Web Access component is added to the Device page.