Software Toolbox Technical Blog

When it comes to modern data workflows, REST APIs are one of the most flexible and widely adopted methods of integrating different systems. Whether you’re working with enterprise software, cloud services, or custom applications, REST provides a lightweight way to exchange data.

In this post, we’ll explore how OPC Router’s REST Client plug-in simplifies connection to RESTful endpoints. We’ll then walk through a practical demonstration using Software Toolbox’s Data Caster product, covering: A step-by-step demo of configuring the REST Client in OPC Router to collect data from an API and display that data with Data Caster.

By the end, you’ll see how REST fits neatly into your industrial data architecture, giving you a flexible bridge between OT and IT systems.

Downtime is expensive — sometimes costing thousands of dollars every minute, a line sits idle. Traditional maintenance approaches often fall into one of two traps: reacting after something breaks or replacing parts on a set schedule whether they need it or not. Predictive maintenance takes a smarter route. By combining real-time data from your equipment with machine learning, it can spot problems before they cause an outage. With OPC Router, you can efficiently route PLC and sensor data into predictive models with minimal complexity.

Are you looking for a simple way to bring live process data into Power BI for dashboards and visualization? OPC Router’s REST plug-in provides a flexible and secure way to push data from your industrial systems to Power BI using its Streaming Dataset API.

In this blog, we’ll walk you through the steps of setting up a live connection between OPC Router and Power BI using the REST interface, so you can transform your raw data into real-time insights for your team.

While this blog is geared towards existing Router users, Even if you’re new to OPC Router, this walk through can show you what’s possible when combining live industrial data with Power BI. If you’d like to explore OPC Router further, check out our getting started videos—they’ll give you the foundation you need to begin building your own real-time dashboards.

Software Toolbox attends a wide variety of customer and networking events throughout the year. Each one gives us valuable opportunities to connect with our customers, exchange ideas with peers, and gather feedback that helps us improve what we do. Some stand out because of the conversations they spark, the insights they deliver, or the energy they generate within the community. OT SCADA CON was one of those connection sparking events. In this blog, I will share some of the key takeaways I brought home from the experience.

OT SCADA CON: Fast-Paced Learning, Real-World Insights

OT SCADA CON is a unique, community-driven conference organized by the Automation Ladies and their volunteers, bringing together professionals from across the industrial automation space. While the name highlights Operational Technology (OT) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), the event essentially covers everything in the world of SCADA and beyond. Launched just last year, the conference has already doubled in size.  

Welcome to the Summer of IoT! As part of our Summer of IoT blog series, we spotlight practical ways to simplify and accelerate your digital transformation journey. In this second post, we’re diving into how OPC Router Docker Containers make industrial connectivity more flexible and easier to manage. Whether you're optimizing existing systems or exploring new technologies, our goal is to give you real-world strategies to make IoT adoption smarter and more efficient.

In industrial automation, efficiency is everything—whether it’s edge applications on the plant floor or in the solutions that keep operations running smoothly. For many, managing OPC Router installations has always meant dealing with servers, complex configurations, and time-consuming updates. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

In this blog, I’ll introduce you to OPC Router Docker Containers: what they are, why they matter, and how they can help you streamline your industrial connectivity with less hassle and greater flexibility. We hope you’ll learn:

• What OPC Router in a Docker container means
• Why it can save you time, simplify updates, and improve scalability
• How it fits into modern, flexible industrial architectures

Time is money. Let’s help you save both.

Welcome to the launch of Software Toolbox’s Summer of IoT blog series for 2025.

In the coming posts, we’ll explore how our solutions support the evolving world of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and more importantly, how they can help you advance your Industry 4.0 and digital transformation goals with practical, proven tools. We begin the series by exploring Unified Namespace (UNS), what it means, why it matters, and how Software Toolbox makes it practical for real-world industrial environments.

Unified Namespace, Real Results: Lessons and Tools that Deliver

In today’s fast-evolving industrial landscape, seamless connectivity and data integration are critical for operational success. At Software Toolbox, our solutions are designed to empower businesses by enabling UNS connectivity, bridging the gap between diverse systems and helping with efficiency, interoperability, and scalability.

Personally, as a presenter and attendee of ProveIt! 2025 and an attendee of 4.0 Solutions’ Edge Integration to UNS Workshop, I have had a lot of exposure to the topic of UNS this year. In this blog post, I will share not only what I have learned surrounding the topic, but how Software Toolbox’s solutions fit into the picture.

Integrating with SAP: A Simple Guide Using OPC Router

In many industrial environments, getting real-time data from machines into SAP can feel like a complex, code-heavy challenge. Whether triggering production orders, tracking materials, or sending print requests, smooth data flow is essential. This is where OPC Router makes a difference — providing a no-code solution to seamlessly connect your OPC UA-enabled systems directly to SAP.

To help you get started, we have put together a quick video demo that walks you through the setup, step-by-step.

In the oil and gas industry, data drives everything—from production optimization to regulatory compliance and remote asset management. But in an environment with geographically dispersed assets, legacy equipment, and too often limited network bandwidth, secure data exchange is far from simple. 

To stay competitive and compliant, oil and gas operators must bridge the gap between edge devices to control and enterprise systems—safely, reliably, and in real time.