Modern PLCs Support Dependable SCADA Communications

Why It Matters

By providing affordable, secure automation, the platform helps small municipalities maintain reliable water services and reduces reliance on costly legacy upgrades, opening a sizable market for scalable SCADA solutions.

Key Takeaways

• BRX PLC supports multiple industrial protocols for seamless integration
• CoStream SCADA targets affordable, secure solutions for small municipalities
• Penetration test showed no successful hacks, proving strong cybersecurity
• Cloud‑enabled remote support reduces need for on‑site OT engineers
• Free Do‑more Designer software simplifies programming and simulation

Pulse Analysis

Municipal water and wastewater treatment plants, whether serving a metropolis or a rural hamlet, rely on supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems to monitor flow, chemistry and equipment health. Yet 90 % of U.S. facilities are small operations with limited budgets and staffing, making high‑end industrial automation prohibitively expensive. Recognizing this gap, CoStream set out to build a low‑cost, cloud‑ready SCADA platform that can plug into legacy hardware while meeting modern cybersecurity standards. The goal is to give small towns the same reliability and data visibility enjoyed by larger utilities without the overhead.

The AutomationDirect BRX stackable micro‑brick PLC provides the hardware backbone CoStream needs. It supports EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP, MQTT, OPC UA and dozens of other protocols, allowing seamless communication between field devices, IT systems and cloud services. Its modular I/O and hot‑swappable communication ports let engineers expand or reconfigure plants without costly downtime. Programming is handled through the free Do‑more Designer suite, which includes a simulator for rapid testing and training. This combination of protocol breadth, modularity and zero‑license software keeps capital expenses low while delivering enterprise‑grade functionality.

Security was a decisive factor in CoStream’s design, culminating in a public penetration‑testing challenge that yielded no successful breaches and earned a $5,000 charitable donation. By leveraging the BRX’s built‑in firewall capabilities and encrypted MQTT streams, the platform isolates critical control loops from external networks. Remote diagnostics and cloud integration enable fractional OT engineers to troubleshoot issues without onsite visits, further reducing exposure to human error. As municipalities increasingly adopt smart‑city initiatives, the BRX‑enabled SCADA solution positions CoStream to capture a growing niche market that demands affordable, resilient and cyber‑secure automation.