Getting Started Guide

Step 1: Download & System Requirements

Before launching Uniflow, ensure your host computer meets the following baseline requirements:

• Operating System: Windows 10/11 x64 or Windows Server 2019/2022.
• Runtime Environment: .NET 8.0 Desktop & Service Runtime.
• Network: TCP/IP connection to field devices (Modbus, OPC UA, cameras, DB servers).

Step 2: Uniflow Background Service Setup & Startup

The background service engine (UniflowService) handles continuous device polling, telemetry data normalization, and real-time rule graph evaluation.

If you ever need to manually check, stop, or restart the background service on Windows, you can manage it via Windows Services (services.msc) or PowerShell:

# Verify status or restart the service on Windows
Get-Service UniflowService
Start-Service UniflowService

Linux & ARM64 Setup (Systemd Service Script)

For Linux (x64) servers and ARM64 edge gateways (e.g., Raspberry Pi, Advantech), extract the release archive and register the service daemon using systemd scripts:

# Copy UniflowService files to installation directory
sudo mkdir -p /opt/uniflow
sudo cp -r * /opt/uniflow/

# Register systemd service unit and start daemon
sudo cp /opt/uniflow/uniflow.service /etc/systemd/system/
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable uniflow.service
sudo systemctl start uniflow.service

Upon launch, the service initializes its high-speed communication hub and listens for incoming control plane connections. For complete details on Linux daemons and Docker containers, see the Linux & Docker Deployment Guide.

Step 3: Launch Uniflow GUI Client & Configure a Source Adapter

Launch Uniflow.exe. The Uniflow GUI Client automatically connects to the background service and displays the active system status on the header bar.

3.1 Add a Protocol Source

1. Install a protocol plugin by going to Settings -> Plugins and installing the desired plugin.
2. Navigate to the Sources menu in the left sidebar.
3. Click Add New Source and choose your installed protocol (e.g., Modbus Client, OPC UA Client, MQTT, SNMP, or Signal Generator).
4. Configure IP endpoint, port, and polling interval. Click Test Connection to verify reachability.
5. Click Save & Start. The adapter status changes to Connected.

Step 4: Build Your First Visual Rule Graph

1. Open Rule Editor from the navigation menu.
2. Drag an Input Source node onto the canvas and bind it to your configured Source point.
3. Drag a Logic Comparison node (e.g., Greater Than) and connect the input value wire to it.
4. Drag an Action Sink node (e.g., Write Storage Point, HTTP Webhook, or Relay Control) and connect the boolean result wire.
5. Click Deploy Rule Graph. The rule executes in real-time within the background service!