← All case studies
MFG-001 Manufacturing Protocol bridge · Industrial IoT
Legacy CNC meets modern MES — protocol bridge in 8 weeks.
Anonymized, representative scenario (DACH · metalworking). Scope and measurable outcomes depend on machine, MES, and integration constraints.
Retrofit
instead of replacement
8 weeks
implementation
<50 ms
timing budget met
RS-232
legacy link preserved
Baseline
A legacy CNC controller (late 1990s) had to feed a new MES. The vendor was no longer on the market; there was no complete protocol specification — only RS‑232 traffic and partial manuals.
Full replacement typically meant high CAPEX, long lead times, and weeks of planned downtime.
The goal was a drop‑in bridge: MES‑relevant commands and telemetry, near‑real‑time KPIs — without changing the CNC controller firmware.
Approach
1
Analysis ~2 weeks
Protocol capture & pattern extraction
- 48–72h passive traffic monitoring (RS‑232, Y‑cable)
- Start sequences, checksums, commands from production traffic
- Cross-check with partial manuals (legacy docs)
- Document MES‑relevant commands and status messages
2
Build ~5 weeks
Custom protocol bridge
- Node.js adapter for documented command families
- Parser for ASCII frame format incl. <50 ms timing
- Fault tolerance & automatic reconnect
- MQTT toward MES (customer REST/API)
3
Integration ~2 weeks
MES, data & dashboard
- MQTT broker/adapter and MES hook‑up
- TimescaleDB for time series (OEE, history)
- React dashboard: utilization, alarms, reports
- Audit trail of CNC events used for reporting
4
Acceptance ~1 week
Test & go‑live
- MES‑relevant commands verified in acceptance test
- Latency within timing budget (<50 ms) in test
- 4‑week parallel run without critical failures
- Stable data transfer during the test window
Architecture
Legacy CNC (RS‑232 · proprietary · late 1990s)
↓
Protocol bridge (Node.js · parser · reconnect)
↓
MQTT (broker/adapter)
↓
MES (REST/API · orders · KPIs)
↓
TimescaleDB + PostgreSQL (history · OEE)
↓
React dashboard (near‑real‑time · alarms)
Results
MES‑relevant commands verified in acceptance — no CNC firmware change
Controller timing budget <50 ms met in test
Parallel run validated in a multi‑week test window
Manual reporting effort reduced (typical before/after)
OEE and utilization visible in MES/dashboard for the first time
Predictive maintenance feasible as a follow‑on project
Delivery in weeks instead of typical months for replacement
Planned downtime minimized vs. full replacement
Technologies
Passive Protocol AnalysisTraffic CaptureNode.jsMQTTMES IntegrationTimescaleDBPostgreSQLReactDocker
Similar constraints in your production?
We analyze your protocol and tell you in 30 minutes whether a bridge is feasible.
Request a free assessment Reply within 24 hours No commitment Confidential