Connect Your PLCs to the Modern Industrial Stack
FlowFuse bridges Programmable Logic Controllers — Siemens, Allen-Bradley, Omron, and more — to MQTT, OPC UA, cloud platforms, and enterprise systems. No expensive gateways, no custom code.
What is a PLC?
A Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) is a ruggedized industrial computer that automates electromechanical processes on the factory floor — controlling machines, conveyor belts, assembly lines, packaging systems, and more.
PLCs continuously execute a scan cycle: they read inputs from sensors and field devices, run a control program (written in ladder logic, structured text, or function block diagrams), and write outputs to actuators, motors, and valves.
Originally designed for deterministic machine control, modern PLCs also expose data over standard industrial protocols — making them the primary data source for IIoT, SCADA, MES, and digital transformation initiatives.
Deep dive: What Is a PLC? →Common PLC Brands
- Siemens — S7-300, S7-400, S7-1200, S7-1500
- Allen-Bradley (Rockwell) — ControlLogix, CompactLogix
- Omron — NJ / NX Series
- Mitsubishi — MELSEC iQ-R / Q Series
- Schneider Electric — Modicon M340, M580
- Beckhoff — TwinCAT
Common PLC Protocols
- OPC UA — vendor-neutral, secure
- MQTT — lightweight publish/subscribe
- EtherNet/IP — Allen-Bradley native
- Siemens S7 — S7comm / S7comm-plus
- Modbus TCP / RTU — legacy & open
- PROFINET / PROFIBUS — Siemens field bus
PLC data is valuable — but hard to get out
PLCs generate rich, real-time data — production counts, machine states, alarms, energy readings — but that data is often trapped. Getting it into dashboards, databases, cloud analytics, or ERP systems traditionally requires expensive SCADA licenses, proprietary gateways, or months of custom integration work. FlowFuse changes that.
How FlowFuse Connects to Any PLC
FlowFuse's built-in low-code runtime includes 5,000+ nodes for industrial protocols. Drag in a protocol node, configure your PLC's address, and data flows. No gateway hardware required.
OPC UA
The IIoT standard. Connect to any OPC UA-enabled PLC — Siemens, Allen-Bradley, Beckhoff, and more — with built-in security and structured data models.
OPC UA Tutorial →MQTT
Publish PLC tag data to any MQTT broker — AWS IoT, Azure IoT Hub, HiveMQ, or the built-in FlowFuse MQTT Broker. The foundation of a Unified Namespace.
PLC to MQTT Guide →EtherNet/IP
Native Allen-Bradley / Rockwell communication. Read and write tags on ControlLogix and CompactLogix PLCs without a gateway.
EtherNet/IP Guide →Siemens S7 Protocol
Direct S7comm connectivity to Siemens S7-300, S7-400, S7-1200, and S7-1500 PLCs. Read DB blocks, Merkers, I/O, and more.
Siemens S7 Integration Guide →Modbus TCP / RTU
The universal open protocol. Connect legacy PLCs, drives, meters, and sensors that speak Modbus — over Ethernet or serial.
Modbus Guide →5,000+ Community Nodes
Beyond the basics: PROFINET, BACnet, DNP3, IEC 61850, Mitsubishi MC Protocol, Omron FINS, Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS, and more — all available as open-source community nodes.
Browse Node Library →What You Can Build with PLC + FlowFuse
PLC Data Logging
Collect tag values, machine states, and counters at any interval. Write to InfluxDB, TimescaleDB, PostgreSQL, or CSV — for OEE tracking, trend analysis, and compliance.
How to Log PLC Data →Web HMI & Dashboards
Build modern operator interfaces that display live PLC data — gauges, trends, alarms, and controls — accessible from any browser without proprietary HMI software.
Building a Web HMI →PLC to Cloud Integration
Stream PLC data to AWS IoT, Azure IoT Hub, Google Cloud, or any REST API. Enable predictive maintenance, AI analytics, and enterprise reporting without replacing your PLCs.
PLC to Cloud Integration Guide →PLC to MES / ERP Integration
Bridge the OT/IT gap. Route production counts, downtime events, and quality data from PLCs directly into SAP, Oracle, or any MES — eliminating manual entry and delays.
Enterprise Integration →Alarm Management
Subscribe to PLC fault bits and alarm words, route notifications to Slack, email, SMS, or PagerDuty, and log alarm history for root-cause analysis.
Unified Namespace (UNS)
Use FlowFuse as the adapter layer between your PLCs and an MQTT-based UNS. Normalize data from Siemens, Allen-Bradley, and legacy equipment into a common topic hierarchy.
Learn about UNS →From PLC to Insight in 3 Steps
Connect Your PLC
Drop a protocol node into your flow canvas — OPC UA, S7, EtherNet/IP, or Modbus. Enter your PLC's IP address and tag list. Data starts flowing in seconds.
Transform & Route
Filter, scale, aggregate, or enrich tag data using visual flow logic. Route it to MQTT, databases, dashboards, REST APIs, or cloud services — all in one flow.
Deploy & Scale
Push your flow to one edge device or a thousand with one click. Monitor health, update remotely, roll back instantly — all from the FlowFuse central platform.
The FlowFuse Advantage
Protocol-agnostic
One platform connects Siemens, Allen-Bradley, Omron, Mitsubishi, legacy Modbus, and modern OPC UA — no vendor lock-in.
Low-code, fast to deploy
Drag-and-drop flows replace months of custom integration work. Go from PLC to live dashboard in hours, not weeks.
Edge + cloud flexibility
Run close to the machine on an industrial PC, in your private cloud, or on FlowFuse Cloud — or all three simultaneously.
Store-and-forward resilience
Buffer PLC data locally during network outages and forward it when connectivity is restored — zero data loss at the edge.
Open-source core
5,000+ open-source community nodes for protocols, integrations, and data transformation. No proprietary runtime fees, no protocol licensing costs.
Enterprise-ready
Role-based access, audit logs, DevOps pipelines, team collaboration, and professional support — for production OT environments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn More: PLC Integration Guides
Ready to unlock your PLC data?
Stop paying for expensive gateways and inflexible SCADA licenses. See how FlowFuse connects your PLCs to the modern industrial stack — in a live demo or a free trial.
