Allen-Bradley PLC
HISTORIAN
The is the easiest way to log data from an Allen-Bradley PLC. Traditional Allen-Bradley PLCs excel at deterministic control but were never designed to function as long-term repositories of process data. That limitation leaves valuable operational history untracked and inaccessible for analysis.
The RTA Allen-Bradley PLC Historian bridges this gap by providing a dedicated industrial platform for persistent time-series data collection. This hardware-based solution operates entirely on-premise, it captures high-resolution logs from Allen-Bradley PLCs, structures them into historian records and makes them available for downstream systems—without subscriptions, licensing constraints or reliance on third-party middleware. With configurable storage up to 1TB, a complete suite of publishing protocols (SQL, HTTP, FTP, WebSockets, USB, MQTT and email) and direct integration with InfluxDB for visualization and analytics, the Historian becomes the anchor point for both closed OT environments and hybrid IT/OT architectures.
Closed OT
For control networks that must remain isolated, the Allen-Bradley PLC Historian functions as a secure, stand-alone logging platform.
- Local record storage with options of 128GB, 512GB or 1TB
- Absolute data ownership—no recurring fees or cloud dependencies
- Deterministic access through email, USB or local network file services
- View data through a dedicated local browser interface
IT to OT
For operations bridging plant-floor instrumentation with enterprise IT or cloud systems, the Historian provides hardened data forwarding and segregation.
- Multi-protocol forwarding: SQL (MySQL/MSSQL), HTTP, FTP, WebSockets, USB, MQTT and email
- Dual Ethernet interfaces maintain physical and logical separation of OT and IT traffic
- Embedded InfluxDB engine exposes historian datasets directly to Grafana and other analytics clients
- Transform raw data values into meta data rich information models
A-B PLCs Supported
- ControlLogix
- CompactLogix
- FlexLogix
- MicroLogix
- PLC-5
- SLC-500
- Micro800 Series
Key Features
- Auto-discovery of PLC tags via browser-based UI
- Granular scheduling, cyclic and event-based triggers
- Built-in data transformation operators (arithmetic, bitwise and JavaScript scripting)
- Modeled dataset creation for structured information modeling
- Graphical user interface with filtered views and export functions
Forwarding Options
- SQL (MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server)
- FTP
- HTTP
- USB
- MQTT
- WebSockets
Get Control of Your Data
Instead of outsourcing process visibility to middleware software or proprietary historian software, the RTA Historian provides an on-device, standards-driven approach to industrial data retention. All historian data is stored locally on industrial-grade storage media, and retrieval requires no cloud access or recurring licensing.
Because captured data often requires contextualization before use, the Historian incorporates real-time transformation. Arithmetic operations, logical functions and even custom JavaScript routines can be applied inline, ensuring that every record written is aligned with your operational KPIs. With modeled dataset support, complex PLC variables can be grouped into reusable structures that map cleanly to OEE models, predictive analytics pipelines or reporting standards.
Log Allen-Bradley PLC Data the Easy Way!
Deploy the Historian within your control network.
Automatically discover connected PLCs and available data tags through the web browser interface.
Define triggers that will create data records: cyclic sampling intervals (down to 100ms), event conditions and schedule windows.
Apply optional transformations or modeled dataset configurations.
The result is a structured historian dataset, designed from the ground up to reflect your production logic and operational priorities.
How Does Allen-Bradley PLC Historian Create Records?
The Allen-Bradley PLC Historian creates time series records. These individual records are created several different ways to meet your unique data logging requirements. You can leverage one or all these mechanisms.
- Cyclic Trigger: Create a record of data points at a user defined cyclic rate. Monitor your application at a user definable rate as low as 10 ms.
- Event Trigger: Let a data event in your application queue a record. Have your PLC increment a the counter at the end of every successful run. Tigger a read when and tag values goes out of a defined range. Any value from the PLC can be set as a trigger.
- Clock Trigger: Schedule record creation at a set time of day. Just like setting an alarm on your phone. Once a day, once an hour, once a week, or at 11:27am on Tuesday. You get a snapshot of data at the scheduled time you define.
Start your Digitization Journey! (When OT and IT Collide)
Your Digitization journey needs to start with data access. While PLCs reliably execute real-time control loops, they discard the operational context with each scan cycle. The Historian captures this ephemeral data, structuring it into durable, queryable records that fuel digital transformation initiatives.
Trigger-based acquisition aligns record creation with the reality of production—shift schedules, process completions, fault states or sensor transitions. Transformation functions sanitize and normalize raw variables, embedding business logic into the dataset itself. Modeled data ensures uniform representation of values. Data in the PLC becomes modeled information ready for ingestion by business systems
Historian records can be exposed natively via InfluxDB APIs, visualized in Grafana dashboards or forwarded through SQL and REST interfaces into MES, ERP or cloud platforms. Operators gain real-time visibility, engineers gain structured diagnostic data and IT systems receive standardized, ready-to-consume records—all without the fragility or ongoing service expenses of traditional middleware solutions.
Enable OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) With Data
Measuring OEE starts by unlocking the variables currently hidden inside your Allen-Bradley PLCs. OEE metrics require synchronized visibility into availability, performance and quality. The Historian provides direct instrumentation of these variables by exposing them as structured historian datasets.
- Availability: Scheduled runtime vs. recorded downtime events for precise asset utilization metrics.
- Performance: Ideal vs. actual cycle times calculated directly from logged PLC counters.
- Quality: Good vs. total production counts derived from modeled datasets, eliminating ambiguity between units produced and units qualified.
By embedding OEE calculations into modeled datasets, the Historian ensures consistency in measurement across assets, plants and enterprises. This standardization turns raw cycle data into an enterprise-wide performance framework.
This formula will give you a percentage representing the overall effectiveness of your equipment. The higher the OEE percentage, the more efficient your equipment is operating.
The Allen-Bradley PLC Historian will give you access to the variables that will allow you to properly calculate your equipment’s OEE.
Why Do I Need a Allen-Bradley PLC Historian on My Line?
In automation environments, raw PLC data disappears the instant it is processed. A historian extends its life, providing:
- Persistent Storage: Industrial-grade retention of high-frequency, high-volume datasets.
- Structured Access: Queryable, filterable logs for trend analysis, root cause investigation and compliance.
- Audit and Traceability: Regulatory-ready datasets with secured, time-stamped records.
- Operational Intelligence: Longitudinal datasets for predictive maintenance, energy optimization and process tuning.
- Seamless Integration: Native interoperability with SCADA, MES, ERP and cloud ecosystems through industry-standard protocols.
The result: an unbroken chain from sensor to decision, enabling operators and executives alike to make data-driven choices with confidence.
Why Use RTA for Data Management Solutions?
RTA is dedicated to being your protocol partner. When you call, a live person answers the phone. If you talk with sales, you will get honest answers and recommendations. When you get support, it is from an engineer (or Enginerd® as we like to call them here) who had a hand in the product’s development and testing.
For gateway solutions and more check out our Solutions for Allen-Bradley PLCs page.
Physical Attributes
| Product specifications | |
|---|---|
| PLC Support | CompactLogix, ControlLogix, FlexLogix, MicroLogix, SLC, PLC-5E and Micro800 Series |
| Number of PLCs Supported | 10 |
| Supported Data Types | Usint, Sint, Uint, Int, Idint, Real, String, Bit Array 16, Bit Array 32, Bool, Long |
| Storage Options | 128 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB |
| Power | 8 -24 VDC (22W Max) |
| Temp Range | -20°C to 60°C (Humidity: 10-95% non-condensing) |
| Certifications | RoHS, UL, CE approvals |