Softing recently announced that its tManager for AWS IoT SiteWise system is delivering streamlined connectivity between Rockwell PLCs and AWS IoT SiteWise cloud computing services for industrial analytics at scale.
Softing's tManager is billed as the only ControlLogix or CompactLogix PLC module that inserts into the PLC chassis and enables direct and secure transactions between the PLC and cloud – with no server, no coding, and no protocol translation required. Softing and AWS teamed to deliver the latest version of tManager that connects directly into the AWS IoT Core, thus simplifying the process to get the industrial plant floor connected to analytics, dashboards, and business results.
Once connected to the AWS IoT Core, facilities can use AWS IoT SiteWise to model physical assets, processes and facilities, quickly compute common industrial performance metrics, and create fully managed web applications to help analyze industrial equipment data, thereby reducing costs and enabling faster decisions. Per the companies, with AWS IoT SiteWise, facilities can focus on understanding and optimizing operations, rather than building costly in-house data collection and management applications.
“How do you get the cloud-connected all the way down to the plant floor so you can perform business analytics to monitor metrics and improve processes?”, asks Deane Horn, director of marketing for Softing Inc.
Horn continues, “This is a fundamental architectural decision. Get this wrong, and you’ll suddenly be faced with challenges around security; it may cost you downtime when a simple network hiccup occurs; and when it’s time to scale, it’s always these early foundational decisions that become limiting factors. tManager has been this connector for Rockwell for 10+ years, and it addresses these issues, and it’s why it is the platform of choice by AWS to connect to Rockwell PLCs.”
The companies add that, in addition to tManager requiring no server, no coding, and no protocol translation for ControlLogix connectivity to the cloud, easy connectivity includes a drop down box selection for AWS cloud type, drop down for certificate entry, and AWS IoT Core auto pre-formatted data, which simplifies the connectivity process, adds security, saves time, and reduces opportunities for errors.
Softing's tManager is being positioned as the platform of choice for direct and secure connections from Rockwell PLCs to databases, such as MSSQL and ORACLE, and to cloud applications such as AWS and Azure, for digital transformations enabling analytics, dashboards, and business optimization.