Industrial control systems produce a wealth of valuable real-time data—data that is often locked away inside programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and difficult to stream or visualize effectively. At Foxglove, we asked: **Could we use our tools to bridge that gap?** Could Foxglove become a live dashboard and analysis platform for industrial data, from simulated plants to factory floors?

In this tutorial, we put that idea to the test by creating a simple script that streams **EtherNet/IP tag data** to a live **Foxglove WebSocket server**, enabling real-time visualization and logging using standard **Foxglove layouts** and **MCAP recording**—all thanks to our [Foxglove-SDK](https://github.com/foxglove/foxglove-sdk).

### Simulating the plant and bridge.

Using cpppo and pylogix, we simulate a complete PLC-like environment. The system includes:

- A virtual **Ethernet/IP device** serving tag data.
- A Python-driven **simulated plant** generating and updating tag values.
- A **Foxglove bridge script** that translates tag updates into **Foxglove channels** over WebSocket (ws://localhost:8765).

Once connected, Foxglove can display these time-series streams using built-in panels or record them in **MCAP** format for offline analysis and replay.

### Industrial data meets modern tooling.

With this integration, Foxglove becomes more than a robotics tool—it becomes a viable solution for **industrial telemetry**, **SCADA-lite dashboards**, and **PLC debugging**. Engineers can now:

- Stream live **sensor or actuator data** from industrial control loops.
- Log complete test runs in **MCAP** for postmortem reviews.
- Customize layouts for factory or test cell diagnostics.

### Foxglove panels.

To bring the data to life, we leveraged several built-in panels in Foxglove:

#### **Plot**

For real-time trend monitoring of analog values such as pressure, flow, or temperature tags.

#### **Indicator**

For binary signals like sensor trips or relay states, perfect for showing alarms or status LEDs.

#### **Gauge**

For intuitive display of scalar quantities (tank level, motor RPM, temperatures, etc.) with thresholds and ranges.

#### **State Transitions**

To trace discrete state changes over time, such as error codes.

These and [other panels](https://docs.foxglove.dev/docs/visualization/panels) available in Foxglove allow you to build rich, responsive dashboards that mirror industrial HMIs, using the same raw data flowing out of PLCs.

### Logging data.

Recording industrial data has never been easier. Using the [**Foxglove SDK**](https://github.com/foxglove/foxglove-sdk), you can log all streamed tag data directly to the [MCAP format](https://mcap.dev/), our efficient, open standard for storing time-series telemetry.

In the repository, you will find an [MCAP file](https://github.com/foxglove/tutorials/tree/main/foxglove_sdk/ethernet_ip_integration/mcap/foxglove_eip_bridge_2025-07-04_17-53-27.mcap) containing a recording of 20 minutes and 30 seconds in length. It includes 110,005 data points from 35 Ethernet/IP tags, with a file size of **3.6 Mb**. You can open this file in Foxglove to visualize all the data points that we logged.

With our [Foxglove Agent](https://docs.foxglove.dev/docs/agent), you can further extend this approach by logging all your device data 24/7 and consolidating all historical data for all your devices in a single place.

### Why it matters.

As **Industry 4.0** pushes for smarter, more connected operations, flexible and open tooling is essential. Foxglove’s ability to visualize **PLC tag data in real-time, run on any OS,** and **log structured data** provides engineers with a powerful new option, eliminating the need to purchase expensive commercial SCADA software.

Want to try it yourself? Check out our [tutorial repository](https://github.com/foxglove/tutorials/tree/main/foxglove_sdk/ethernet_ip_integration).