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Professional Services

OT Data Acquisition & Ingestion

Unlock the value trapped in your PLCs, sensors, and industrial equipment. We connect your operational technology (OT) assets to modern data platforms—delivering real-time visibility, unified data streams, and the foundation for digital transformation.

Purpose & Pain Points Solved

OT Data Acquisition & Ingestion is the critical first step in any industrial digital transformation. Without reliable, real-time data from your production assets, you're operating blind—making decisions based on outdated reports rather than current conditions.

Siloed Machine Data

Critical production data trapped in PLCs, sensors, and proprietary equipment with no way to access it centrally.

Impact: Leads to blind spots in operations and reactive decision-making

Fragmented Connectivity

Each machine speaks a different protocol (Modbus, PROFINET, EtherNet/IP), making unified data collection nearly impossible.

Impact: Forces manual data gathering and delays insights

Legacy Equipment Integration

Older equipment lacks modern connectivity options, leaving valuable operational data inaccessible to digital systems.

Impact: Creates gaps in your digital transformation strategy

No Real-Time Visibility

Batch reports and delayed data prevent you from responding to issues as they happen on the production floor.

Impact: Results in increased downtime and quality issues

What This Service Enables

Complete Visibility

See every asset, every data point, in real-time across your entire operation

Centralized Data

Previously isolated process data unified into a single, accessible stream

Digital Foundation

The data layer needed for analytics, AI, and continuous improvement initiatives

Enabling Tools & Technologies

We leverage best-in-class industrial connectivity tools to acquire data from any OT device, regardless of age, manufacturer, or protocol.

TOP Server

Industry-leading OPC Server with 140+ native drivers for connecting to virtually any PLC, DCS, or industrial device.

Key Capabilities:

  • Native connectivity to Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Modbus, and 140+ protocols
  • High-performance data polling and change detection
  • Built-in redundancy and failover capabilities
  • Scales from single devices to enterprise deployments

OPC Router

Flexible middleware for routing, transforming, and forwarding data from OT devices to any destination.

Key Capabilities:

  • Drag-and-drop data flow configuration
  • Protocol translation and data transformation
  • Direct database writes and REST API integration
  • Store-and-forward for guaranteed delivery

MQTT & Industrial IoT

Lightweight, publish-subscribe messaging protocol perfect for streaming OT data to cloud and edge systems.

Key Capabilities:

  • Low bandwidth requirements for WAN/cellular
  • Quality of Service (QoS) levels for reliability
  • Secure TLS encryption for data in transit
  • Native integration with AWS IoT, Azure IoT Hub

Edge Data Collectors

Deployed at site level to gather sensor and PLC data in real-time, even in remote or bandwidth-constrained locations.

Key Capabilities:

  • Local buffering during network outages
  • Edge processing and data filtering
  • Support for industrial protocols at the edge
  • Secure remote management and updates
PLC and automation equipment

Protocol-Agnostic Approach

Whether your equipment speaks OPC UA, Modbus, PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, or proprietary protocols, our tools connect seamlessly—eliminating the need for custom development or middleware layers.

How We Deploy at Your Site

Our proven deployment methodology ensures rapid, reliable implementation with minimal disruption to your operations.
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1. Assessment & Device Discovery

1-2 days

Activities:

  • Conduct site survey to identify all OT assets (PLCs, sensors, HMIs, SCADA)
  • Document communication protocols and network architecture
  • Determine data points needed for each asset (temperatures, pressures, states, alarms)
  • Assess network infrastructure and security requirements

Deliverable: Complete asset inventory with connectivity requirements

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2. Edge Collector Deployment

2-4 days

Activities:

  • Install TOP Server or OPC Router at site edge locations
  • Configure drivers for each device type and protocol
  • Test connectivity and validate data quality from each source
  • Set up redundancy and failover where required

Deliverable: Operational edge collectors with device connectivity established

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3. Data Mapping & Tag Configuration

1-3 days

Activities:

  • Define standardized tag naming conventions (ISA-95 or custom)
  • Map device registers to meaningful tag names
  • Configure data types, scaling, and engineering units
  • Establish data quality indicators and timestamp management

Deliverable: Documented tag database with consistent naming structure

4

4. Data Pipeline Setup

1-2 days

Activities:

  • Configure MQTT brokers or data endpoints for upstream delivery
  • Set up store-and-forward buffering for network resilience
  • Implement data filtering and transformation rules
  • Enable encryption and authentication for secure transport

Deliverable: Live data streams publishing to central systems

5

5. Testing & Validation

1-2 days

Activities:

  • Verify data accuracy against known values
  • Test failover and recovery scenarios
  • Validate data latency and throughput meet requirements
  • Conduct security and compliance review

Deliverable: Production-ready data acquisition infrastructure

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6. Documentation & Knowledge Transfer

1 day

Activities:

  • Provide complete system documentation and architecture diagrams
  • Train operations team on monitoring and basic troubleshooting
  • Deliver runbooks for common maintenance tasks
  • Establish ongoing support procedures

Deliverable: Comprehensive documentation and trained team

Typical Implementation Timeline

7-14 Days

From initial assessment to production-ready data acquisition infrastructure

Business Benefits

Real-Time Operational Visibility

Transform your shop floor from a black box into a transparent, data-rich environment where every asset is visible in real-time.

Foundation for Advanced Analytics

Create the data foundation needed for predictive maintenance, quality analytics, and AI/ML initiatives.

Rapid Issue Detection

Spot problems as they develop rather than discovering them hours or days later through manual inspection.

Unified Data Architecture

Break down silos by bringing all OT data into a common format and structure, regardless of source protocol.

Secure by Design

Implement proper network segmentation and encrypted data transport to protect critical OT infrastructure.

Scalable Infrastructure

Start with critical assets and expand coverage over time without rearchitecting your data acquisition approach.

Common Use Cases

Production Monitoring

Capture real-time production counts, cycle times, and machine states from every line. Feed data to MES systems or dashboards for live OEE tracking and performance monitoring.

OEE TrackingDowntime AnalysisShift Reports

Quality Data Collection

Acquire process parameters (temperatures, pressures, flows) and measurement data from in-line sensors. Enable statistical process control (SPC) and automated quality reporting.

SPCTraceabilityCompliance

Energy Monitoring

Connect to power meters, flow meters, and utility data sources. Track consumption by line, shift, or product for energy optimization and carbon reporting.

Energy AnalyticsSustainabilityCost Reduction

Predictive Maintenance

Stream vibration, temperature, and other sensor data to analytics platforms. Enable condition-based monitoring and AI/ML models to predict equipment failures before they occur.

CBMMachine LearningReliability

Ready to Connect Your Industrial Assets?

Let's discuss your OT data acquisition needs. Our team will help you design a solution that delivers real-time visibility across your entire operation—no matter how diverse your equipment landscape.
From legacy PLCs to modern IoT sensors, we have the expertise and tools to connect it all. Start your digital transformation with a solid data foundation.