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Demystifying MQTT & Sparkplug: The backbone of industrial IoT
The rise of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has ushered in a new era of connectivity, real-time data exchange, and smarter decision-making. At the heart of this transformation are two key technologies: MQTT and Sparkplug. While they are widely recognized in the IIoT world, many professionals still find them complex. This post aims to…
The legacy of SCADA and serial protocols: Laying the groundwork for MQTT
By Arlen Nipper, Co-creator of MQTT and CTO of Cirrus Link Solutions In this four-part article series, I’ll explain the technologies and events that led up to Andy Stanford-Clark and me creating MQTT as we know it today. At the time, I was the CTO of Arcom Control Systems. Arcom developed and manufactured SCADA industrial…
New release for IoT Bridge for Snowflake
Unlocking OT-to-IT data integration just got easier We’re excited to announce a new release of IoT Bridge for Snowflake, a major update that makes it easier than ever for manufacturers to move real-time operational data into Snowflake’s powerful data cloud. As organizations accelerate their digital transformation efforts, the ability to collect, contextualize, and analyze OT…
Introducing the new Chariot MQTT Server: Streamlined, smarter, and built for scale
The Chariot MQTT Server just got an upgrade. Designed by the inventors of MQTT and Sparkplug, Chariot has always been the MQTT broker purpose-built for operational environments. With this latest release, we’ve reimagined the user experience and introduced new tools that give you greater visibility and control over your industrial MQTT infrastructure. Whether you’re managing…
Why MQTT alone isn’t enough — and where Sparkplug comes in
The MQTT protocol has become a cornerstone of modern industrial communication. Its lightweight, publish-subscribe model makes it ideal for transmitting data from edge devices to enterprise systems—especially when bandwidth is limited or network reliability is unpredictable. But while MQTT is an excellent transport protocol, it’s not the whole story. As industrial systems become more complex…
Distributor vs. Chariot: Which MQTT server is right for you?
When building out your MQTT architecture in Ignition or across an industrial enterprise, you’ll need an MQTT broker — also called an MQTT server — to manage the flow of data between devices and applications. Cirrus Link offers two MQTT server options: Distributor, a module that runs within Ignition Chariot, a standalone MQTT server for…
What is an MQTT broker? A deep dive into the backbone of industrial IoT communication
In industrial environments, data is more critical and more complex than ever. Machines, sensors, control systems, and enterprise platforms all need to talk to each other, reliably and in real time. But how do they do that without being tangled in a mess of custom connections? The answer lies in MQTT, a lightweight messaging protocol…
Understanding the Unified Namespace (UNS) in industrial IoT
In the modern industrial landscape, data is often fragmented across different systems, machines, and software platforms. With an increasing number of devices, sensors, and applications generating real-time data, organizations struggle to keep track of it all. This data fragmentation makes it difficult to integrate and analyze information, leading to inefficiencies, poor decision-making, and operational silos….
What is IIoT? The industrial internet of things explained
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) revolutionizes industries by transforming how devices, infrastructure, and applications interact. Unlike traditional systems that require direct connections between devices and specific applications, IIoT enables a new approach—connecting devices to infrastructure, allowing seamless data exchange across multiple systems. Breaking down IIoT At its core, IIoT is about decoupling devices from…
What is MQTT? Explained by its co-inventor
In industrial automation, messaging protocols are crucial in ensuring seamless communication between devices and systems. One such protocol, MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport), has revolutionized data transmission in mission-critical environments. The origins of MQTT Arlen Nipper, President and CTO of Cirrus Link Solutions, co-invented MQTT, originally for mission-critical SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) pipeline…
Securing MQTT: Best Practices for a Robust IoT Ecosystem
MQTT is a widely used protocol for connecting IIoT industrial devices, enabling efficient and real-time data exchange. However, it often gets misunderstood for security vulnerabilities, leading to misconceptions about its safety. In this paper, we will discuss essential steps to ensure MQTT security, from edge devices to cloud servers, and how to address denial of…
Glass Manufacturer Modernizes Plants to Extract Value from OT Data from Edge to Cloud
A leading manufacturer of packaging and glass products set out to adopt an Industrial IoT solution to modernize and standardize over 50 factories. They aimed to adopt a “hub and spoke” architecture to collect OT data, analyze it locally to make improvements, and share it with centralized enterprise and cloud systems for advanced analytics, machine…