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.
CIP General Status Codes Reference: Complete List with Troubleshooting
Complete reference of CIP General Status Codes 0x00 through 0x2B with descriptions, common causes, and troubleshooting steps for every code.
CIP Service Codes Complete Reference: Common Services and Object-Specific Codes
Complete reference of CIP service codes: Get_Attribute_Single, Set_Attribute_Single, Forward_Open, Multiple_Service_Packet, and all common services.
DLR Device Level Ring Explained: Ring Redundancy for EtherNet/IP
How DLR delivers 3 ms recovery on EtherNet/IP rings: ring supervisor election, beacon frames, fault detection, topology limits, and troubleshooting.
EtherNet/IP Encapsulation Protocol Explained: The 24-Byte Header That Carries CIP
How EtherNet/IP wraps CIP onto TCP/IP: the 24-byte encapsulation header, commands, session management, Common Packet Format, and status codes.
CIP Safety vs PROFIsafe: An Honest Comparison of SIL3 Safety Protocols
CIP Safety vs PROFIsafe: real technical differences in addressing, time monitoring, engineering tools, ecosystem, and when to pick which. Vendor-neutral.
CIP Safety Explained: How EtherNet/IP Carries SIL3 Safety Data
How CIP Safety works on EtherNet/IP: the Black Channel principle, Safety Validator objects, SafetyOpen, SNN, Time Coordination, and troubleshooting.
PROFINET vs EtherCAT: An Honest Comparison for Real Projects
PROFINET vs EtherCAT compared without the marketing: wire-level differences, cycle times, topology, real cost, ecosystem, and when each is the right call.
S7comm Protocol Explained: How Siemens S7 PLCs Communicate
S7comm protocol explained: how S7-300, S7-400, S7-1200, and S7-1500 talk over TCP port 102, the PDU header, ROSCTR message types, and S7comm vs S7CommPlus.
CIP Object Model Explained: Classes, Instances, Attributes, and Services
Understand the CIP object model used in EtherNet/IP, DeviceNet, and ControlNet. Covers classes, instances, attributes, services, Forward Open, and error codes.
Wireshark EtherNet/IP: Decode CIP Traffic
Wireshark EtherNet/IP capture and decode: CIP services, Forward_Open on TCP 44818, implicit I/O on UDP 2222, status codes, and connection troubleshooting.
PROFINET TIA Portal Configuration: Step-by-Step Guide
PROFINET TIA Portal configuration step by step: GSD install, device naming, module setup, I/O address mapping, update time, download, and online diagnostics.
PROFINET vs EtherNet/IP: Complete Comparison for Industrial Engineers
PROFINET vs EtherNet/IP compared: protocol architecture, real-time performance, GSDML vs EDS, PROFIsafe vs CIP Safety, installed base, and when to choose each.
Wireshark PROFINET: Decode RT, DCP, and IO Traffic
Wireshark PROFINET capture and decode: RT cyclic frames, DCP discovery, connection setup, alarm frames, LLDP topology checks, and cycle-time troubleshooting.
SCADA Security: Complete Guide to Protecting Control Systems
Learn how to secure SCADA systems from cyber threats. Covers network segmentation, remote access, IEC 62443 zones, real attacks, and a practical checklist.
What is PROFINET? Complete Guide for Engineers
What is PROFINET? This complete guide explains how PROFINET works — IO-Controller/IO-Device model, RT classes, IRT, conformance classes, GSDML files, MRP redundancy, PROFIsafe, and how it differs from PROFIBUS. Based on IEC 61784-2.
PROFIBUS vs PROFINET: Key Differences Explained
A detailed technical comparison of PROFIBUS vs PROFINET — covering physical layer, speed, topology, real-time classes, device models, diagnostics, safety, and application profiles. Based on IEC 61784-1 and IEC 61784-2. Written for automation engineers.
CIP Protocol Ports: How EtherNet/IP Uses Ports 44818 and 2222
CIP Protocol Ports explained: learn how EtherNet/IP uses ports 44818 and 2222 to transport CIP messages for configuration, diagnostics, and real-time I/O communication.
Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) in Industrial Ethernet Networks Explained
Learn how Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) works in industrial Ethernet networks. Detailed explanation for SCADA, substations, and OT systems.