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The Mobile Module adds the ability to launch Vision module projects on modern smartphones and tablets. This lets you keep track of your control system while moving around your facility. The Mobile Module can be combined with a remote-access networking architecture to allow global on-the-go access to your control system.

How it Works

Normally, you can't launch Vision projects on mobile devices. This is because of the technical limitation of Java SE (Standard Edition) which does not run on mobile devices. The Mobile Module gets around this limitation by launching the Client on the Gateway in a special headless (invisible) mode, and then using HTML5 and AJAX to show the Client's screen on the mobile device's browser.

Networking

Typically, the mobile device connects to the Ignition Gateway via the facility's wireless LAN (802.11) infrastructure. To launch a mobile client, the mobile device simply connects to the Ignition Gateway by pointing its web browser to the Gateway's LAN address. It is important to understand that normally, the traffic is not going over the device's cellular connection because the cellular connection connects to the internet, and without explicit setup, an Ignition Gateway is not accessible from the outside internet.

Remote mobile access (as in, beyond the reach of wifi) can be enabled through the same networking strategies that enable remote access for standard Vision clients. For this, the mobile device must be able to access the Ignition Gateway via its cellular connection. One strategy would be to set up a VPN router and configure the mobile device as a VPN client. This way, the mobile device could directly access the LAN address of the Gateway as if it were on-site. Another technique would be to put the Ignition Gateway in a DMZ so that at least one NIC had a public IP address. Or, an edge router could be configured to port-forward the HTTP and HTTPS ports to the Gateway. Coordination with your IT is advised when attempting to set up remote access.

 To Launch the Mobile Client

1. Navigate to the Gateway Webpage from your mobile device. It will typically be something like http://ipaddress:8088, where the ip address is the ip of the computer that Ignition is installed on.
   1. You can also navigate to the Gateway Webpage from a browser, and scan the QR code in the Home section under Mobile Launch. Note that you will need to have used an actual ip address to get to the webpage, and not localhost.
      
      
2. A list of projects that are available for mobile launch will be displayed. Choose the project you want to open, then login with your username and password. If there is only one project in the mobile project list, the list will be skipped and you will be sent directly to the login screen. 
   
   

Launch Mobile Client without viewing the mobile project selection page

It is possible to bypass the mobile project selection page by adding the project name to the URL:  http://ipaddress:8088/main/system/mobile?project=projectName

Mobile Client Settings

In the project properties in the Designer, there is a page specific to Mobile clients if you have the mobile module installed. Here you can enable the project for Mobile, set fit, auto-login, and more.

Adjusting the Mobile Client Size

Mobile Clients can be set to specific sizes or told to fit themselves to the device. By default, they are set to Fit to Device to allow for the many varied mobile phone and tablet screen sizes, and to allow for automatic adjustments when rotating the mobile device. However, if the project needs to be set to a specific size, that can be done as well.

In the Mobile section of the Project Properties, There is a Viewport setting. You can see that the Fit to Device is selected by default, which will resize itself when the device is rotated. You can also choose Custom and specify any size you wish.