Industrial Automation Magazine India

Softing Industrial introduces edgeConnector for the integration of Allen Bradley controllers into industrial edge applications

Published on : Saturday 08-06-2024

With the new Docker-based software module edgeConnector Allen-Bradley PLC, users can easily connect to their ControlLogix and CompactLogix controllers.

June 2024 – Softing has announced the expansion of its Docker-based edgeConnector product family with the introduction of edgeConnector Allen-Bradley PLC, providing convenient access to data from ControlLogix and CompactLogix controllers.

With the new Docker-based software module edgeConnector Allen-Bradley PLC, users can easily connect to their ControlLogix and CompactLogix controllers. The data from the controllers is made available on edge devices or virtual environments via OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) and Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT). This enables flexible integration into on-premises or cloud environments without modifying the existing Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) configuration.

edgeConnector Allen-Bradley PLC is easy to configure locally via an integrated web interface. Alternatively, remote global mass configurations are possible via Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interface (REST API).

There are now five edgeConnector products available for the most common control systems. Besides the new edgeConnector Allen-Bradley PLC, these are edgeConnector Siemens, edgeConnector 840D, edgeConnector Fanuc CNC, and edgeConnector Modbus. All edgeConnector products can be deployed very quickly thanks to containerised technology. They are operated on standard hardware and can be easily managed centrally. The integrated MQTT publisher/subscriber functionality allows Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions to be set up flexibly. The edgeConnectors support state-of-the-art security standards such as SSL/TLS, X.509 certificates, authentication, and data encryption. This gives users a simple and secure way to integrate data from production into innovative and flexible IIoT solutions.

"We are again expanding our Docker-based edgeConnector product family to address the growing need for integration interfaces in software that can be operated on standard hardware and can be managed efficiently," explains Abel Jimenez, Product Manager at Softing Industrial. "In this way, we support users and system integrators in bridging the gap between OT and IT."

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