NODE-RED
Node-RED: Wiring Your Factory's Systems Together
Every digital transformation project eventually runs into the same practical question: how does data actually get from one system to another? A PLC, a database, a cloud API and a notification service rarely speak the same language out of the box. Node-RED is the flow-based integration tool INGSOL uses to connect them, without building bespoke, hard-to-maintain custom software for every link. This page explains what Node-RED is, how INGSOL uses it, and how it fits within our wider technology stack for factories and manufacturing plants.
What Is Node-RED?
Node-RED is an open-source, flow-based development tool originally created for wiring together hardware devices, APIs and online services. It provides a visual, browser-based editor where individual processing steps, called nodes, are connected into flows that move, transform and route data between systems, with the underlying logic expressed as a diagram rather than lines of custom code.
Node-RED is not a database, a SCADA platform or a dashboarding tool on its own, and it does not replace the systems it connects. Its role is integration and automation logic: taking data from one system, transforming or filtering it as needed, and delivering it to another, whether that is a database, an IoT platform, an API or a notification channel.
Why INGSOL Includes NODE-red in the Stack
Visual, flow-based logic:
Common integration tasks, connecting to an MQTT broker, calling an API, writing to a database, are available as ready-made nodes, reducing the amount of bespoke code required for typical integration work.
Broad protocol and node support:
Node-RED can be extended with community and custom nodes to support additional protocols and services, adapting to the specific systems already present in a plant.
Fast to build and modify:
Flows can be built and adjusted quickly as requirements change, reducing the lead time compared with commissioning custom integration software for every new connection.
Open source:
As an open-source tool with a large community, Node-RED avoids dependence on a single proprietary integration platform.
Runs at the edge or centrally:
Node-RED can run on lightweight edge hardware as well as more capable servers, allowing integration logic to sit close to the equipment it serves where that reduces latency.
How INGSOL Uses Node-RED in Practice
Protocol Translation and Data Routing
Node-RED flows commonly translate data between protocols, for example taking an OPC UA tag from a PLC and republishing it over MQTT for consumption by ThingsBoard or a Unified Namespace, without requiring custom software for the conversion.
Integration Between SCADA, IoT and Databases
INGSOL uses Node-RED to move data between Ignition, ThingsBoard, PostgreSQL and TimescaleDB, handling the logic needed to filter, transform or combine data from multiple sources before it is stored or displayed.
Automated Alerts and Notifications
Flows can be configured to trigger notifications, emails or messages to operations teams when specific conditions are met, such as a sensor reading crossing a threshold or a device going offline, closing the gap between an event occurring and the right person being informed.
Custom Logic Without Bespoke Software
Where a specific calculation, data transformation or conditional workflow is needed, Node-RED allows this logic to be built and adjusted visually, reducing the ongoing maintenance burden compared with a fully custom software application built for a single, narrow purpose.
Rapid Prototyping
Node-RED is also useful for prototyping a new integration or workflow quickly, before committing to a more permanent implementation elsewhere in the stack, helping validate an approach with minimal upfront investment.
Node-RED Within the INGSOL Technology Stack
Node-RED typically sits between the platforms in INGSOL’s stack, moving data between Ignition, ThingsBoard, PostgreSQL, TimescaleDB and external APIs or notification services. It complements LoRaWAN network servers such as The Things Network and ChirpStack by routing incoming sensor data onward, and it supports Unified Namespace architectures by handling protocol translation and data shaping before information is published to the namespace. This makes Node-RED the connective layer that keeps the rest of the stack talking to each other without a growing web of one-off, custom interfaces.
Why Manufacturers Choose INGSOL's node-RED Implementation
Flows are designed by engineers who understand the systems being connected, so integration logic reflects how your plant actually operates, not a generic template.
As an open-source tool, Node-RED avoids dependence on a single proprietary integration platform, and flows remain visible and editable rather than hidden inside custom code.
Visual flows are easier to review, hand over and modify over time than bespoke scripts, reducing the risk of undocumented integration logic.
Node-RED is deployed as part of INGSOL's wider Communication & Integration and Data & Intelligence capability, so it fits into a coherent architecture rather than functioning as an isolated tool.
INGSOL uses Node-RED to wire together SCADA, IoT platforms, databases and APIs across your factory, keeping integration logic visible, maintainable and adaptable as your systems evolve. Get in touch to discuss how Node-RED fits your technology stack, or a Digital Transformation Maturity Assessment for your plant.
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