System architecture for regulated manufacturing
Field notes on building systems that stay in a validated state.
Long-form writing on MES, eBR design, ERP integration, and ISA-95 architecture for regulated manufacturing.
eBR
Electronic batch records
Integration
MES, SAP & historians
GxP
Compliance by design
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Featured
MQTT Fundamentals for the Unified Namespace
The article discusses key aspects of MQTT in relation to a Unified Namespace (UNS), highlighting four essential mechanisms: broker-mediated pub/sub, quality-of-service levels, retained messages, and Last Will functionality. It explains how MQTT ensures effective communication, addressing misconceptions about delivery guarantees and exploring its historical context, strengths, and application in industrial settings. Read the article →
Core categories
Content lanes tailored for modern manufacturing architecture
Structured expertise, so it is easy to publish thought leadership, implementation notes, and plant-level architecture guidance.
Plant Connectivity
Patterns for PLC, SCADA, OPC UA, and gateway connectivity that stay maintainable as equipment fleets grow.
Execution Layer
Architectures for MES, quality systems, traceability, and scheduling services that support operational agility.
Industrial Data
Approaches to historians, brokers, lakehouses, and contextualized data products for manufacturing analytics.
Enterprise Integration
Reliable contracts between production systems and ERP, supply chain, and planning platforms.
Latest posts
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MQTT Fundamentals for the Unified Namespace
The article discusses key aspects of MQTT in relation to a Unified Namespace (UNS), highlighting four essential mechanisms: broker-mediated pub/sub, quality-of-service levels, retained messages, and Last Will functionality. It explains how MQTT ensures effective communication, addressing misconceptions about delivery guarantees and exploring its historical context, strengths, and application in industrial settings. Continue reading →
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Designing Your UNS Topic Hierarchy with ISA-95
The article discusses designing a Unified Namespace (UNS) topic hierarchy using ISA-95 and ISA-88 standards. It emphasizes that each segment describes a data location, not its type, ensuring predictability in topic paths. Five anti-patterns are identified, highlighting common pitfalls in topic structuring. The goal is a clear, consistent tree for efficient data flow in industrial… Continue reading →
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Why Point-to-Point Integration Fails at Scale
Point-to-point integration becomes problematic as the number of systems increases, leading to a combinatorial explosion of interfaces and heightened fragility at ISA-95 level boundaries. This method incurs significant costs, including ongoing support and operational risks, making it unsuitable for larger plants. A unified namespace presents a scalable alternative for integration. Continue reading →