Resources
Browse our ever-expanding library of useful articles, case studies, videos, webinars, and more.
Featured
What Does ‘Ignition Edge Ready’ Mean?
Ignition Edge is a line of limited, lightweight software solutions designed for the edge of the network. Ignition Edge solutions allow you to easily and affordably expand your system to capture, process, and visualize critical data at the edge.
1 min read
Choosing the Best SCADA Software: 6 Important Features
Discover how to choose the best Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software, with the six features you need and how to choose the right vendor.
5 min read
New to Ignition? Learn the Lingo With This Glossary.
When you're a newcomer to the world of Ignition, it’s exciting to learn about all of the things you can do with it, but there are also some challenges. One of the challenging things is learning the various terms and acronyms associated with Ignition and with industrial automation in general. To help with that, we've put together this glossary of some of the most common terms that you'll hear. Along with a short definition, each term includes a link to further information. We hope this helps jumpstart your Ignition journey.
5 min read
What Is a Panel PC?
Most people are familiar with PCs (Personal Computers), but far fewer understand the difference between a retail PC and a panel PC. Whereas PCs are typically found in offices, panel PCs are specialized units designed to be used on or near machines in industrial environments like plant floors or remote sites. Panel PCs are built specifically to run HMI/SCADA software that allows operators to monitor and control processes in virtually every industry, including food & beverage, oil & gas, automotive, water & wastewater, and many more.
4 min read
Expanding Connectivity with Ignition’s Mitsubishi Driver
We are continually expanding Ignition’s capabilities, adding new features, updates, and drivers. With the release of Ignition 8.1.31 this month, Ignition’s new Mitsubishi Driver now adds the MELSEC-F devices to its growing list of compatible MELSEC series, including the iQ-R, iQ-F (FX5U), Q, and L series. This latest addition is more than just an increase in compatibility, it’s a step toward making the Ignition platform more effective globally.
46 min video
Ignition Community Live: Elevate Your Experience at ICC 2023
The Ignition Community Conference (ICC) is coming up and it has plenty of new additions for future attendees to catch up on. At this special ICC preview, learn about the expanded options for viewing and participating including the ICC Livestream, the all-new Table Talks, and much more. Plus, get a sneak peak at perennial ICC favorites like the Keynotes, the Build-a-Thon, Exchange Challenge, the Discover Gallery, Workshops, and more.
44 min video
What Is a Panel PC?
Most people are familiar with PCs (Personal Computers), but far fewer understand the difference between a retail PC and a panel PC. Whereas PCs are typically found in offices, panel PCs are specialized units designed to be used on or near machines in industrial environments like plant floors or remote sites. Panel PCs are built specifically to run HMI/SCADA software that allows operators to monitor and control processes in virtually every industry, including food & beverage, oil & gas, automotive, water & wastewater, and many more.
4 min read
Design Like a Pro: Exceptional Industry-Specific HMIs
When it comes to designing an HMI, there are a few basic concepts to keep in mind, but no one-size-fits-all solution. Every screen will be unique, with functionality and requirements particular to the needs of its operators, and the more specialized the use, the more critical those differences are. So what makes an HMI excel in an industry setting?
58 min video
How’d You Get Here with Kevin McClusky: A Professional Journey
In this new segment of How’d You Get Here, Kevin McClusky chats with Arnell J. Ignacio to discuss Kevin’s professional journey. They talk about Kevin’s early experiences at Inductive Automation to where he currently is now. Kevin also shares insight of the early days at Inductive Automation, what makes IA such a unique place, his journey at Inductive Automation, and much more. We also get a peek into Kevin’s interests and what he is excited about.
50 min video
How’d You Get Here with Kevin McClusky: A Professional Journey
In this new segment of How’d You Get Here, Kevin McClusky chats with Arnell J. Ignacio to discuss Kevin’s professional journey. They talk about Kevin’s early experiences at Inductive Automation to where he currently is now. Kevin also shares insight of the early days at Inductive Automation, what makes IA such a unique place, his journey at Inductive Automation, and much more. We also get a peek into Kevin’s interests and what he is excited about.
50 min episode
Ditch Data Silos: Create a Unified Namespace with Ignition UDTs & MQTT
Data management can sometimes seem like the Wild West, with the chaos caused by inconsistent conventions for naming and organizing data. The current manual and point-to-point data entry methods used in the manufacturing industry result in inefficient operations, difficulty scaling, and dreaded data silos that make it hard for people to share information.
56 min video
How’d You Get Here with Paul Scott: A Professional Journey
In this new installment of How’d You Get Here, Paul Scott sits down with Arnell J. Ignacio to take a trip back in time to explore Paul’s professional journey. They talk about Paul’s early experiences at Inductive Automation to where he currently is now. Paul also shares insight about what it is like to work at Inductive Automation, what makes IA such a unique place, his journey at Inductive Automation, and much more. We also get a peek into Paul’s interests and what he sees for the future.
42 min video
How’d You Get Here with Paul Scott: A Professional Journey
In this new installment of How’d You Get Here, Paul Scott sits down with Arnell J. Ignacio to take a trip back in time to explore Paul’s professional journey. They talk about Paul’s early experiences at Inductive Automation to where he currently is now. Paul also shares insight about what it is like to work at Inductive Automation, what makes IA such a unique place, her journey at Inductive Automation, and much more. We also get a peek into Paul’s interests and what he sees for the future.
43 min episode
Ignition Community Live: Ignition Cloud Edition
Hotly anticipated since it was first teased at ICC 2022, Ignition Cloud Edition combines the power of Ignition with the convenience of the cloud. Join some of our Ignition experts as they answer questions from the Ignition community, and explain the best uses for Cloud Edition as well as how it compares to the standard Ignition platform.
66 min video
Building Businesses and Relationships With Ignition
Rafey Shahid from Qanare Engineering joins Don Pearson to talk about the influence that Inductive Automation and Ignition has on his career. Rafey shares his early days of integration, how he found Ignition and its impact on his business, and the relationships he has developed over the years. Rafey and Don also discuss the challenges and opportunities Rafey has faced and what the future looks like for Qanare Engineering.
34 min video
Ignition + Docker: How to Use Containers for Faster Development
In the never-ending quest to develop and deploy automation projects more quickly, containers represent a powerful leap forward — especially when paired with Ignition. In this webinar, thought leaders from Inductive Automation and the Ignition community will discuss effective ways to use Ignition with the Docker platform, which is widely regarded as the de facto standard for building and sharing containerized apps.
56 min video
Building Businesses and Relationships With Ignition
Rafey Shahid from Qanare Engineering joins Don Pearson to talk about the influence that Inductive Automation and Ignition has on his career. Rafey shares his early days of integration, how he found Ignition and its impact on his business, and the relationships he has developed over the years. Rafey and Don also discuss the challenges and opportunities Rafey has faced and what the future looks like for Qanare Engineering.
35 min episode
How’d You Get Here with Peggie Wever: A Professional Journey
Peggie Wever joins Arnell J. Ignacio to talk about her professional journey at Inductive Automation. In this discussion, they explore Peggie’s experiences from the early days all the way to her current role. Peggie also shares insight about what it is like to work at Inductive Automation, what makes IA such a unique place, her journey at Inductive Automation, and much more. We also get a peek into Peggie’s interests and what she sees for the future.
24 min video
Supercharge Your Power Monitoring with Ignition + IEC 61850
One of the defining features of the Ignition platform is its interoperability and now with the IEC 61850 driver, Ignition can natively connect to virtually any IEC-enabled device. Leveraging this new driver, Ignition can supercharge power-monitoring applications through a combination of expanded functionality, increased flexibility, and Industry 4.0 technology.
53 min video
How’d You Get Here with Peggie Wever: A Professional Journey
Peggie Wever joins Arnell J. Ignacio to talk about her professional journey at Inductive Automation. In this discussion, they explore Peggie’s experiences from the early days all the way to her current role. Peggie also shares insight about what it is like to work at Inductive Automation, what makes IA such a unique place, her journey at Inductive Automation, and much more. We also get a peek into Peggie’s interests and what she sees for the future.
25 min episode
How’d You Get Here with Jason Waits: A Professional Journey
Jason Waits talks with Arnell J. Ignacio about his professional journey at Inductive Automation. In this discussion, they explore Jason’s experiences from the early days all the way to his current role as Chief Information Security Officer. Jason also shares what it is like to work at Inductive Automation, what makes IA such a unique place, his journey to becoming the Chief Information Security Officer, and much more. We also get a peak into Jason’s interests and what he sees for the future.
28 min video
How’d You Get Here with Jason Waits: A Professional Journey
Jason Waits talks with Arnell J. Ignacio about his professional journey at Inductive Automation. In this discussion, they explore Jason’s experiences from the early days all the way to his current role as Chief Information Security Officer. Jason also shares what it is like to work at Inductive Automation, what makes IA such a unique place, his journey to becoming the Chief Information Security Officer, and much more. We also get a peak into Jason’s interests and what he sees for the future.
29 min episode
Breakthrough Batch Manufacturing Solutions
Batch manufacturing has not seen major innovation for decades – until now. Creating batch solutions that include process graphics, communications to business systems, traceability, e-signatures, and WIP inventory historically required purchasing and interfacing together several separate software packages, resulting in inconsistent production quality, difficulty making recipe/batch changes, and struggles to comply with regulatory requirements. Finding the right tools to conquer these challenges is key to unleashing your production’s full potential.
56 min video
Educating the Next Generation of Manufacturing Engineers
Jake Hall, also known as the Manufacturing Millennial, joins David Grussenmeyer for a great discussion on the outlook on education within the manufacturing industry. They dive in and discuss the effects of the OT-IT convergence in manufacturing, the new generation of manufacturing engineers, and how education is evolving to meet today’s manufacturing needs. Jake and David also talk about the challenges of education and how the pandemic revealed opportunities in manufacturing.
40 min video
Educating the Next Generation of Manufacturing Engineers
Jake Hall, also known as the Manufacturing Millennial joins David Grussenmeyer for a great discussion on the outlook on education within the manufacturing industry. They dive in and discuss the effects of the OT and IT convergence in manufacturing, the new generation of manufacturing engineers, and how education is evolving to meet today’s manufacturing needs. Jake and David also talk about the challenges of education and how the pandemic revealed opportunities in manufacturing.
41 min episode
Design Like a Pro: Mobile-Responsive HMIs for Any Screen
Mobile apps have become exponentially more important as smart phones and tablets continue to advance and become the dominant computing devices around the world. This means creating an app that is easy to navigate, visually appealing, and functionally consistent is more necessary than ever before. However, there is no user manual to tell you what to include in your mobile app or what structure is best for your purposes.
55 min video
21 CFR Part 11 and Pharmaceutical Best Practices with Ignition
This guide addresses Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 21 CFR Part 11, Data Integrity and Good Automated Manufacturing Practices (GAMP). It provides best practices and guidelines supporting regulated Ignition applications in the life sciences and pharmaceutical industries.
1 min read
How’d You Get Here with Kathy Applebaum: A Professional Journey
Kathy Applebaum joins Arnell J. Ignacio to talk about her professional journey at Inductive Automation. In this discussion, they explore Kathy’s experiences from the early days all the way to her current role as Software Engineering Department Manager. Kathy also shares insight about what it is like to work at Inductive Automation, what makes IA such a unique place, her unusual journey to becoming Software Engineering Department Manager, and much more. We also get a peak into Kathy’s diverse interests and what she envisions for the future.
27 min video
Ignition Community Live: Ignition Certification Update
Join us as we explore the details and timeline of the new Certification process, what this means for integrators in the Integrator Program, and the reasons behind the change, as well as addressing any questions from the Ignition community.
56 min video
How’d You Get Here with Kathy Applebaum: A Professional Journey
Kathy Applebaum joins Arnell J. Ignacio to talk about her professional journey at Inductive Automation. In this discussion, they explore Kathy’s experiences from the early days all the way to her current role as Software Engineering Department Manager. Kathy also shares insight about what it is like to work at Inductive Automation, what makes IA such a unique place, her unusual journey to becoming Software Engineering Department Manager, and much more. We also get a peak into Kathy’s diverse interests and what she envisions for the future.
28 min episode
Harnessing the Power of Edge-to-Cloud Architecture
Cloud-native applications have supercharged industrial systems with previously unthinkable levels of storage space and computing power.
59 min video
De-Risk Your Digital Transformation — And Reduce Time, Cost & Complexity
Although many manufacturers want to get a Digital Transformation project going, they feel hesitant about investing major time and effort into a project that may not deliver the desired results. However, just imagine if you could achieve a quick win for Digital Transformation in only 90 minutes!
60 min video
Back In-Person at ICC X: Insights From the Ignition Community
Arnell J. Ignacio of Inductive Automation sits down with guests from Blentech, 4IR Solutions, NetApp, OnLogic, DMC, Flexware, NV Tecnologías, Streamline Innovations, Qanare Engineering, Vertech, and Automation Professionals LLC. In this podcast, Arnell and guests dive into what it is like being back in person at ICC, their challenges and accomplishments during the pandemic, what to look forward to at ICC, and the future outlook of the industry.
77 min episode
Numerous Custom Applications from One Platform for Provider of Gases, Materials, and Equipment
The customer suffered from a classic corporate administrative problem: too many of its critical processes were managed by a hodgepodge of spreadsheets and paper records. Off-the-shelf products solved some of these needs but were too inflexible to be adapted to the custom internal procedures. Ignition allowed custom applications to be built to satisfy these needs and gain wide community acceptance and shape corporate policy and culture.
8 min video
Cloud-Hosted Enterprise SCADA for Large Provider of Aggregate Material and Cement
Dolese Bros. is a large provider of aggregate material and cement throughout the state of Oklahoma. Over the past several years, Dolese has upgraded many of its quarries with advanced automation, networking, and operational systems. A key component of this strategy is the deployment of Inductive Automation’s Ignition platform at each quarry, and then a cloud-hosted enterprise-level Ignition system to provide reporting, visualization, and business system integration at a corporate level. Dolese enlisted the help of Industrial Networking Solutions (INS) to accomplish their goals.
5 min video
New SCADA Improves Productivity for Biomanufacturing Company
National Resilience Inc. offers a broad mix of customized manufacturing and development capabilities at their Mississauga, Ontario facility to serve the needs of biopharmaceutical companies at all stages of the drug development process – from pre-clinical development to commercial supply. Resilience requested Grantek’s assistance to develop an Ignition SCADA to support new GMP manufacturing processes in the building area known as the “H-Area.” This solution was needed to rapidly scale a brownfield contract pharmaceutical manufacturing facility, allowing Resilience to maximize their productivity and meet their commercialization goals.
6 min video
Improved Monitoring of Power Generators Nationwide
Brown Engineers developed a USA-branded solution specific to their needs for monitoring a nationwide fleet of generators for high-reliability customers.
8 min video
Industry Leader Reduces Paper, Gets Faster Reporting and Better Productivity
This project was created by FG Automação Industrial for Saint-Gobain, a world leader in the design, manufacturing, and distribution of materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. To better attend to their customers' needs, FG Automação Industrial used Ignition Perspective and Sepasoft's OEE Downtime modules. By combining these modules, they were able to transform the Saint-Gobain tube production management process into a robust, user-friendly, dynamic, reliable, and 100% digital interface.
7 min video
New Mobile Capabilities for United Airlines at Houston Airport
In addition to the HMI baggage handling system Vision application running on the workstations for Houston Terminal C/E (and now B), the intent was to offer the same functionality on a mobile device, such as a tablet. While incorporating the same security roles as the Vision application, the operator on the tablet can view/acknowledge/shelve alarms, view graphics, view and interact with device statuses and controls, view statistics and view connection status details from the new Perspective application.
9 min video
Variety of Connections and Unlimited Licensing Aid Cancer Therapy
This project involved using Ignition in the personalized medicine industry to handle multiple communication protocols in one 21 CFR Part 11-compliant environment. The same regulatory data integrity requirements exist in personalized medicine as in large-scale productions and Ignition has proven to be a valuable tool because of its flexibility, mobility, and above all — device integration.
5 min video