Controller and CNC gateways
Read data from supported controllers and CNC systems and present it through standardized interfaces.
Connect · Softing industrial communication and data integration
Industrial Communication, Gateways & Edge Connectivity
Expose controller, CNC, fieldbus and process data through governed industrial interfaces without replacing the installed automation layer.
OPC UA
MQTT
PLC / CNC
Docker Edge
Fieldbus
Diagnostics
OT protocols
OPC UA / MQTT
Edge connectivity
Source
PLCs, CNCs, fieldbus and device networks
Connect
Translate, aggregate and govern access
Data
OPC UA, MQTT and industrial protocols
Destination
SCADA, edge applications and IT systems
Communication products
Connectivity Portfolio
The portfolio covers controller and CNC access, protocol gateways, OPC UA and MQTT software, hardware and containerized edge connectivity, industrial-network diagnostics, and embedded communication for OEM devices.
Fieldbus and process gateways
Bridge selected industrial protocols where installed assets and new systems must coexist.
OPC and middleware
Provide OPC UA, OPC Classic and related data services for supervisory and IT applications.
Containerized edge software
Deploy controller connectors and aggregation services on supported Docker-capable edge platforms.
Network diagnostics
Commission and troubleshoot industrial networks with protocol-aware test and monitoring tools.
Embedded communication
Integrate industrial Ethernet and fieldbus functions into devices through modules, stacks and SDKs.
Softing connectivity and network-diagnostic products
Industrial data access and network diagnostics
The same connectivity layer must expose useful controller data and provide the diagnostics needed to commission and maintain the underlying industrial network.
Shop-floor data aggregation
Aggregate data from supported PLC and CNC sources and provide standardized OPC UA and MQTT access from Windows, Docker or a dedicated gateway deployment.
Commissioning and fault isolation
Test cabling, physical signal quality and protocol communication, then retain the results as a practical commissioning or troubleshooting record.
Applications
Solutions
Select the communication layer from the installed controllers, field networks, data consumers, timing requirements and cybersecurity policy.
Brownfield machine data
Access legacy PLC and CNC information without adding logic changes solely for data extraction.
OT-to-IT integration
Translate plant data into OPC UA or MQTT for SCADA, MES, analytics and cloud services.
Process-network access
Provide parallel access to selected field information where the architecture permits it.
Device communication integration
Add protocol support to controllers, instruments and gateways through embedded communication technology.
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Protocol Gateways
A gateway is selected by protocol role, data ownership and fault behaviour—not only by the connector or protocol list.
Controller-data gateways
Connect supported PLC and CNC families and expose data through OPC UA or MQTT.
Fieldbus conversion
Translate between selected protocols such as PROFIBUS and Modbus where a direct device upgrade is not practical.
Parallel network access
Read selected process-network data without moving control responsibility away from the established controller.
Operational behaviour
Define startup, reconnect, stale-data and communication-loss handling before deployment.
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Controller Connectivity
Controller connectivity turns proprietary or controller-specific data into a consistent interface for applications above the machine layer.
Direct controller access
Use supported native drivers for PLC and CNC families where an existing OPC UA server is unavailable.
Namespace design
Expose only the tags and structure needed by the consuming application.
Read and write policy
Separate monitoring-only access from authorized command paths and document write ownership.
Performance planning
Match scan time, tag count and update behaviour to controller resources and application needs.
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OPC UA
OPC UA provides a structured industrial data interface with built-in security mechanisms when certificates, users and policies are configured correctly.
Server integration
Publish controller and machine data to OPC UA clients using a defined namespace.
Client and aggregation
Collect data from multiple servers and normalize it for higher-level systems where supported.
Security configuration
Use certificates, encryption, authentication and role-based access appropriate to the deployment.
Information context
Preserve engineering units, status and equipment structure instead of exposing an unorganized tag list.
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MQTT & Cloud
MQTT is suitable for event and telemetry transfer, while control and safety functions should remain within the deterministic automation architecture.
Publisher and subscriber
Exchange selected machine or process data through an MQTT broker.
Secure transport
Configure TLS, certificates and authentication for the chosen broker and network.
Portable MQTT integration
Use standards-based MQTT and a documented topic and payload model to reduce dependency on a specific private or public cloud platform.
Data-volume control
Filter, aggregate and rate-limit published information at the edge.
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Edge Connectivity
Current edge deployments can use the Softing SDEX Suite across Windows, Docker or dedicated gateway environments, allowing the deployment model to follow the plant and IT architecture.
Windows, Docker or gateway deployment
Run the integration layer on a supported host or appliance while keeping controller access and northbound data services within one managed configuration.
Local configuration
Use web and API interfaces to configure data sources, security and destinations.
Aggregation
Combine multiple controller connections before forwarding selected data upstream.
Lifecycle management
Plan container versioning, credentials, backups and update responsibility as part of operations.
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Network Diagnostics
Protocol-aware diagnostics help separate physical, timing, configuration and application faults during commissioning and maintenance.
Fieldbus health
Inspect signal, telegram and participant behaviour on supported networks.
Industrial Ethernet analysis
Check topology, connection state and protocol events on supported Ethernet-based systems.
Acceptance records
Capture baseline measurements after commissioning for comparison during later troubleshooting.
View Softing communication products →Continuous monitoring
Use permanent monitoring where intermittent faults justify an installed diagnostic layer.
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Embedded Communication
Device manufacturers can add industrial protocol functions through modules, software stacks or FPGA subsystems matched to the product architecture.
Communication modules
Use pre-engineered hardware to shorten device-level industrial Ethernet integration.
Protocol stacks and SDKs
Integrate supported protocols into existing processors and operating systems.
FPGA communication subsystems
Add deterministic communication blocks to supported FPGA platforms.
Conformance planning
Include profile, certification and interoperability testing in the product development plan.
Integration engineering
Engineering
A reliable connectivity project starts with a source inventory, data model, access policy, security design and acceptance tests for normal operation and communication failures.
Source inventory
Record controller type, protocol, address model, tag count and permitted access.
Data model
Define names, units, quality, timestamps and equipment hierarchy.
Security architecture
Place gateways in the correct zone and manage certificates, users, ports and remote access.
Commissioning tests
Verify data accuracy, update time, reconnect behaviour and write restrictions end to end.