300+ SCADA Protocol Articles & Guides
Deep dives on Modbus, DNP3, IEC 60870-5-101/104, IEC 61850, OPC UA, Profinet, MQTT, IEC 62443, and substation automation — written for practicing engineers.
Python MQTT: Complete Guide to paho-mqtt 2.x
Python MQTT with paho-mqtt 2.x: connect, publish, subscribe, QoS, TLS, JSON, reconnection and common errors. Working code plus the 2026 API change.
Null Modem Cable Pinout: DB9 & DB25 Wiring Reference
Null modem cable pinout for DB9 and DB25 connectors. See 3-wire, loopback, and full handshaking wiring, plus how it differs from a straight cable.
XON and XOFF: Software Flow Control Explained
XON and XOFF are the two characters behind serial software flow control. See the DC1/DC3 codes, the pause-resume cycle, and when to use it vs RTS/CTS.
ICCP Device Control: SBO Select and Operate Explained
ICCP device control step by step: the SBO cycle, CheckBackID verification, timeout and tag rules, every error code, and where command feedback actually comes from.
ICCP Security: Hardening TASE.2 Links With IEC 62351
ICCP security explained: what native TASE.2 does and doesn't protect, the MMS service lockdown, TLS on port 3782, IEC 62351-4 authentication, and what to specify.
ICCP Transfer Sets: How TASE.2 Reporting Really Works
ICCP transfer sets explained: the lifecycle, every DSTransmissionPars parameter, how RBE, buffer time and integrity check interact, and four proven configurations.
Modbus Parity and Character Format
Modbus parity and character format: data bits, parity, and stop bits for RTU and ASCII, the even-parity default, the two-stop-bit rule, and what parity misses.
Wireshark ICCP: How to Decode TASE.2 Traffic
Wireshark ICCP analysis: capture ports 102 and 3782, fix MMS decoding, tell ICCP from IEC 61850, and read associations, transfer reports, and device controls.
ICCP Conformance Blocks: What Servers Actually Support
ICCP conformance blocks decoded: what blocks 1-5 give you, why blocks 6-9 were removed, how to read Supported_Features, and the spec quirks around blocks 3, 11, 12.
The ICCP Protocol Stack: OSI Over TCP/IP Explained
ICCP protocol stack layer by layer: TASE.2, MMS and ACSE over OSI presentation and session, ITOT (RFC 2126) on TCP/IP, ports 102/3782, selectors, QOS and priority.
ICCP Bilateral Tables Explained (TASE.2 Access Control)
How ICCP bilateral tables work: the agreement behind them, association checks, per-object access control, the Bilateral_Table_ID variable, and the CIM exchange model.
What Is the ICCP Protocol? TASE.2 (IEC 60870-6) Explained
ICCP (TASE.2) connects utility control centers over WANs. How it works: MMS foundation, bilateral tables, transfer sets, device control, and conformance blocks.
MQTT 5 Payload Format Indicator & Content Type Explained
How MQTT 5 payload format description works: the Payload Format Indicator (0/1) and Content Type property, MIME types, encoding, and interoperability use cases.
What Is AMQP 0.9.1? A Complete Guide to the Protocol
AMQP 0.9.1 explained: the RabbitMQ protocol, exchanges, queues, bindings, routing keys, delivery guarantees, and why it remains widely used despite AMQP 1.0.
MQTT vs AMQP: A Complete Comparison
MQTT vs AMQP compared: the differences between MQTT and both AMQP 0.9.1 and AMQP 1.0, feature by feature, with honest guidance on which fits which use case.
What Is AMQP 1.0? A Complete Guide to the Protocol
AMQP 1.0 explained: the ISO/IEC 19464 messaging protocol, its peer-to-peer model, nodes, links, delivery guarantees, security, and how it compares to alternatives.
HTTP vs MQTT: Which to Use for Real-Time Messaging
HTTP vs MQTT compared for real-time messaging: long polling, SSE, WebSockets, and MQTT weighed on latency, scale, direction, and delivery guarantees.
Open Source MQTT Broker: Mosquitto vs EMQX vs HiveMQ CE vs VerneMQ
Open source MQTT brokers compared: Mosquitto, EMQX, HiveMQ CE, and VerneMQ. Features, licenses, clustering, Sparkplug B, and honest guidance on when to pick each.