Evaluate the AutomationView desktop suite free for 30 days. No credit card required. Claim trial key →
Free Trial person_outline shopping_cart

Automation Insights

Technical articles, tutorials, and industry news for modern automation engineers.

search

Inside OPC UA PubSub over TSN: Deterministic PLC Comm

Learning 
%%{init: {'theme':'dark', 'themeVariables': { 'background': '#001c38' }}}%%
flowchart LR
    style ControllerA fill:#2b6cb0,stroke:#2c5282,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    style Network fill:#319795,stroke:#285e61,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    style ControllerB fill:#2b6cb0,stroke:#2c5282,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    
    ControllerA["Publisher (PLC A)"] -->|"OPC UA PubSub"| Network["TSN Switch"]
    Network -->|"Scheduled Traffic"| ControllerB["Subscriber (PLC B)"]
AutomationView Icon AutomationView
calendar_month

Inside OPC UA PubSub over TSN: Deterministic PLC Comm

Key Takeaways Sub-millisecond Precision: Understand how TSN transforms standard Ethernet into a predictable, deterministic medium for critical control loops. Decoupled Architecture: Leverage the publish-subscribe model to significantly reduce network overhead compared to traditional client-server polling. Legacy Integration: Navigate the hurdles of integrating Time-Sensitive Networking hardware with existing non-TSN plant floor infrastructure. The Shift Toward Deterministic […]

Read Article arrow_forward

Deep Dive: Integrating HTML5 Web Components into Modern SCADA Systems

HMI 
%%{init: {'theme':'dark', 'themeVariables': { 'background': '#001c38' }}}%%
flowchart LR
    A["Legacy HMI"] -.-> B["Proprietary Plugin"]
    B -.-> C["Vendor Lock-In"]
    D["Modern SCADA"] -->|HTML5 + SVG| E["Web Server"]
    E -->|WebSockets| F["Any Browser/Device"]
    
    style A fill:#e74c3c,stroke:#c0392b,color:#fff
    style B fill:#e74c3c,stroke:#c0392b,color:#fff
    style C fill:#c0392b,stroke:#a1281a,color:#fff
    style D fill:#2ecc71,stroke:#27ae60,color:#fff
    style E fill:#3498db,stroke:#2980b9,color:#fff
    style F fill:#9b59b6,stroke:#8e44ad,color:#fff
AutomationView Icon AutomationView
calendar_month

Deep Dive: Integrating HTML5 Web Components into Modern SCADA Systems

The industrial landscape is aggressively pivoting away from proprietary HMI plugins like ActiveX or Java applets. By transitioning to standard web technologies, automation engineers unlock responsive, hardware-agnostic control panels accessible from any authorized device. This guide unpacks the technical framework required for seamless HTML5 SCADA integration. The Middleware Layer: Bridging OPC UA to WebSockets Traditional […]

Read Article arrow_forward

Inside Automate 2026: How Humanoid Robots and Physical AI are Reshaping Intralogistics

Automation News 
%%{init: {'theme':'dark', 'themeVariables': { 'background': '#001c38' }}}%%
flowchart LR
    A["Automate 2026"] --> B["Agentic AI"]
    A --> C["Humanoid Robotics"]
    A --> D["IT/OT Convergence"]
    style A fill:#0d9488,stroke:#fff,color:#fff
    style B fill:#2563eb,stroke:#fff,color:#fff
    style C fill:#2563eb,stroke:#fff,color:#fff
    style D fill:#2563eb,stroke:#fff,color:#fff
AutomationView Icon AutomationView
calendar_month

Inside Automate 2026: How Humanoid Robots and Physical AI are Reshaping Intralogistics

The industrial automation sector recently converged in Chicago for Automate 2026, and the message was unmistakable: we have officially moved past the “pilot purgatory” of artificial intelligence. With over 50,000 registrants and a dedicated Humanoid Robot Pavilion, the show highlighted a massive shift toward highly autonomous, purposeful integration on the factory floor. For automation engineers, […]

Read Article arrow_forward

Inside PROFINET IRT: A Comprehensive Configuration Guide for Motion Control

Learning 
%%{init: {'theme':'dark', 'themeVariables': { 'background': '#001c38' }}}%%
flowchart LR
    A["PLC Sync Master"] -->|"Isochronous Clock"| B["Axis 1 (Slave)"]
    B -->|"Hardware Sync"| C["Axis 2 (Slave)"]
    style A fill:#0d9488,stroke:#fff,color:#fff
    style B fill:#2563eb,stroke:#fff,color:#fff
    style C fill:#2563eb,stroke:#fff,color:#fff
AutomationView Icon AutomationView
calendar_month

Inside PROFINET IRT: A Comprehensive Configuration Guide for Motion Control

When engineering high-speed motion control systems, standard real-time communication often falls short. In applications like robotics, CNC, or tightly coupled electronic gearing, a variance of a few milliseconds in communication can translate to mechanical collisions or significant product defects. Achieving precise coordination requires a hardware-synchronized, deterministic network architecture. This is where PROFINET IRT configuration comes […]

Read Article arrow_forward

Deep Dive: Calculating Pump Flow Rates and Head Pressure for VFD Control

Calculator 
%%{init: {'theme':'dark', 'themeVariables': { 'background': '#001c38' }}}%%
---
title: Pump System Head Components
---
flowchart TD
    classDef default fill:#1f2937,stroke:#4b5563,color:#f3f4f6
    classDef static fill:#3b82f6,stroke:#2563eb,color:#ffffff
    classDef friction fill:#ef4444,stroke:#b91c1c,color:#ffffff
    classDef total fill:#10b981,stroke:#059669,color:#ffffff
    A["Static Head (Elevation)"]:::static --> C["Total Dynamic Head (TDH)"]:::total
    B["Friction Head (Pipe Loss)"]:::friction --> C
    C --> D["Required Pump Curve"]
AutomationView Icon AutomationView
calendar_month

Deep Dive: Calculating Pump Flow Rates and Head Pressure for VFD Control

When an industrial automation engineer is tasked with integrating a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) for a centrifugal pump, simply wiring the motor and setting a 0-60Hz ramp is insufficient. To properly tune the PID loop and prevent deadheading or cavitation, you must understand the underlying fluid dynamics. The critical metric for sizing and controlling any […]

Read Article arrow_forward

How to Build Automated Unit Tests for PLC Sequences in AutomationView

AutomationView 
%%{init: {'theme':'dark', 'themeVariables': { 'background': '#001c38' }}}%%
---
title: AutomationView Unit Testing Architecture
---
flowchart TD
    classDef test fill:#3b82f6,stroke:#2563eb,color:#ffffff
    classDef sfc fill:#10b981,stroke:#059669,color:#ffffff
    classDef report fill:#f59e0b,stroke:#d97706,color:#ffffff
    A["Python Test Runner (PyTest)"]:::test --> B["Mock I/O Variables"]:::test
    B --> C["Execute SFC Step/Transition"]:::sfc
    C --> D{"Assert Outputs == Expected"}
    D -- Pass --> E["Generate Coverage Report"]:::report
    D -- Fail --> F["Flag Error & Halt CI/CD"]:::report
AutomationView Icon AutomationView
calendar_month

How to Build Automated Unit Tests for PLC Sequences in AutomationView

In modern software engineering, pushing code to production without running automated unit tests is considered professional malpractice. Yet, in the industrial automation world, engineers routinely download thousands of lines of ladder logic into critical infrastructure relying solely on manual simulation and blind faith. AutomationView changes this paradigm entirely by introducing a native Python-based unit testing […]

Read Article arrow_forward

Deep Dive: Integrating OPC UA Alarms & Conditions (A&C) into Modern SCADA Systems

HMI 
%%{init: {'theme':'dark', 'themeVariables': { 'background': '#001c38' }}}%%
---
title: OPC UA A&C Architecture
---
flowchart LR
    classDef plc fill:#3b82f6,stroke:#2563eb,color:#ffffff
    classDef scada fill:#10b981,stroke:#059669,color:#ffffff
    classDef alarm fill:#ef4444,stroke:#b91c1c,color:#ffffff
    A["PLC (OPC UA Server)"]:::plc -->|A&C Event Stream| B["SCADA (OPC UA Client)"]:::scada
    A -->|State Change| A
    B -->|Acknowledge| A
    C["Alarm DB"]:::alarm -.-> B
AutomationView Icon AutomationView
calendar_month

Deep Dive: Integrating OPC UA Alarms & Conditions (A&C) into Modern SCADA Systems

For decades, SCADA systems managed alarms by continuously polling PLC memory registers (e.g., a boolean tag named Pump_Fault). When the SCADA detected a transition from 0 to 1, it generated an alarm, timestamped it locally, and displayed it to the operator. This legacy approach is fundamentally flawed: it consumes excessive bandwidth, risks missing fleeting alarms […]

Read Article arrow_forward

How-To: Implementing PackML (ISA-TR88.00.02) State Machines in Modern PLCs

Learning 
%%{init: {'theme':'dark', 'themeVariables': { 'background': '#001c38' }}}%%
---
title: PackML State Machine Implementation
---
flowchart LR
    classDef default fill:#1f2937,stroke:#4b5563,color:#f3f4f6
    classDef active fill:#2563eb,stroke:#1d4ed8,color:#ffffff
    classDef holding fill:#d97706,stroke:#b45309,color:#ffffff
    classDef stopped fill:#ef4444,stroke:#b91c1c,color:#ffffff
    A["Stopped"]:::stopped -->|Start| B["Starting"]:::active
    B --> C["Execute"]:::active
    C -->|Hold| D["Holding"]:::holding
    D -->|Unhold| E["Unholding"]:::active
    E --> C
AutomationView Icon AutomationView
calendar_month

How-To: Implementing PackML (ISA-TR88.00.02) State Machines in Modern PLCs

For decades, OEMs and systems integrators built custom, proprietary state machines for every packaging line they deployed. This resulted in fragmented codebases, operator confusion, and integration nightmares when trying to link an unwrapper from Vendor A with a filler from Vendor B. The ISA-TR88.00.02 standard, commonly known as PackML (Packaging Machine Language), solves this by […]

Read Article arrow_forward

How-To: Calculating Servo Motor Inertia Ratio for High-Speed Indexing

Calculator 
%%{init: {'theme':'dark', 'themeVariables': { 'background': '#001c38' }}}%%
---
title: Servo System Inertia Matching
---
flowchart LR
    classDef default fill:#1f2937,stroke:#4b5563,color:#f3f4f6
    classDef motor fill:#3b82f6,stroke:#2563eb,color:#ffffff
    classDef load fill:#ef4444,stroke:#b91c1c,color:#ffffff
    classDef gearbox fill:#10b981,stroke:#059669,color:#ffffff
    A["Servo Motor (J_m)"]:::motor --> B["Gearbox (i:1)"]:::gearbox
    B --> C["Driven Load (J_l)"]:::load
AutomationView Icon AutomationView
calendar_month

How-To: Calculating Servo Motor Inertia Ratio for High-Speed Indexing

When an industrial automation engineer sizes a servo motor for a high-speed indexing application, simply matching the torque and speed requirements is a recipe for disaster. If the inertia of the driven load vastly exceeds the inertia of the motor rotor, the servo system will struggle to control the load dynamically. This mismatch results in […]

Read Article arrow_forward

How to Export AutomationView Sequences to Siemens TIA Portal via XML

AutomationView 
%%{init: {'theme':'dark', 'themeVariables': { 'background': '#001c38' }}}%%
---
title: AutomationView to TIA Portal Workflow
---
flowchart LR
    classDef av fill:#3b82f6,stroke:#2563eb,color:#ffffff
    classDef tia fill:#10b981,stroke:#059669,color:#ffffff
    classDef xml fill:#f59e0b,stroke:#d97706,color:#ffffff
    A["AutomationView SFC"]:::av -->|Export| B["PLCopen XML"]:::xml
    B -->|Import| C["Siemens TIA Portal"]:::tia
    C --> D["Compiled S7-1500 Logic"]
AutomationView Icon AutomationView
calendar_month

How to Export AutomationView Sequences to Siemens TIA Portal via XML

One of the most persistent bottlenecks in PLC engineering is translating a process sequence from a specification document into hardware-specific code. With AutomationView, you design your logic in a high-level, hardware-agnostic SFC/Python environment. But how do you get that logic into a Siemens S7-1500 controller? The answer lies in our native PLCopen XML export engine, […]

Read Article arrow_forward

How-To: Designing Perspective Dashboards in Ignition SCADA for Multi-Monitor Control Rooms

HMI 
%%{init: {'theme':'dark', 'themeVariables': { 'background': '#001c38' }}}%%
---
title: Perspective Multi-Monitor Layout Strategy
---
flowchart LR
    classDef default fill:#1f2937,stroke:#4b5563,color:#f3f4f6
    classDef primary fill:#2563eb,stroke:#1d4ed8,color:#ffffff
    classDef secondary fill:#059669,stroke:#047857,color:#ffffff
    classDef tertiary fill:#d97706,stroke:#b45309,color:#ffffff
    A["Ignition Gateway"] --> B["Control Room Client"]
    B --> C["Monitor 1: Plant Overview (Level 1)"]:::primary
    B --> D["Monitor 2: Process Detail (Level 2)"]:::secondary
    B --> E["Monitor 3: Alarm Summary (ISA-18.2)"]:::tertiary
AutomationView Icon AutomationView
calendar_month

How-To: Designing Perspective Dashboards in Ignition SCADA for Multi-Monitor Control Rooms

When transitioning from legacy Vision modules or older SCADA systems to Inductive Automation’s Ignition Perspective, engineers often try to force pixel-perfect absolute layouts onto a responsive, web-based platform. This approach breaks down rapidly in a modern control room featuring varied monitor resolutions and aspect ratios. Building dashboards for multi-monitor setups requires a fundamental shift towards […]

Read Article arrow_forward

The Convergence of Cybersecurity and Functional Safety in 2026 Automation Procurement

Automation News 
%%{init: {'theme':'dark', 'themeVariables': { 'background': '#001c38' }}}%%
---
title: Security and Safety Convergence
---
flowchart LR
    classDef default fill:#1f2937,stroke:#4b5563,color:#f3f4f6
    classDef cyber fill:#ef4444,stroke:#b91c1c,color:#ffffff
    classDef safety fill:#10b981,stroke:#059669,color:#ffffff
    classDef integrated fill:#8b5cf6,stroke:#6d28d9,color:#ffffff
    A["IEC 62443 Cybersecurity"]:::cyber --> C["Integrated Procurement 2026"]:::integrated
    B["SIL 3 Functional Safety"]:::safety --> C
    C --> D["Secure & Safe Automation"]
AutomationView Icon AutomationView
calendar_month

The Convergence of Cybersecurity and Functional Safety in 2026 Automation Procurement

For decades, automation engineers treated functional safety and network security as two completely distinct silos. A safety PLC handled e-stops, while a firewall (often managed by IT) guarded the perimeter. In 2026, the explosive growth of connected IIoT devices and Edge AI has obliterated that boundary. You can no longer guarantee the functional safety of […]

Read Article arrow_forward