Last week Software Toolbox was one of the 39 vendors exhibiting and presenting at the ProveIt! Conference in Dallas (check out the other ones we'll be at). We hardly noticed the freezing cold Texas weather (yes, that's right, it was less than 10 degrees) as we had heated (constructive) discussions on and off the stage and exhibition floor. In this blog you'll learn what we proved, and get to see it in action in video! Don't want to wait? Jump straight to the video!
To quote the organizers of the event: "ProveIt! is an industry-focused conference where vendors showcase solutions by integrating their hardware and software into a simulated manufacturing environment. Vendors connect their technology to a virtual factory, solving real-world challenges and demonstrating the value of their offerings in front of a live audience."
ProveIt! was a challenge to drop the Sales and Marketing talk (a.k.a. slides). As one conference attendee put it on LinkedIn: "ProveIt! Conference says it all in the name. Walker Reynolds and his team challenged vendors in manufacturing to show up and show out. The entire event centered around vendors PROVING their sales claims and showing the audience what they could build in a real environment in 16 weeks. I go to a lot of conferences, but this was different."
I second all of the above! But let's get into some more detail of what actually happened and what had to happen to get there and then show you what we proved!
The conference aimed to create a collaborative environment where vendors (we, us, Software Toolbox) can “prove” their solutions in action (and oh boy, did we get into action!!!). By connecting to a Unified Namespace (UNS) and addressing common manufacturing challenges, we were tasked to showcase practical, innovative approaches that improve manufacturing processes. So, what did Software Toolbox do? Let's find out...
To even the playfield, all vendors had the same timeline and infrastructure to work with:
The virtual factory was modeled after a real-life flexible packaging manufacturer, simulating the data and operations infrastructure. We integrated our solution into the virtual factory by connecting to the infrastructure via SQL, MQTT, and OPC and used the factory’s real-time data and simulated environment to demonstrate our solution. And during the presentation, the following questions had to be answered:
Our live demo showcased how manufacturers, in the demo a hypothetical company called SWTB Printing, can modernize operations, enhance safety, and optimize efficiency while leveraging existing infrastructure. We showed how it is to easily configure off-the-shelf software solutions for OT/IT/ET convergence, enabling Unified Namespace Compliance and readiness at all levels in the organization. This is particularly important for manufacturers who have existing OT technology in their facility that is a few years or decades old. Without ‘ripping and replacing’, they often wonder if there is a way to make the infrastructure and technology landscape compatible with the Unified Namespace (UNS)? If yes, this would reduce the barrier to entry for considering new ways to unlock operational efficiencies and modern ways to benefit their business which could be AI-powered.
In our Demo, our mythical client "SWTB Printing" and Software Toolbox, already had a first briefing and Software Toolbox is now presenting a Proof of Concept based on this architecture below. Watch the video below and experience the 5-step solution Software Toolbox is presenting.
Cogent DataHub pulls data from the camera and publishes it to the UNS, and subscribes to production data in the UNS. For the camera that watches the operator, it is used to convert visual “camera” data to encoded Base64 format, a standard image encoding. More below »
OmniServer is used to configure a documented custom protocol used by the Andon display board, thus adding OPC UA and optional MQTT client functionality the legacy display making it "UNS Enabled". More below »
Through MQTT subscriptions to the UNS broker, Cogent DataHub receives the results of the AI analysis, and production data to be bridged over to be displayed on the Andon display board and set the PLC stack light status. More below »
TOP Server communicates with an AutomationDirect PLC via a legacy serial connection, and makes the data available via OPC interfaces, thus UNS Enabling the PLC. More below »
When the results are received from Google Cloud AI vision, another function block unpacks the results, uses standard function blocks to decide if the operator is wearing a hat or not and their mood, and delivers that data back to the UNS via MQTT. The PLC has a stack light connected to its I/O that indicates line status. When the AI model indicates that a safety requirement has been breached, data written to the TOP Server via OPC from Cogent DataHub that is acting as the MQTT to OPC gateway, will stop the line and update the stack lite. More below »
Here's Walker's comments on LinkedIn and in his latest podcast named the Software Toolbox demo as a home run! "They didn't just prove it, they slayed it" were his comments in the 2/27 Industry 4.0 Podcast!
And while the principle of ProveIt! sounds so simple, it is hardly (n)ever done (spoiler alert: there will be a ProveIt Conference in 2026): SHOW what you are doing, PROVE your point. And yet, in the almost 20 years I have been in the Automation Industry, it has never been done. Until now. Spoiler Alert: Software Toolbox did Prove It!
One of my colleagues said: "This was the most collaborative conference I have ever experienced. It was the only one where I had vendors coming up and asking what data we are publishing to the UNS and then had multiple vendors use that data in their application. The best part was the Common Infrastructure that forced the collaboration. Without this common UNS, it would not have been the same level of collaboration."
Another attendee stated: "I would say one of my key takeaways is that digital transformation is happening and those in our industry that wait will fall further and further behind. Getting ahead of the curve and starting a digital transformation plan now, because we know it can take years to implement, is ever important and utilizing the resources that vendors provide is critical because of how involved they are with Industry 4.0 and other customers' digital transformations. Those who don’t adapt and adopt will be playing catch up for years to come because it is clear where the industry is headed. It doesn’t mean that you need to rip and replace everything now, but at least get a plan in place."
In case you are wondering why we do go to Events & Conferences like this (check out the other ones we'll be at), there is nothing like talking to each other in person and establishing that individual connection and become part of a community of very diverse people working to reach the same goal. Check out this blog "The Top 5 Practical Reasons to Attend Industry Events This Year"