Breathing New Life into Legacy PLCs

PLCIgnition

Mar 13

Many of our customers are still running old PLC hardware. And we’re not talking about PLCs from 2014 either. We’ve seen PLC-5s, SLC-500s, Modicon Hardware from when Modbus was first invented, and the occasional Siemens PLC with a series number less than 1200.

But, it is relatively easy to get these PLCs communicating with modern SCADA systems like Ignition. It might require a Prosoft module to convert from DH+ or ControlNet to ethernet, a Modbus RTU to Modbus TCP/IP Converter—or in the worst case—running serial cables between your PLCs and the server.

However, you will need to jump through more hoops if you want to use MQTT and/or Sparkplug B to implement a Unified Namespace (or connect multiple systems from different facilities to a centralized enterprise data management system).

Ignition Can Solve Any Problem

Ignition makes it easier than ever to connect all your devices. Relatively recently, the Ignition platform consolidated the device communication modules into the Ignition Platform license. So, even if you were using a different SCADA platform, you could run the Ignition Platform just to give you access to every device type that Ignition can connect with. This means you could connect Allen Bradley PLCs to DNP3 Devices, Modbus Devices to Omron Devices, BACNet devices to all of the above—and still have plenty of options. Once your data is in Ignition, you can then expose Ignition’s OPC-UA server to any other system for full access to all of your tags in Ignition.

You still might need to get some hardware so that your very old PLCs can communicate with Ignition, but this still may be a good stopgap before you need to upgrade your hardware to modern alternatives. Once your devices are connected to Ignition, you can start building a truly modern solution for any problem your business might be facing.

Opto 22 Bridges the Hardware Divide

Depending on the complexity and scale of your operation, you might need to collect data from multiple sites, add new automation alongside your existing hardware, or may want to examine energy use across your devices for cost savings and efficiency gains.

Choosing an Opto 22 groovEPIC or groovRIO running Ignition Edge can be invaluable. You can put a groovEPIC inside an existing facility and use it to bridge multiple PLC devices to your existing OT network, or you can install a groovEPIC or groovRIO at a remote site to get data from distributed resources into your enterprise system. Running Ignition Edge on Opto 22 groov hardware is the easiest way to accomplish this. Inside the Ignition Edge gateway, you can connect to your existing PLC devices, then send any and all of your data using the MQTT and/or Sparkplug B frameworks to your enterprise with the MQTT Transmission Module functionality from Cirrus Link built into Ignition Edge.

With this approach, you can map all of your data to a hierarchical model—even if you are using legacy PLCs without the this native capability. Then you can add any of your equipment into your Unified Namespace if you have one.

You can also accomplish a similar result by running NodeRED on the groov hardware, although there will be a few additional steps to connect to your existing equipment. Not to worry, you can still leverage the power of MQTT and Sparkplug B with NodeRED.

Your Digital Roadmap

Automation has come a long way since 2011 when the term Industry 4.0 was first coined. Implementing technology like MQTT, Ignition, NodeRED, and Opto 22 groov EPICs and groov RIOs simplifies implementing an Industry 4.0, or IIoT solutions.

Corso Systems has experience integrating everything from thousands of PLCs spread across the largest manufacturing facility in the world into multiple enterprise level Ignition systems, all the way down to individual machine control and monitoring systems for OEM suppliers and even small manufacturers who want better access to their data and information.

Corso Systems has experience integrating projects of all sizes. From integrating thousands of PLCs in the world's largest manufacturing facility into multiple enterprise level Ignition systems to small projects controlling and monitoring individual machines for both large OEM suppliers and small manufacturers. We can help businesses gain access to their data and information. There's no limit to what we can do with today's technology, and it's still improving every day!