Connect a Siemens S7 PLC to a MQTT Broker

In today's rapidly advancing industrial landscape, integrating PLCs like the Siemens S7 1500 with modern IoT systems can make a substantial difference in operational efficiency. By connecting the Siemens S7 1500 PLC to a HiveMQ broker using OPC UA and MQTT, you can harness real-time data to power IIoT applications. This guide explores how hopit Edge—our IIoT gateway software—seamlessly enables this integration, taking you from setup to data visibility using MQTT Explorer.

For a step-by-step video walkthrough, watch our video that demonstrates this entire setup process, guiding you through each configuration on hopit Edge.

Step 1: Adding HiveMQ as a Target

With hopit Edge, you can integrate the HiveMQ MQTT broker as a destination target, allowing data transfer from the Siemens PLC to an IoT application. In the "Targets" section, add your HiveMQ broker as a target. Input the broker’s URL, port, and authentication details to establish a secure MQTT connection.

Step 2: Adding the Siemens S7 1500 OPC UA Server as a Target in hopit Edge

The process continues by connecting your Siemens S7 1500 PLC's OPC UA server to hopit Edge. The built-in OPC UA capabilities of the S7 1500 PLC make it ideal for sharing data over a secure, standardized interface.

1. Navigate to the Targets Section: In hopit Edge, go to the "Targets" section to start configuring connections.
2. Add the OPC UA Server: Add your Siemens S7 1500 PLC’s OPC UA server as a target. You’ll need to input the server’s URL and provide necessary credentials to enable secure communication.

Step 3: Discover the OPC UA Namespace

In order to browse the OPC UA server's namespace, a discovery of the whole namespace is done.

Step 4: Configuring the Route in hopit Edge

In hopit Edge, you can set up efficient data pathways—called routes—between your connected devices.

1. Go to the Routes Section: Navigate to the "Routes" section in hopit Edge.
2. Configure the Route: Set the OPC UA server (Siemens PLC) as the source and HiveMQ Broker as the destination.
3. Add Source Variables: Select the variables from the OPC UA source.
4. Map Variables: Optionally add a mapping the the source variables.
5. Activate configuration: Save the route configuration and activate it to initiate the data flow.

Step 5: Viewing Published Messages on MQTT Explorer

To verify the data transmission, you can use MQTT Explorer to view messages published on the HiveMQ broker.

1. Connect MQTT Explorer to HiveMQ: Open MQTT Explorer, connect it to your HiveMQ broker using your respective credentials.
2. Monitor Data Flow: Monitor the variables from the Siemens PLC as they’re published to HiveMQ, confirming the successful integration and data flow from OPC UA to MQTT.

Conclusion

Integrating a Siemens S7 1500 PLC with a HiveMQ broker using hopit Edge opens up a wide range of possibilities for real-time IIoT applications. With easy configuration through hopit Edge, this process ensures secure, reliable data transfer, making it a powerful solution for industries embracing digital transformation.

This setup process is highly configurable, scalable, and efficient, leveraging the latest in IIoT gateway technology through hopit Edge.