# Tags not updating in the designer **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Tags:** perspective\ **Created:** [February 20, 2024, 4:16pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/tags-not-updating-in-the-designer/86031 "2024-02-20T16:16:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ebrahim\_Karam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df788c/32.png) [@Ebrahim\_Karam](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Ebrahim_Karam)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 4:16pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/tags-not-updating-in-the-designer/86031/1 "2024-02-20T16:16:21Z")
I have a programmable device simulator and the tags are not updating fast enough in the designer. I have one boolean that is set to have a value of square(1.0, 0.0, 1.0, true) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/4/e/4e3f0130c6f6ebb4c2c91f044b43e4f7aa4b9a7b.png) If the cycle is 1 second or less the data doesn't get updated in the designer or in the HMI tags that rely on it ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/3/f/3fc320423287c9c6d251dc796ea8ebe33c10904f.png) What may I do to fix this or what am I missing ---
**Author:** ![Transistor](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/transistor/32/3380_2.png) [@Transistor](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Transistor)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 4:48pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/tags-not-updating-in-the-designer/86031/2 "2024-02-20T16:48:10Z")
![Tag group for flasher](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/c/7/c769c3a66676c3914feba40711f9f3cd416f3607.png) You are polling the tag at the rate defined in the Default tag group. The default rate for this is 1000 ms. Create a new tag group with a faster scan rate. ![Tag groups](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/3/f/3f407a596dea340f299d506b83f6de753f8a004f.png) Then edit the tag to use the new group. ---
**Author:** ![Ebrahim\_Karam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df788c/32.png) [@Ebrahim\_Karam](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Ebrahim_Karam)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 5:39pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/tags-not-updating-in-the-designer/86031/3 "2024-02-20T17:39:22Z")
So this what I have set the tag group to be ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/e/f/ef1396d147d94dcfaabb3aa1dd2c72467dcd8a4f.png) But when I set the rate to speed less than 0.7 square(1.0, 0.0, 0.5, true) I only get a steady signal Am I still missing something ---
**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 5:47pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/tags-not-updating-in-the-designer/86031/4 "2024-02-20T17:47:32Z")
What's the base rate set to in the simulator? > **[Programmable Device Simulator | Ignition User Manual](https://www.docs.inductiveautomation.com/docs/8.1/ignition-modules/opc-ua/opc-ua-drivers/programmable-device-simulator#simulator-settings)** > > The Programmable Device Simulator allows you to add simulator devices that act as if they are connected to a real device. It allows users to read and write Tags without any network or PLC connection. Regardless, this is probably the wrong hammer for this job. I wouldn't recommend driving any "production" logic off a simulator tag. From the tag name, it sounds like you're looking for a "flasher". In Perspective, you _really_ shouldn't use a tag-based flashing approach. Instead, use a style class: > [@Internal flash bit](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/internal-flash-bit/28393/4): > > It’s a tiny bit convoluted, but you can just use a style class for this, too: Set the duration appropriately, then add a stop at 49% with the same color as your 0% state. Then add a stop at 50% (and 100%) with the alternate color. The animation will take 1s to transition through all your steps - so half the time, it will be trying to transition from step 0 to step 49 - but since they’re the same, nothing will happen. Then, after 50% of 1s has elapsed, it switches to the 50% style (a… Or if you insist on using a tag, so that flashing is globally synchronized, just use an expression tag with something like: `getSeconds(now( __someRateIntegerInMilliseconds__ )) % 2 = 0` If the expression tag is set to 'Event Driven' mode, it'll run as fast as the refresh rate you set on `now()`. ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 5:48pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/tags-not-updating-in-the-designer/86031/5 "2024-02-20T17:48:32Z")
I think you have misunderstood how the simulator works. Your square wave period is expected to be an integer, indicating how many cycles of the base rate it lasts. The base rate is an overall setting for the simulator. ---
**Author:** ![Ebrahim\_Karam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df788c/32.png) [@Ebrahim\_Karam](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Ebrahim_Karam)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 6:05pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/tags-not-updating-in-the-designer/86031/6 "2024-02-20T18:05:28Z")
So editing the base rate would do it!! Thank you ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/7/e/7e9e3d55efdd8539e89f11130f059b614ffc4f42.png) So square signal is multiple of the base rate square(1.0, 0.0, 0.5, true) square(min, max, period, repeat) Where period Represents a period of time as a number of Time Intervals. The default value of 10 represents "10 Time Intervals.". So it needs to be a multiple of the base. 1000 ms is the default