IEC 60870-5-104 runs over TCP/IP. The port number defines where the controlled station (RTU or IED) listens for incoming connections from the controlling station (SCADA master). Two ports are used in practice: Getting the port wrong means no connection. Leaving it unprotected means your SCADA system is exposed. This guide covers everything about IEC 104 ports — from… Read More »
IACS Cybersecurity focuses on protecting Industrial Automation and Control Systems (IACS) such as SCADA, PLCs, RTUs, DCS, IEDs, and industrial networks from cyber threats while ensuring safety, availability, and operational reliability. For operators of critical infrastructure—power utilities, oil and gas, manufacturing, water, and renewable energy—cybersecurity is no longer optional. Modern industrial systems are connected, remote-access enabled, and increasingly… Read More »
IEC 61850 does not treat control operations as simple “write a value and hope it works.” Instead, it defines formal control models that describe how a command is issued, who is allowed to issue it, and how safety is guaranteed. These control models are one of the most important — and most misunderstood — parts of IEC 61850.… Read More »
DNP3 (Distributed Network Protocol) is widely used in power systems, water utilities, and industrial SCADA systems. One of its most misunderstood features is the event class system. Many engineers assume that Class 1, 2, and 3 represent fixed priorities defined by the protocol. In reality, DNP3 works differently. This article explains what DNP3 event classes really are, how… Read More »
IEC 60870-5-104 (IEC-104) is one of the most widely used telecontrol protocols in electrical power systems. It plays a central role in communication between substations, RTUs, and control centers, especially in transmission and distribution SCADA systems. IEC-104 is reliable, efficient, and well understood by utilities worldwide. However, when the protocol was originally designed, cybersecurity was not a primary… Read More »
Commercial SCADA software costs thousands of dollars per license. For students, small plants, research labs, and proof-of-concept projects, that cost is a barrier. The good news: several free and open-source SCADA platforms now deliver real-time monitoring, alarm management, HMI design, data logging, and PLC integration — without any licensing cost. Some have no tag limits. Some run in… Read More »
Everything engineers need to know about Basic Types, Common Data Classes, and how they appear in GOOSE, Sampled Values, MMS, and SCL. IEC 61850 is much more than a communication protocol—it is a semantic language designed to describe protection, control, measurement, and automation inside modern substations. At the core of this language lies one essential concept: 👉 Every… Read More »
Modern industrial networks depend heavily on remote communication. Whether it is a control center talking to a substation, a SCADA system collecting data from a water pump, or a utility monitoring dozens of remote field stations, the network path between these locations must be reliable, secure, and predictable. Two common technologies are used today to connect a central… Read More »
The CIP protocol (Common Industrial Protocol) is an open, object-oriented communication standard used across modern industrial automation. It defines how devices organize data, how services are requested, and how real-time I/O and safety/motion extensions operate—while running over multiple network types such as EtherNet/IP, DeviceNet, ControlNet, and CompoNet. This guide explains CIP’s architecture, object model, messaging, connections, safety and… Read More »
Modbus is a simple protocol, but the values inside registers can be displayed in many different ways. A single 16-bit register can represent: The challenge is that the Modbus protocol never tells you how to interpret the number. Only the device’s documentation explains the meaning. To decode Modbus data correctly, engineers must understand the different data type formats… Read More »