Data integration and mapping

PLCs are the powerhouses of automation and can independently operate and execute programs based on program logic – so, why do we need to aggregate and visualize data? Data monitoring and handling of data are very important to understand the current state and debug and diagnose in case of failures. The human or operator will continue to play a very important role in the entire process. To enable this human or operator to take important decisions based on human-comprehensible information, data acquisition and visualization become important. The PLC program, once finalized, is locked into the PLC and real-time ladder diagram debugging becomes strenuous.

The first step of data visualization is the HMI module at the production site. The PLC sends real-time data to the HMI, and production status with alarms and error codes is notified to the operator. The HMI also provides the user with the ability to alter predefined variables in accordance with...