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.
PROFINET vs PROFIBUS: Differences and When to Migrate
PROFINET vs PROFIBUS compared: speed, topology, diagnostics, and cost, plus the proxy migration path and an honest answer on when keeping PROFIBUS is the right call.
SCADA as a Service Explained: Cloud SCADA for Utilities
SCADA as a Service explained: what SaaS means for grid control systems, which functions can move to the cloud, and which have to stay on the plant floor.
Allen-Bradley EtherNet/IP: CIP Configuration Guide
Allen-Bradley EtherNet/IP setup on ControlLogix and CompactLogix: implicit vs explicit messaging, Generic Ethernet Module, MSG instructions, and fault codes.
CIP Security Explained: TLS, X.509, and OT Cybersecurity
CIP Security architecture: TLS for TCP 44818, DTLS for UDP 2222, X.509 certificates, device authentication, trust models, EST provisioning, IEC 62443 alignment.
EtherNet/IP vs Modbus TCP: Complete Comparison Guide
EtherNet/IP vs Modbus TCP: detailed comparison of data models, performance, ports, security, deployment scenarios. When to choose which protocol.
CIP Device Profiles Guide: Interoperability Framework
CIP device profiles explained: how Device Type codes define interoperability. Complete profile catalog (AC Drive 0x02, Discrete I/O 0x07, Encoder 0x22, more).
CIP Motion Explained (Class 0x42 Motion Axis Object)
CIP Motion explained: distributed motion control over EtherNet/IP. Motion Axis Object (Class 0x42), control modes, CIP Sync dependency, servo drive integration.
CIP Sync Explained: IEEE 1588 PTP for Industrial Networks
CIP Sync explained: IEEE 1588 PTP for CIP networks. Time Sync Object (Class 0x43), grandmaster/boundary clocks, Best Master Clock Algorithm, offset clock model.
CIP Path Segments Explained: EPATH Encoding for Engineers
Complete guide to CIP path segments: Port, Logical, Network, Symbolic, Data segments. Decode 20 04 24 66, EPATH format, Electronic Key segment, padded vs packed.
CIP Connection Manager Object Explained (Class 0x06)
CIP Connection Manager Object (Class 0x06): the object behind Forward_Open. Services, attributes, counters, Network Connection Parameters, error codes.
CIP Ethernet Link Object Explained (Class 0xF6)
Complete CIP Ethernet Link Object reference (Class 0xF6): Interface Flags, MAC address, link speed, RFC 1213/1643 counters, multi-port DLR diagnostics.
CIP TCP/IP Interface Object Explained (Class 0xF5)
Complete guide to CIP TCP/IP Interface Object (Class 0xF5): IP address, subnet mask, gateway, DNS, DHCP/BOOTP, multicast configuration, TTL, attributes.
CIP Connection Types Explained: Transport Class 0, 1, 2, and 3
Complete guide to CIP transport classes: Class 0, 1, 2, 3 connection types, the Transport Class Trigger byte, production triggers, and Forward_Open encoding.
CIP Identity Object Explained: How Every EtherNet/IP Device Identifies Itself
Complete guide to the CIP Identity Object (Class 0x01): Vendor ID, Device Type, Product Code, Revision, Status, Serial Number, Reset service, electronic keying.
CIP Assembly Object Explained: How EtherNet/IP Devices Bundle I/O Data
How the CIP Assembly Object works in EtherNet/IP: input and output assemblies, instance attributes, and how the data maps into an I/O connection.
EDS Files Explained: How EtherNet/IP Devices Describe Themselves
Complete guide to CIP EDS files: structure, sections, [File], [Device], [Params], [Assembly], [Connection Manager], importing, and troubleshooting.
CIP Forward_Open Service Explained: How Every EtherNet/IP Connection Starts
Complete guide to the CIP Forward_Open service: request structure, network connection parameters, transport class, electronic keying, and Extended Status.
CIP Data Types Complete Reference: Elementary, String, Time, and Structured Types
Complete reference of CIP data types: BOOL, SINT, INT, DINT, REAL, STRING, EPATH, structured types, type codes, sizes, ranges, and encoding rules.