How to connect PLC or control device to Google Cloud, AWS Cloud, Local Cloud & Any Cloud Platform

A well-formed question almost always leads to another series of questions that help you better understand a particular situation.

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions in the world of industrial automation. How do I connect my PLC or plant system to Google Cloud Platform? Is it possible?

A positive response almost always leads to additional questions from the customer. This allows us to elaborate on the process for uploading data to the cloud.

1. How can I connect my PLC to the cloud without exposing it?

No PLC or SCADA is ever connected to the internet because it is risky. PLC data must be logged using DMZ (secure network) before uploading to Google cloud.

2. Does that mean we have to forward them thanks to an intermediary?

In fact it’s the right thing to do to maintain security.

3. Do you need something to manage the data from your PLC, aggregate it and upload it to the cloud?

You definitely need an IoT gateway.

4. Can an IoT Gateway read data from any PLC and upload it to Google Cloud Platform itself?

No, it’s important to choose the right IoT Gateway that understands PLC protocols. If this is Allen Bradley, the IoT gateway should read data over Ethernet/IP.

5. Which protocols should the IoT gateway support?

Modbus
Siemens PLC
Ethernet IP
OPC UA
OPC DA
among others.

6. The PLC data is already in the gateway and just needs to be uploaded to Google Cloud Platform, right?

No.
The IoT gateway needs to convert the PLC protocol into a protocol that Google Cloud Platform understands.

7. And what protocol is it?

MQTT is perfect for Google Cloud Platform.

8. Does the IoT gateway need to be able to support MQTT and what other cloud protocols can it support?

MQTT is the correct protocol when uploading data to Google Cloud Platform.
Other platform types have protocols such as OPC UA and REST.

9. Once having my data in the IoT Hub and converted to MQTT, what else should I consider?

After the data has been transformed in IoT Hub and MQTT, what else should I consider? Google Cloud Platform security requires security verification based on access keys for connections between MQTT brokers in the cloud and MQTT publishers in premises (IoT gateways).

Therefore, the IoT gateway used must support connectivity to Google Cloud Platform for this type of security

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