Ignition Edge and IIoT with MQTT Sparkplug B
Key Takeaway
How Ignition Edge enables local HMI, data buffering, and MQTT Sparkplug B data transmission for IIoT architectures in remote and bandwidth-limited industrial environments.
Quick Answer
Ignition Edge is a lightweight version of Ignition designed for deployment on field hardware and edge computing devices. It enables local HMI, data buffering, and MQTT Sparkplug B transmission to a central Ignition gateway, making it ideal for remote industrial sites with limited or intermittent connectivity.
Edge Products
As of Ignition 8.1.33, Edge ships as two products (Compute, Sync Services, and EAM are included in both; standalone Edge Compute is retired):
- Edge IIoT — Unlimited tags and included-driver connections, scripting/REST, MQTT Sparkplug B publishing, store-and-forward sync to a central gateway or broker, and EAM agent capability. Optimized for bandwidth-efficient field data collection.
- Edge Panel — Everything in Edge IIoT plus local visualization: Perspective (2 sessions) or Vision (1 local + 1 remote client) for panel-PC HMIs and local-client fallback.
MQTT Sparkplug B Architecture
Sparkplug B is an open specification built on MQTT that defines a topic namespace, payload encoding (Protocol Buffers), and state management for industrial IoT. Key advantages:
- Report-by-exception — Only changed values are transmitted, reducing bandwidth by 80-95% compared to polling
- Auto-discovery — Sparkplug-aware hosts automatically discover edge nodes and their tag structures
- Birth/death certificates — The broker knows immediately when an edge device goes offline
- Lightweight — MQTT runs efficiently on cellular and satellite links typical of remote oilfield sites
Store-and-Forward
Ignition Edge buffers data locally when WAN connectivity is lost. Once the connection is restored, buffered data is forwarded to the central gateway in chronological order with original timestamps. This ensures no data loss even during extended network outages — critical for pipeline SCADA and remote production monitoring where satellite or cellular links may be unreliable.
Deployment Scenarios
- Remote Wellsite — Edge Panel on a panel PC provides local pump-off controller display while MQTT Sparkplug B publishes data to the central SCADA gateway via cellular
- Pipeline Compressor Station — Edge IIoT (or Edge Panel) runs local scripting and alarm handling while store-and-forward syncs historian data to the central server
- Tank Farm — Edge Panel for local tank gauging display with MQTT publication for central inventory management
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Frequently Asked Questions
Sparkplug B is an open IIoT specification built on MQTT that defines topic namespaces, Protocol Buffer payloads, and state management for industrial devices. Ignition Edge uses Sparkplug B to publish tag data to central systems efficiently.
Yes. Ignition Edge operates independently at the local site. It buffers data during connectivity loss and forwards it when the connection is restored using store-and-forward.
Still have questions about your setup? Talk to an engineer or call (210) 405-4248.