PRACTICAL GUIDES
From a first question
to connected data.
Choose a guide for the work in front of you. Start with people and a pilot, connect a signal, then give the data a structure other systems can use.
Plan a first use
Decide who needs the result and how the data will reach them.
Strategy
Plan the team for a UNS pilot
Agree who owns the machine connection, software, data definitions, and operational result. Use the roles and project phases to plan your first deployment.
Architecture
Plan the connection to a machine
Compare the wired and wireless approaches described in this guide for getting PLC data to an MQTT broker.
Connect a machine
Follow the guide for your hardware. Each includes prerequisites, testing, and troubleshooting.
Wiring
Siemens Logo 8.4: connect a digital input
How to wire real-world signals into the Logo's digital inputs to
detect whether a machine is running. Covers stack lights, door
sensors, relay contacts, and proximity switches — with a complete
wire diagram and step-by-step instructions for both electrical
engineers and IT teams.
Hardware
Siemens Logo 8.4: publish data over MQTT
Complete tutorial for configuring a Siemens Logo PLC to publish data via MQTT.
Based on a real training session — includes important troubleshooting insights and lessons learned.
Hardware
Teltonika RUT200: collect machine status
How to use a Teltonika RUT200 industrial cellular router's built-in
digital inputs to detect whether a machine is running or stopped —
and publish that state directly to the Unified Namespace over
cellular MQTT. No PLC required. Covers full network setup, 24V and
dry contact wiring, and MQTT configuration.
Organize and use the data
Describe your factory, then follow the components that turn signals into useful records.
Standard
Describe a small factory in YAML
Create shared definitions for a CNC shop, from the site and machines to sensors and MQTT topics. Then reuse the structure across equipment.
Pipeline
Follow the fn-uns data pipeline
See how the 12 documented components capture machine signals, build production records, and make data available for reporting and analysis.
Extend the system
Consider how your team will maintain processing logic and build more advanced analysis.
Architecture
Flows and functions: choose a workflow your team can maintain.
Compare a visual flow with the fn-uns component approach, decide what your team needs, and move processing logic only where it helps.
Digital Twin
Build a custom analysis function
Follow a CNC quality example to see how machine context and a custom function can support a manufacturing digital twin.