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📢 OPC UA podcast is out 🍿📹📢 OPC UA is one of the most comprehensive OT standards, serving as a backbone for industrial data communication in Industry 4.0. While many OT experts are familiar with OPC UA, there are still misunderstandings and misinformation about this standard. That's why we sat down with Randy Armstrong, Chair of the OPC UA security working group and a key contributor to the development of OPC UA specifications, to address some of the most frequently asked questions from the community. This is a lengthy interview as we cover many topics from the OPC UA basics to advanced technical subjects. So, we've provided a timeline of the questions in the YouTube video description to help you access specific topics by clicking on different questions. Have more questions? Feel free to ask! https://lnkd.in/gY7Auugs IMPORTANT NOTE from the guest speaker: At a couple points in the podcast (e.g. at 00:31:10) I raised File Transfer as a useful informational model that implementers could benefit from as they discover new requirements. I wanted to point out that the file transfer model is a lot more than just what you get from a HTTP/FTP upload or download. It provides a File IO API similar to what one gets in most programming languages with features as seeking to access any point in the file and recovery after network interruptions. #iot #iiot #industry40 #opc #opcua #mqtt #industrialcontrol #industrialautomation #plc #hmi #scada #podcast #community #networking #blociot

🚨 Attention OT, Industry 4.0 and IIoT Professionals! 🚨 If you’ve worked in the OT or IIoT space, you’ve probably come across OPC and OPC UA—the standard for exchanging data between various devices like PLCs and HMIs in OT and IT networks. But let’s be real—there’s still a lot of confusion and misinformation out there about OPC UA. 🤔 💡 That’s why we’ve invited a core technical expert from the OPC UA working groups to join us for an exclusive podcast where they’ll break it all down and answer your toughest technical questions! 🎙️ Podcast Recording Happening Soon! 🎙️ This is not a sponsored podcast! We want **YOU** to be a part of this! Got a burning question about OPC UA? ANY technical question! Now’s your chance to get answers. Whether you're an experienced pro or just starting out, your questions are welcome. 🔧 What to Expect: - No fluff or politics—just pure technical insights and discussions. - Answers to questions from junior to senior OT, IT, and IIoT professionals 📢 How You Can Help: - Ask a question: Submit your technical question or concern about OPC UA on the comment below or send them to us through a direct message - Spread the word: Please tag someone who could ask a technical question or could benefit from this podcast! This is your chance to get clarity and help the entire community level up! Don’t miss out! 💥 #iot #iiot #opc #opcua #industry40 #industrialautomation #industrialcontrol #plc #hmi #ot #digitaltransformation #technicaltalk #community #blociot

In a recent video, we demonstrated how to create MQTT sensors in Home Assistant to visualize two analog inputs from a Siemens LOGO mini PLC . We received several questions on how to send control commands from a Home Assistant dashboard to a LOGO. This quick video is here to answer that question. First, we'll review the MQTT topic payloads configured in our LOGO, then we'll show how to control LOGO digital outputs Q1-Q4 from a Home Assistant dashboard. As a bonus, we'll also cover two additional topics: 1. A useful Visual Studio Code extension that converts complex JSON objects into a clear graphical representation. 2. How to use a ZigBee push button to toggle LOGO outputs through Home Assistant automation. We'd love to hear about the creative projects you're building with Home Assistant and industrial-grade devices like LOGO! #homeautomation #homeassistant #mqtt #siemens #PLC #industrialautomation #hmi #zigbee #iot #iiot #industry40 #blociot https://lnkd.in/gyvSBVGM

This new video is for Siemens TIA Portal beginner to advanced users. In this comprehensive tutorial, we’ll show you a hidden feature in TIA Portal which you can use for FREE (no additional license needed) and not many users know about it! We will walk you through all the steps needed to build a version control system integrated into TIA Portal so you can easily keep track of changes in your project in a central repository with a few simple clicks. In the era of Industry 4.0, using a version control system to track changes in PLC, HMI, SCADA programs and configurations is a must. Gone are the days of manually creating new copies of projects and storing them on your hard drive with a new folder name (e.g., PROJECT_NAME_DATE_REV). So if you are a TIA Portal user, don't miss this tutorial out! Have you worked with a similar tool on other automation platforms? As always, if you have any questions or feedback, drop them in the comments or reach out to us—we’d love to hear from you after you give this hidden feature a try! https://lnkd.in/gh4KYwz8 #industrialautomation #tiaporta #plc #hmi #scada #industry40 #iot #iiot #versioncontrol #siemens #innovation #blociot

In this short video, we walk you through the essential components needed to provide internet to a machine or a plant using a cellular network. Watch as we unbox and assemble each part, making it easy for you to set up your own cellular internet connection. This router can be used instead of the WiFi client module we discussed in a previous video to remotely access PLCs, HMIs, VFDs, and more using the Sinema RC VPN solution (Sinema RC video can be found here 👉 https://lnkd.in/giSZYPrY ) #siemens #iot #iiot #industrialautomation #industrialnetwork #vpn #remotemonitoring #sinemarc #blociot https://lnkd.in/gBjNrCnS

Andreas Vogler's open-source project, "Frankenstein Gateway," is an excellent tool for bridging the gap between IT and OT data. It is a personal project completed in his spare time. This gateway aggregates OT data from various sources, such as PLCs with legacy protocols like Modbus, OPC UA servers, and MQTT brokers, into a single platform. It allows the IT team to access the aggregated data through GraphQL queries, OPC UA, MQTT, and more. Additionally, the gateway enables users to log all data into various databases, including InfluxData DB, QuestDB, and others. This video is a complete tutorial on the Frankenstein Gateway, featuring live demos of five different use cases and real-life architectures. We will also get to know Andreas better, exploring his journey, the lessons learned during the gateway's development as a personal project to learn Kotlin, and his vision on Industry 4.0 topics such as OPC UA, MQTT, UNS, and more. Don't forget to check the project page out at automation-gateway.com Grab a beverage, hit play, and enjoy!📺 ------------------------------------------- Video chapters: 01:20 introduction, who is Andreas Vogler, what is the Frankenstein Gateway and how the project was started? 08:23 technical overview of the Frankenstein Gateway, how it works, what technologies does it use and what it can do? 15:44 Kotlin, Andreas's experience with this programming language 19:50 Intro to live demos 21:10 how to download the project and access the documentation? 22:10 Use case 1, OPC UA Aggregation 26:25 Use case 2, OPC UA + MQTT Aggregation 29:11 Use case 3, MQTT and GraphQL Server 33:41 Use case 4, Database Logging, InfluxDB and QuestDB 38:52 Use case 5, MQTT and Kafka Logging 42:20 Why this project is so important? 43:11 The future of the Frankenstein Gateway project 44:15 How you can donate to this project? 45:44 Contribute to the development of this project by adding a UI 46:41 A short discussion on the OPC UA, MQTT and the concept of Unified Namespace 55:10 Final words, Unity, Low-code and Node-Red and conclusions #iot #iiot #industrialautomation #PLC #HMI #SCADA #mqtt #opcua #graphql #gateway #OT #dataintegration #opensource #kotlin #kafka #database #blociot https://lnkd.in/gdpd2v_v

👋 Hey BlocIoT family, In this new tutorial, we show you how to integrate a Siemens LOGO! mini PLC with Home Assistant, the leading open-source smart home platform. 🚀🏠 In previous tutorials, we learned how to use the Siemens LOGO to publish data to a local MQTT broker. Now, we're excited to take it further by integrating LOGO with Home Assistant as an MQTT sensor! Here's what you can expect in this tutorial: 🔹 A quick intro to Home Assistant for those who never used it 🔹 Overview of the hardware used 🔹 Step-by-step configuration of Home Assistant to integrate LOGO as an MQTT sensor with two entities 🔹 Live demo: Monitoring LOGO analog inputs on a Home Assistant dashboard 🔹 Ideas for using this setup in your smart home or smart building projects Interested in enhancing your smart home system? 🤔 Have any questions or ideas? Drop a comment below! 💬👇 Check out the video and let's discuss how we can improve smart home technology together! https://lnkd.in/ge6sgeG3 #SmartHome #HomeAssistant #IoT #IIoT #SiemensLOGO #MQTT #industrialautomation #PLC #HMI #dashboard #blociot

🚨 Are you still using outdated HMI panels with Microsoft Windows CE or SCADA systems powered by VBScript? It's time to act now before you run into serious issues! ⚠️ Many HMI panels have relied on Windows CE for decades. However, mainstream support ended on October 9, 2018, and extended support ended on October 10, 2023. This means no more patches or updates for any bugs discovered in Windows CE. Also, Last year, Microsoft announced that VBScript will only be available as a "feature on demand" in future Windows releases, and will eventually be removed entirely. What does this mean in OT systems, you may ask? Well, this will eliminate all the dynamic link libraries (.dll files) of VBScript, causing many SCADA systems that rely on VBScript to stop functioning. 💡 Siemens has made a smart move by introducing the WinCC Unified ecosystem. Their Unified panels are based on a customized Linux distro, eliminating the dependency on Microsoft or Windows CE. Plus, they use JavaScript instead of VBScript as the scripting engine. You can easily upgrade your old HMI and SCADA systems to the new Unified platform with the tools that is provided by Siemens. ❓ What other HMI panel and SCADA vendors do you know that have upgraded their platforms to remove dependency on Windows CE and VBScript? Contact your vendor today and ask about their plans to prevent any unexpected disruptions in your operations. Act now to future-proof your systems! 💪 #microsoft #siemens #hmi #scada #windows #vbscript #industrialautomation #iot #iiot #ot #blociot

Modularity and hardware/software compatibility are among the most important features of an IoT device. In our latest video, we demonstrate just how straightforward it is to integrate an Arduino Uno relay shield with Siemens IOT2050 or IOT2040 devices for real-world interfacing. Additionally, we showcase the use of Node-Red for testing the integration and provide a step-by-step guide on controlling a fan through a graphical dashboard. By the way, if you're not familiar with the Siemens IOT2050 SBC, check out our other video on SBCs and IOT2050 for a helpful introduction (https://lnkd.in/g8-k4pXr) Happy building and exploring the world of cool IIoT projects! https://lnkd.in/gT4iwZh5 #iot #iiot #industry40 #nodered #siemens #iot2050 #plc #industrialautomation #industrialcontrol #hmi #blociot

Our first video for the Siemens LOGO! PLC masterclass is now live! 🚀 This course caters to individuals with little to no background in industrial automation, aiming to empower them with proficiency in both hardware and software aspects of Siemens LOGO! (mini) PLC. While we've previously released tutorial videos covering advanced features of LOGO!, such as MQTT communications or email notifications, this organized course is designed to guide students, electricians, or anyone interested in a career path within industrial automation and IIoT. For experienced automation engineers seeking a comprehensive tutorial to kickstart their journey with LOGO, we recommend checking out our other video here: https://lnkd.in/dR4-z7Ev In this new video (Part 1), we begin from scratch, covering topics such as wiring a LOGO!, obtaining the necessary programming software, and navigating through essential menus and options to establish a strong foundation. Next videos will dive into programming and utilizing various instructions in both ladder and FBD languages. Additionally, we showcase the functionality of the LOGO! display menus, revealing the impressive capabilities of this compact controller. Did you know that you can create or modify a program for your LOGO! using the integrated keyboard on the device? #industrialautomation #industrialcontrol #PLC #siemens #iot #iiot #plcprgramming #siemenslogo #training #blociot https://lnkd.in/ghQM_2ij