PLC vs PAC vs soft PLC: which controller fits the job
Compare PLCs, PACs, and software PLCs on determinism, I/O, tooling, and cost — plus when an IPC or edge controller is the better answer.
Determinism
Bounded, guaranteed timing — the point of real-time networks.
The guarantee that communication or computation completes within a bounded time, every cycle. Distinct from speed: a deterministic 10 ms cycle beats a usually-fast-but-sometimes-100 ms one for control. Fieldbus protocols and TSN exist to provide it.
See also: TSN · EtherCAT · Jitter
Use the concept: Subnet calculator · Modbus RTU CRC & frame helper · Modbus register decoder & byte-order check
In depth
Industrial wireless: Wi-Fi 6, private 5G, and LoRa compared
Choose industrial wireless by requirements — Wi-Fi 6 for bandwidth, private 5G for mobility and determinism, LoRa and WirelessHART for sensors.
Time-Sensitive Networking: a primer for automation engineers
Scheduled traffic, preemption, and time sync on standard Ethernet — what TSN guarantees, what it still needs, and where it meets the fieldbus.