Architect, develop, and deliver complete industrial solutions.

NextControl | IT | Operations | System Integrators


Learning Topics

System integrators deliver end-to-end solutions from design through deployment. This guide navigates you through architecture, standards implementation, and project delivery.

Core Responsibilities:

  • Solution architecture and design
  • Standards implementation (ISA, IEC)
  • Multi-site deployment
  • Template development and reusability
  • Project delivery and validation


Understand the Platform and Modules:

  • Platform Overview - review the entire section. For Technology, focus only on your areas of interest.
  • Modules - review the Solution Lifecycle and the modules in your area of interest.

Learn by doing:


Architecture & Design

Platform Foundation

Essential Understanding:

  • [Platform Overview] - Complete platform concepts
  • [Architecture] - System architecture patterns
  • [The Four Pillars Concept] - Development methodology
  • [Solution Lifecycle Concept] - End-to-end workflow

Design Resources

  • [Deployment Scenarios] - Architecture patterns
  • [Product Editions] - Licensing and capabilities
  • [Technology Foundation] - Core technologies
  • [Why FrameworX] - Key differentiators

Implementation Methodology

The Four Pillars Approach

Structured Development:

  1. [Unified Namespace Concept] - Data foundation
  2. [Process Modules Concept] - Industrial operations
  3. [Application Modules Concept] - Business logic
  4. [Operator UI Modules Concept] - User interface

Practical Implementation

  • [The Four Pillars How-to Guide] - Step-by-step
  • [Solution Lifecycle How-to Guide] - Project workflow
  • [Solution Lifecycle Tutorials] - Hands-on practice

Standards Compliance

ISA Standards

Implementation Guides:

  • [ISA-95 Compliance How-to Guide] - MES integration
  • [ISA-101 HMI Compliance How-to Guide] - Display standards
  • [High Performance HMI Compliance How-to Guide] - HMI optimization
  • [FDA 21 CFR 11 Compliance How-to Guide] - Regulatory compliance

Security Standards

  • [IEC 62443 Compliance How-to Guide] - Industrial cybersecurity
  • [NERC-CIP Compliance How-to Guide] - Critical infrastructure
  • [Security Hardening Compliance How-to Guide] - Best practices

Template Development

Reusable Components

Asset Templates:

  • [UNS UserTypes Reference] - Data templates (UDTs)
  • [Displays Symbols Reference] - Graphic symbols
  • [Symbol Wizard Control Reference] - Symbol creation
  • [Add Symbols to Displays How-to Guide] - Symbol usage

Import Tools

  • [Solution Import Tags Reference] - Bulk tag import
  • [AB Rockwell ControlLogix Importer] - Rockwell integration
  • [Siemens S7 Devices Tag Importer] - Siemens integration
  • [CSV files Tag Importer] - Generic import

Project Delivery

Development Tools

  • [Designer Reference] - Configuration environment
  • [Solution Settings Reference] - Project configuration
  • [Track Changes Designer UI Reference] - Version control
  • [Git Integration and Export Reference] - Source control

Testing & Validation

  • [Runtime Reference] - Execution environment
  • [Runtime Diagnostics Reference] - Troubleshooting
  • [Runtime System Monitor Reference] - Performance monitoring

Multi-Site Deployment

Architecture Options

  • [Server to Server Connector] - Site connectivity
  • [Redundancy Reference] - High availability
  • [Container Deployment Reference] - Docker/Kubernetes
  • [Edge IIoT Example] - Edge architecture

Database Integration

  • [Datasets Module Reference] - Database connections
  • [Canary Historian Connector] - Enterprise historian
  • [OSIsoft Aveva PI System Connector] - PI integration
  • [InfluxDB Database Connector] - Time-series DB

Industry Solutions

Reference Architectures

Manufacturing:

  • [Manufacturing Analytics Use Case] - Production analytics
  • [OEE Calculation Example] - Performance metrics
  • [Andon Dashboards Example] - Visual management

Process Industries:

  • [Brewery Plant Example] - Batch processing
  • [Process HMI Example] - Continuous process

Energy & Utilities:

  • [Solar Energy Use Case] - Renewable energy
  • [Operations Center Use Case] - Control room

Quick Reference

Project Estimation

TaskHours per UnitNotes
Tag Configuration0.1 hour/tagIncluding alarming
Display Development4-8 hours/displayComplexity dependent
Device Integration2-4 hours/deviceIncluding testing
Testing20% of developmentAll categories
Documentation15% of developmentUser and technical

Deployment Strategies

ApproachBest ForKey Consideration
Centralized< 5 sitesWAN dependency
Distributed> 10 sitesComplex management
Hybrid5-10 sitesBalance complexity

Quality Assurance

Project Checklist

  • Requirements traced to implementation
  • All I/O points verified
  • Alarms tested and documented
  • Performance requirements met
  • Security measures implemented
  • Backup/recovery tested
  • Documentation complete
  • Training delivered

Documentation Requirements

  • Functional specification
  • Design specification
  • Test procedures
  • Training materials
  • Handover documentation

Partner Resources

Support Channels

  • [Getting Help] - Partner support access
  • Technical Tuesday sessions - Live support
  • Partner Discord channel - Exclusive access

Business Resources

  • Partner certification program
  • Co-marketing opportunities
  • Solution templates library
  • Architecture review services

Additional Resources

Examples & Templates:

  • [Solution Examples] - Complete solutions
  • [Architecture How-to Guides] - Design patterns
  • [Feature Examples] - Implementation samples
  • [Cases Library] - Industry use cases

Technical References:

  • [Platform Modules Reference] - All modules
  • [Programming and APIs Reference] - APIs
  • [Troubleshooting Reference] - Problem resolution
  • [Connectors Library] - All connectors

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