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Hexagon CMM over MTConnect

Protocol: MTConnect · Agent port: 5001 (adapter 7878) · Verify: http://<cmm-pc-ip>:5001/current · Cable: the network port on the CMM's controller PC — the agent runs on that PC, not on the measuring head.

For where the cable goes and how to set the control's IP, subnet and gateway, see Physical Connection in the MTConnect overview.

Hexagon coordinate measuring machines report inspection activity over MTConnect.

Enabling MTConnect​

Hexagon MTConnect Documentation

For full setup instructions from Hexagon, refer to the Metrology Asset Manager MTConnect Guide on Hexagon Nexus.

How It Works

Hexagon's MTConnect implementation uses two components:

ComponentWhat It IsRuns On
MTConnect AdapterBuilt into Metrology Connector. Reads CMM data and sends it to the AgentCMM control PC
MTConnect AgentOpen-source app (cppagent). Receives data from the Adapter and serves it over HTTPCMM control PC or external PC

MachineMetrics connects to the MTConnect Agent HTTP endpoint (port 5001 by default).

Port 7878

In standard MTConnect, port 7878 is the internal TCP port the Agent uses to communicate with the Adapter — it is not an HTTP client endpoint. If you have been connecting MachineMetrics at port 7878, confirm with your MachineMetrics engineer as this may depend on your specific Edge configuration.

Prerequisites:

  • Nexus account (sign up at nexus.hexagon.com)
  • Advanced entitlement (or Local Advanced entitlement) of Metrology Asset Manager
  • Metrology Connector V7.1 or higher installed on the CMM control PC
  • Network access between the Agent PC and MachineMetrics Edge
  • PC-DMIS installed on the CMM PC (optional — only required if you need program name/cycle data)

Setup Steps:

Part 1: Configure the MTConnect Adapter in Metrology Connector

  1. Sign in to your Nexus account, download and install Metrology Connector from User Menu → User Preferences → Downloads
  2. Open Metrology Connector and click the Settings icon (large gear, upper right)
  3. Under Service and interfaces, click the MTConnect Adapter tab
  4. Check the checkbox next to your CMM asset (must already be upgraded to Advanced)
  5. Toggle on Interface Enabled in the Advanced Settings
  6. Note the port number shown — this is what the Agent will connect to (default is typically 7878). It can be changed, but must match the agent.cfg file
  7. Click Save Changes

Part 2: Set Up the MTConnect Agent

  1. Download the MTConnect Agent (cppagent) from GitHub: https://github.com/mtconnect/cppagent/releases
  2. Unzip the downloaded archive to a folder on your C drive (for example, C:\Users\Public\Downloads\mtconnect-agent\). The exact folder name may vary depending on the version you downloaded.
  3. Edit agent.cfg in the bin subfolder of the folder you extracted (for example, C:\Users\Public\Downloads\mtconnect-agent\bin\agent.cfg)
    • Ensure the adapter port in this file matches what was set in Step 6 above
  4. Open a command window in the bin folder (type cmd in the folder path bar, press Enter)
  5. Run: agent.exe debug
  6. The Agent is now running

Part 3: Test and Connect

  1. In a browser on the Agent PC, navigate to http://127.0.0.1:5001/current
  2. You should see MTConnect XML data
  3. Provide the Agent PC's IP and port 5001 to MachineMetrics for Edge configuration

Data Flow:

  1. CMM control PC runs Metrology Connector with MTConnect Adapter enabled
  2. Adapter sends CMM data to the MTConnect Agent (internal connection)
  3. Agent serves data over HTTP at http://[Agent-PC-IP]:5001/current
  4. MachineMetrics Edge polls the Agent endpoint and ingests data

Configuration​

Software Required:

  • Metrology Connector V7.1 or higher (download from Hexagon Nexus)
  • MTConnect Agent — open-source cppagent (GitHub)
  • PC-DMIS (optional — only required for program name/cycle data)

License Requirement:

  • Advanced entitlement of Metrology Asset Manager (obtained via Nexus account)
  • Local Advanced entitlement also supported for non-internet environments

Key Configuration:

  • Enable the MTConnect Adapter tab in Metrology Connector Settings → Service and interfaces
  • Adapter (inside Metrology Connector) runs on the CMM control PC and feeds the Agent
  • MachineMetrics connects to the MTConnect Agent at port 5001
  • Agent can run on the same CMM control PC or a separate PC
  • Adapter port (typically 7878) must match what is set in agent.cfg

Data Available:

  • CMM status (idle, measuring, alarm)
  • Program execution state
  • Cycle data
  • Measurement events

Documentation: