The Controls Foundry Blog
Controls engineering insights for the digital age
How to Upload and Read an SLC-500 Program Without RSLogix
Lost RSLogix access? Learn how to extract, read, and document your SLC-500 PLC programs using modern tools — no Rockwell license required.
Understanding L5X Files: A Complete Guide to Rockwell Export Formats
Everything you need to know about Rockwell's L5X and L5K export formats — structure, tags, programs, routines, and how to work with them programmatically.
PLC-5 to ControlLogix Migration: What Your Integrator Won't Tell You
The real challenges of migrating from PLC-5 to ControlLogix — addressing changes, program conversion gaps, and why the 'automatic' migration tools fall short.
5 Signs Your Plant Needs Controls Documentation
If you recognize any of these patterns, your facility is carrying undocumented automation risk. Here's how to assess and prioritize the work.
Remote PLC Monitoring for Water Utilities: Beyond SCADA
Why SCADA replacements stall at municipal water districts and how to get visibility from existing PLCs without replacing them. Lift station monitoring as the entry point.
PLC Documentation for Food Safety Compliance: HTST, CIP, and FSMA
Why undocumented PLC programs are a food safety compliance risk. How ladder logic proves HTST timing law compliance and why your CIP sequence documentation probably does not match what the PLC actually does.
ASTM F24 Compliance: Documenting Safety PLCs in Amusement Rides
Why ride control documentation is often missing, how GuardLogix safety tasks differ from standard ControlLogix, and what ASTM F24 auditors actually want to see.
What Is PLC Forensics? A Guide for Plant Engineers
Your original integrator is gone. The PLC program is undocumented. Here's how forensic analysis recovers the knowledge locked inside orphaned controllers.
Stamping Press Safety: Documenting Your SLC-500 Press Control Logic
OSHA press safety requirements, tonnage monitoring, two-hand safety circuits, and why your SLC-500 press controller needs documentation before you can migrate it.
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