PLC Data to MQTT
Passive methods to stream PLC tags to MQTT brokers and cloud platforms without touching ladder logic or stopping the line.
Industrial Automation · Reference Library
News & Insights
Selection guides, head-to-head comparisons, and field-tested configuration notes for control engineers, integrators, and maintenance teams.
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1
HMI-PLC Integration Decision Guide
Combine display, control, and I/O in one package with a single software tool. When integration simplifies the machine and when a separate PLC and panel still earn their keep through modularity and independent upgrade paths.
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2
Web Panel vs Panel PC
ARM-based web panels render HTML5 SCADA screens at $600-$1,400 with no OS license. x86 panel PCs run native Windows SCADA at $2,200-$5,500 plus licensing.
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3
Edge vs Cloud IIoT Decision Framework
A cloud round-trip takes 80-300 ms. A stamping press at 120 strokes per minute needs a fault decision in under 8 ms. When machine physics demands local edge computing and when batch analytics and long-term historization belong in the cloud.
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4
Safety Analog Input vs General-Purpose
A general-purpose analog input has one ADC — a single failure can produce a plausible-but-wrong reading. A safety-rated input has dual ADCs with cross-checking and 99 percent diagnostic coverage.
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5
Micron-Level Vision Inspection
A 12-megapixel sensor with telecentric optics resolves 5 um per pixel at 60 mm FOV — catching defects finer than a human hair.
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6
Magnetic Particle Inspection
Magnetic particle inspection magnetizes the part and applies iron particles — surface cracks distort the field, pulling particles into a visible indication.
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7
Resistance Welding Regulation Modes
Constant current compensates for resistance changes during nugget formation. Constant power delivers consistent heat regardless of contact resistance. Constant voltage is simplest but least adaptive.
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8
Piezoceramic vs Voice-Coil I/P Transducers
A voice-coil I/P uses a moving coil like a loudspeaker — susceptible to vibration-induced drift. A piezoceramic I/P uses a bending ceramic element with no moving coil — inherently vibration-resistant.
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9
AB HMI Selection
Three Allen-Bradley HMI families, PanelView Plus 6, 800, 5000, run on different software. Compare tools and best-fit jobs, pick the right PanelView.
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10
Text Panel vs Touch Screen HMI
A text panel displays two lines of 20 characters with six function keys — boots in one second, costs under $300, no OS to patch. A touch screen delivers full graphics at 3-5x the price.