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Your First Asset via Web UI

A walkthrough for creating your first asset using the Beacon Tower web application.

Prerequisites​

Before you begin, ensure you have:

  • A Beacon Tower account with appropriate privileges (model_management, asset_management)
  • Access to the Beacon Tower web application
  • Your organization's Beacon Tower instance URL

Step 1: Log In​

  1. Navigate to your Beacon Tower instance URL in your web browser
  2. Enter your email address and password on the sign-in page
  3. Click Sign In to access the application

Step 2: Select an Organization​

If you belong to multiple organizations, you need to select which organization you want to work in:

  1. Click your username in the top navigation bar
  2. Select the organization you want to work in from the organization picker
  3. Your active organization determines which resources you can see and manage

Note: All models, assets, and other resources are scoped to an organization. Make sure you have selected the correct organization before creating resources.

Step 3: Create a Model​

Models define the structure and capabilities of your assets using the Digital Twin Definition Language (DTDL). Let's create a simple temperature sensor model:

  1. Navigate to Administration → Models
  2. Click the Add Asset Model button
  3. Enter the model details:
    • Model ID: TemperatureSensor (must be unique; use letters, numbers, and underscores only)
    • Version: 1.1 (starting version)
    • Display Name: Temperature Sensor (human-readable name)
    • Model Type: Select Asset
  4. Click the Telemetry tab to add telemetry data fields
  5. Click Add and enter:
    • Name: temperature
    • Display Name: Temperature
    • Schema: double
    • Semantic Type (optional): Temperature
    • Unit (optional): degreeCelsius
  6. Click Save to save the model as a draft
  7. Click Publish when you're ready to make the model available
  8. Select the organization to publish to and confirm

Important: Once a model is published, it cannot be modified. You must create a new version if you need to make changes.

Step 4: Create an Asset​

Now that you have a model, you can create an asset instance:

  1. Navigate to Administration → Assets
  2. Click the Add Asset button
  3. Enter the basic asset information:
    • Asset ID: temp-sensor-001 (must be unique within your organization)
    • Model: Select the TemperatureSensor model you just created
    • Display Name: Temperature Sensor 001 (human-readable name)
  4. Click Next to configure the data source
  5. Select Provider as the data source type
  6. Choose the Data Provider from the dropdown (e.g., IoT Hub)
  7. Enter the Physical ID for device identification (this identifies your physical device)
  8. Enter a Display Name for the provider client
  9. Select the Authentication Type (e.g., SAS Token, X.509 Certificate)
  10. Select a Provider Template that matches your device configuration
  11. Click Next to review your configuration
  12. Select the Organization where this asset will be created
  13. Review all settings and click Create

After creation, you'll be taken to the asset detail page. Copy the connection string displayed on this page—you'll need it to configure your physical device to send data to Beacon Tower.

Tip: Keep your connection string secure. Anyone with this string can send data on behalf of your device.

Step 5: View Telemetry​

Once your physical device is configured and sending data:

  1. Navigate to the asset detail page by clicking on your asset from the Assets list
  2. Telemetry values will appear in the asset view as soon as data starts arriving
  3. You can view recent telemetry values and their timestamps

To better visualize your telemetry data:

  1. In the Dashboards card on the asset detail page, click Add
  2. Select a dashboard from the list (or create a new one)
  3. The dashboard will display your telemetry data in charts and visualizations

Note: Telemetry data may take a few moments to appear after your device starts sending data. Ensure your device is properly configured with the connection string and is successfully connecting to the data provider.

Next Steps​

Congratulations! You've created your first model and asset in Beacon Tower. Here are some recommended next steps:

  • Learn about Models and DTDL for advanced model configuration including properties, commands, and relationships
  • Create Dashboards to visualize your data with customizable charts and widgets
  • Set up Alarms and Notifications to monitor your assets and receive alerts when conditions are met
  • Organize assets with Trees to create hierarchical structures that reflect your physical infrastructure
  • Explore the API Reference to automate asset creation and management programmatically