Know which machines are running, and why the others are not.
Operators scan a QR sticker on the machine to say why it stopped. Machines and gateways send a heartbeat so you know they are alive. What Started turns both into a live board, alerts and downtime reports.
Free plan, no card needed.
Press 4
Running
1,284 parts
Lathe 2
Down
Tool change · 14 min
Mill 1
Waiting
Material · 6 min
Oven 3
Running
192.4 °C
Saw 1
Idle
No cycles · 22 min
Robot cell
No signal
Last ping 4 min ago
A QR sticker on every machine
Print a sticker from the machine's page. When the machine stops, the operator scans it with a phone and taps the reason: waiting for material, tool change, breakdown. No app to install and no account for operators. The buttons are big enough for gloves.
This works on any machine, however old, with nothing to wire up.
A heartbeat from anything that can send a web request
A PLC gateway, Ignition, KEPServerEX, Node-RED or a short script sends a ping with the machine's status, and on paid plans its cycle count, part number and readings. Miss two pings and you get an email.
curl -X POST https://<your-heartbeat-address>/api/v1/ping \
-H "Authorization: Bearer hbp_…" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"status": "run", "cycleCount": 1284, "partNumber": "A-113"}'No gateway? Use the PC next to the machine
Many machines can't send a web request themselves. Install the What Started Agent on the line PC, HMI PC or a Raspberry Pi next to the machine and pair it with a code from Settings. It sends the machine's heartbeat from then on, with no programming, password or API key on the PC. Windows and Linux.
What you get
- Live board and TV mode
- Every machine's state and reason, updated as it happens, on a desk or a screen on the floor.
- Alerts
- Email when a machine goes quiet or goes down. On paid plans also when it stops making parts during a shift, or a reading leaves its range.
- Downtime and OEE reports
- Availability and downtime by reason for each machine, shift and day. Paid plans add performance, quality and OEE from cycle counts and scrap.
- Your data, out
- CSV export on every plan. Paid plans add a read API and signed webhooks for your ERP, BI or MES.
Start with one machine and a sticker.
Set up a plant, add a machine and print its QR code. It takes a few minutes.