Connectors And Protocols

Overview

FrameworX 10.1 provides comprehensive connectivity options to integrate with industrial equipment, enterprise systems, and cloud platforms. With 70+ native drivers included at no additional cost, protocol standards support, and certified partner integrations, you can connect to virtually any data source in your industrial environment.

Where It Fits in Your Solution

Connectivity & Integration components work across all four pillars of the FrameworX architecture:

• Unified Namespace - External data sources via TagProviders
• Process Modules - Device drivers for field equipment communication
• Application Modules - Database connections and web services
• User Interface - Client connectivity and API access

Native Drivers - All Included, No Additional Licenses

FrameworX includes 70+ native communication drivers with your solution license. Scale by I/O points only - never pay extra for protocol support.

Popular Manufacturers

• Allen-Bradley - ControlLogix, CompactLogix, MicroLogix, PLC-5, SLC-500
• Siemens - S7-1200, S7-1500, S7-300/400, LOGO!, WinCC
• Schneider Electric - Modicon M340, M580, Quantum, Unity, SoMachine
• Mitsubishi - MELSEC Q, L, FX Series
• Omron - NJ/NX, CJ/CS, CP Series
• ABB - AC500, AC800M, 800xA
• GE - RX3i, RX7i, iFIX, CIMPLICITY

By Protocol Category

• Ethernet-Based - EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP, PROFINET, EtherCAT
• Serial - Modbus RTU/ASCII, DF1, Mitsubishi Serial, Omron FINS
• Fieldbus - PROFIBUS DP, DeviceNet, CANopen
• OPC - OPC DA Client/Server, OPC UA Client/Server, OPC XML-DA

Protocol Standards

MQTT & Sparkplug B

• MQTT Client - Connect to any MQTT broker (local or cloud)
• MQTT Broker - Built-in broker for edge deployments
• Sparkplug B - Full implementation for IIoT architectures
• Auto-discovery - Automatic namespace creation from Sparkplug metrics

OPC UA

• OPC UA Server - Expose your solution data to third-party clients
• OPC UA Client - Connect to external OPC UA servers
• Security Profiles - Support for all standard security modes
• Discovery Services - Local and global discovery server support

REST APIs & Web Services

• REST API Server - Built-in REST endpoints for all solution data
• Web API Client - Consume external REST services
• GraphQL Support - Query exactly the data you need
• WebSocket - Real-time bidirectional communication

Partner Integrations

Historian & Time-Series

• Canary Historian - Certified integration for enterprise historian
• InfluxDB - Native connector for time-series databases
• OSIsoft PI - Connection via OPC UA or PI Web API
• Azure Time Series Insights - Direct cloud integration

Cloud Platforms

• AWS IoT Core - MQTT connection with thing shadows
• Azure IoT Hub - Device provisioning and telemetry
• Google Cloud IoT - Pub/Sub integration
• IBM Watson IoT - MQTT with device management

Specialized Systems

• Universal Robots - Direct UR robot control and monitoring
• Cisco Edge Intelligence - Certified edge computing integration
• AVEVA System Platform - OPC UA and InTouch connectivity
• Wonderware - Legacy system migration tools

Configuration in Designer

Adding a Device Connection

1. Navigate to Devices → Channels
2. Click New Channel and select protocol type
3. Configure channel properties (IP address, port, timeout)
4. Add Node under the channel for specific device
5. Create Points and map to UNS tags

Setting Up OPC UA Server

1. Go to Devices → OPC UA Server
2. Enable server and set endpoint URL
3. Configure security policies and certificates
4. Select tags to expose via OPC UA
5. Set update rates and quality codes

Configuring MQTT Connection

1. Navigate to Devices → MQTT Client
2. Enter broker address and credentials
3. Configure topic structure and QoS levels
4. Map topics to tags using templates
5. Enable Sparkplug B if required

Best Practices

Driver Selection

• Use Ethernet-based protocols when possible for better performance
• Group similar devices on the same channel to optimize polling
• Consider redundant paths for critical connections
• Use OPC UA for vendor-neutral integration

Performance Optimization

• Set appropriate scan rates based on process requirements
• Use unsolicited/event-based updates when supported
• Implement connection pooling for database access
• Cache static configuration data locally

Security Considerations

• Use encrypted protocols (OPC UA, MQTT TLS) for external connections
• Implement VLANs to segment network traffic
• Configure firewalls between IT/OT networks
• Regular certificate rotation for secure protocols

Troubleshooting

Common Integration Patterns

Pattern 1: PLC to Cloud

Connect field PLCs via native drivers, process data locally, send filtered data to cloud via MQTT/HTTPS

Pattern 2: Multi-Protocol Gateway

Use FrameworX as protocol converter between legacy systems (Modbus, DF1) and modern standards (OPC UA, MQTT)

Pattern 3: Store and Forward

Buffer data locally during network outages, automatically forward when connection restored

Pattern 4: Redundant Data Paths

Configure primary Ethernet connection with secondary serial backup for critical devices

Related Modules

• Devices Module - Detailed driver configuration
• Unified Namespace - TagProvider setup
• Scripts Module - Custom protocol implementation
• Security - Connection security setup

AI Assistant Data

<details> <summary>Structured Information for AI Tools</summary>

json

{
  "module": "Connectivity & Integration",
  "category": "Infrastructure",
  "relatedPillars": ["UNS", "Process", "Application"],
  "keyFeatures": {
    "nativeDrivers": 70,
    "protocols": ["MQTT", "OPC UA", "Modbus", "EtherNet/IP"],
    "cloudPlatforms": ["AWS", "Azure", "Google Cloud"],
    "licensing": "All-inclusive, scale by I/O points only"
  },
  "commonTasks": [
    "Configure PLC connection",
    "Setup MQTT broker connection",
    "Enable OPC UA server",
    "Map external data to tags",
    "Configure redundant connections"
  ],
  "dependencies": {
    "required": ["Devices Module", "Tags"],
    "optional": ["Scripts", "Datasets", "Historian"]
  },
  "typicalUsers": ["Control Engineers", "System Integrators", "IT Professionals"]
}

</details>

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