Industrial

Software module to connect SIMATIC S7 controllers to IIoT applications

Container technology with access to Siemens controller data via OPC UA and MQTT with flexible deployment options for higher-level applications

edgeConnector Siemens connects Siemens SIMATIC S7-300/400, and S7-1200/1500 controller and provides access to data via an OPC UA server interface. In addition, the data can also be transmitted to MQTT brokers using MQTT. As a docker container, it offers flexible deployment options, for example on devices running Azure IoT Edge or AWS IoT Greengrass.

The application is easy to configure locally via a built-in Web interface. It can also be managed remotely via its REST API. Configuration is flexible and includes fine-tuned security settings (e.g. role based access rights for OPC UA client applications).

As a first strategic extension of Softing’s dataFEED product family into virtualization- and container technology, the new product leverages Softing deep experience with brownfield connectivity with MQTT and OPC UA technology, and makes it available for new and highly efficient IoT solution architectures.

Overview

Access to Siemens PLC Data from OPC UA Applications

  • Read and write access to SIMATIC S7-300/400/1200/1500 data
  • Support of optimized data blocks in SIMATIC S7-1200/1500 controllers
  • Namespace configuration by importing SIMATIC STEP7 or TIA Portal project files or by direct browsing the variables in S7-1200/1500 controllers
  • Standardized OPC UA communication for data integration into management systems like ERP, MES or SCADA or for data exchange with other docker containers like Microsoft OPC Publisher or Amazon AWS IoT SiteWise
  • Connection of up to 20 Siemens PLCs with one Container Runtime
  • Dedicated for retrofit upgrades of existing Siemens controllers

Easy Cloud-driven or Local Deployment

  • Container images stored in different online repositories like Docker Hub, Azure Container Registry (ACR) or Amazon Elastic Container Registry (ECR)
  • Simple data transmission to an MQTT broker using the MQTT publisher functionality for local or cloud-based solutions
  • Recipe manager functionality for writing process data from the cloud to controllers (MQTT Subscriber)
  • Licensing via Softing Floating License Server

Lightweight Flexible Container Solution

  • Less resources plus increased scalability and flexibility
  • Support of security standards as SSL/TLS, X.509 certificates, authentication, and data encryption
  • Highly flexible state-of-the-art application to be deployed, adjusted, or started and stopped immediately, if needed
  • Deployment and configuration also via management systems such as Kubernetes, Azure IoT Edge, or AWS IoT Greengrass

Technical Data

edgeConnector Siemens  
Supported Controllers Siemens SIMATIC S7-300/400/1200/1500 (including optimized data block access)
Supported Protocols
  • OPC UA, MQTT
  • SIMATIC S7 , RFC1006
Supported MQTT Specifications V3.1, V3.1.1 & V5
Supported MQTT Features
  • MQTT Publisher & Subscriber
  • TCP, TLS/SSL, WS, WSS, (including certificates)
  • QoS, Retain, LastWill & Testament
  • Store & Forward
Supported OPC Specifications OPC Unified Architecture V1.04OPC Unified Architecture V1.04
OPC UA Roles OPC UA Server
OPC UA Profiles Data Access
OPC UA Security Security methods: Aes256Sha256-RsaPss, Aes128SHA256-RsaOaep, Basic256Sha256, Basic256, Basic128Rsa15, None
Authentication: Anonymous, Username and Password, Certificate
OPC Compliance Test based on compliance test tools of OPC Foundation
Configuration Interface Authentication
  • Username / Password
  • LDAP/LDAPS
Logging, Diagnostics
  • Built-in trace and audit logging facilities, configurable and accessible through the web interface
  • Docker integrated trace logging
  • Prometheus Metrics Information
Supported Operating Systems Linux (Docker Engine), Windows 10 and Windows 11 (Docker Desktop), Windows Server 2019 and Windows Server 2022 (Docker Enterprise Edition)
Supported Architectures AMD64, ARM64, ARM32
Supported Container Orchestration Systems Kubernetes (K8s), Amazon ECS
Minimum Hardware Requirements 320 MB free disk space, 2GB RAM
Licensing Licensed via Softing Floating License Server
Demo Version 20 PLC connections timed at 72 hours
REST-API Access using the edgeConfigurator, download via Docker Hub

Order Information

Scope of Delivery  
Software dataFEED edgeConnector Siemens, download via Docker Hub or Azure Marketplace
License Key E-mail delivery
Documentation Online help (German / English) and online: www.github.com/SoftingIndustrial/datafeed-edge-connector
Order Numbers *  
LRA-XX-152001 edgeConnector – Advanced License (1 Connection)
LRA-XX-152005 edgeConnector – Advanced License (5 Connections)
LRA-XX-152010 edgeConnector – Advanced License (10 Connections)
LRA-XX-152020 edgeConnector – Advanced License (20 Connections)
LRA-XX-152055 edgeConnector – Advanced License (ADD 5 Connections)
Order Numbers (Software Upgrades)   
LMA-XX-152001 edgeConnector – 1 Year Software Upgrades for Advanced License (1 Connection)
LMA-XX-152005 edgeConnector – 1 Year Software Upgrades for Advanced License (5 Connections)
LMA-XX-152010 edgeConnector – 1 Year Software Upgrades for Advanced License (10 Connections)
LMA-XX-152020 edgeConnector – 1 Year Software Upgrades for Advanced License (20 Connections)
LMA-XX-152055 edgeConnector – 1 Year Software Upgrades for Advanced License (ADD 5 Connections)
Additional Products and Services
LRA-XX-155100 edgeAggregator – OPC UA Connection 100, license for hundred (100) OPC UA Server connections.
GPA-CS-041000 NETLink S7-Compact (for S7-300/S7-400 without CP or Ethernet connection)

* edgeConnector Licenses already include their respective 1 Year Software Upgrade license (LMA-XX-)

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Softing Inc.

+1.865.251-5252

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