As we leave 2025 behind us and welcome 2026, it’s clear that industrial connectivity and digital transformation continue to be front and center. All year long, Software Toolbox’s technical blog shared practical insights to help IT/OT professionals solve real-world challenges, from mastering classic protocols to embracing cutting-edge integration strategies.
Below, let's recap the 10 most popular posts of 2025 before we will look at the learning resources we created for you last year in one of the next blogs. Make sure to subscribe to not miss that. Each struck a chord with you, our readers, offering valuable how-to guidance or big-picture perspective. Let’s count down the top ten and explore why they resonated so strongly with the community.
#1 Demystifying Modbus Function Codes
When working with Modbus devices, understanding function codes is essential for efficient and accurate data exchange. This post breaks down what each Modbus function code does and shows how TOP Server automatically handles them to enhance performance and reduce troubleshooting time. It was a favorite because it addressed a fundamental pain point – many engineers appreciated a clear guide to Modbus basics that improved their confidence in configuring and optimizing communications. Read Blog »
#2 OPC UA Session Timeouts Explained: Configuration, Best Practices, and Why They Matter
Continuous OPC UA connectivity is critical, and this in-depth post explains the “heartbeat” of OPC UA sessions: timeouts. It covers what session timeouts are, how to tune them, and why poorly set timeouts can trigger needless disconnects or hide real failures. Readers found this post hugely valuable because OPC UA is widely used, and the guidance on avoiding downtime and data loss via proper timeout settings helped them ensure more reliable, resilient systems. Read Blog »
#3 From Plant Floor PLC to SAP: Real-Time Connectivity
This case study-style article follows a global manufacturer’s journey to bridge their plant-floor Rockwell PLCs with their SAP enterprise system in real time. It outlines the challenges of legacy systems and how a combined TOP Server + OPC Router solution enabled robust, scalable data transfer from the factory floor to the boardroom. This story resonated with readers because it demonstrated real-world IT/OT integration success. Professionals loved seeing a practical example of modernizing workflows – it gave hope and a blueprint for tackling similar PLC-to-ERP connectivity challenges in their own projects. Read Blog »
#4 Did We Prove It at ProveIt!?
In this energetic recap, Software Toolbox shares its experience at the 2025 ProveIt! event, where vendors had to prove their solutions live on a simulated factory floor. The blog outlines what the team built (connecting to a Unified Namespace and solving manufacturing challenges) and even includes a video of the live demo. It became one of the year’s most talked-about posts because of its unique, “show-don’t-tell” approach – readers were excited to see a bold real-time demonstration of Software Toolbox solutions in action, which brought concepts like UNS to life in a fun, competitive setting. Read Blog »
We will be presenting at the upcoming ProveIt! Conference in February 2026 again! Make sure to subscribe to our Blog and Follow us on LinkedIn to not miss any of our updates!
#5 Video Tutorial: Logging Process Data to SQL Server with OPC Data Logger
This quick how-to post (with an embedded video) walks through setting up Software Toolbox’s OPC Data Logger to store OPC-collected data in a SQL Server database. In just under 10 minutes, viewers learn how to configure a logging project, connect to a TOP Server OPC data source, and ensure valuable process data gets saved for analysis. This tutorial’s popularity stemmed from its practicality – many users needed a simple, visual guide to link OPC data with SQL databases. By clearly showing each step, it empowered engineers to start leveraging their process data for reporting and analytics, making it a highly shared and bookmarked resource. Read Blog »
#6 UNS Without the Overhaul: Modernizing Industrial Data with Software Toolbox
Kicking off the “Summer of IoT” series, this post introduces the concept of the Unified Namespace (UNS) and why it matters for Industry 4.0. It explains UNS in plain terms – a centralized structure for all plant data – and highlights how Software Toolbox tools enable UNS connectivity without ripping out legacy systems. Readers were drawn to this article because it tackled a hot industry trend (UNS) in a pragmatic way. It resonated with those looking to modernize gradually: the idea that you can achieve the benefits of a UNS with existing equipment (no massive overhaul required) was both reassuring and enlightening to many professionals. Read Blog »
#7 Expert Guide: 7 Areas to Unlocking More Value from
Industrial Data
Based on a live panel discussion with industry experts, this comprehensive guide highlights seven key focus areas for maximizing the value of industrial data. It covers everything from breaking down data silos and aligning OT/IT goals to leveraging open standards – essentially a roadmap for building a future-ready data infrastructure. This extensive post gained popularity for its high-level strategic insights. It resonated with readers who oversee digital transformation initiatives, as it distilled advice from multiple experts into practical, actionable takeaways. In short, it wasn’t just a tech tip – it was a mini playbook for smarter, more connected operations, which many found inspiring and worth sharing. Read Blog »
#8 Video Tutorial: Get Started with the OPC Server Remote
Config Client
This how-to video post introduces the OPC Server Remote Configuration Client, a tool for securely managing remote TOP Server/KEPServerEX instances without needing full remote desktop access. The tutorial shows how the Remote Config Client streamlines server management across sites by allowing direct remote changes under your network’s security – no VPN or cloud needed. It became a hit with readers because remote OPC server management is a game-changer for many. With security and efficiency being huge concerns, this post’s step-by-step approach helped users quickly see how they could save time (and plane trips!) by configuring servers from their desk. It struck a conversational tone on a very modern challenge, which really clicked with the audience. Read Blog »
#9 Don’t Sleep on Web Services: How RESTful APIs
Improve Integration
Playfully riffing on “REST”, this article explains why RESTful web services are nothing to snooze on in the industrial world. It outlines how REST APIs work and how they enable easy, standardized data exchange between IT systems and OT devices that otherwise wouldn’t talk to each other. It also points out practical use cases (like using OPC Router as a REST client/server) to bring these concepts home. This topic resonated because it bridged the gap between traditional OT and newer IT integration methods. Many OT engineers found it eye-opening – the lighthearted approach made a complex subject accessible, and readers loved learning how modern web APIs can simplify integrations without heavy coding. Read Blog »
#10 Protecting Historical Data Integrity Using Store & Forward
In this forward-looking post (part of the IoT series), Software Toolbox dives into how “store and forward” technology safeguards your historical process data. It explains how Cogent DataHub’s External Historian and built-in Store & Forward features keep time-series data flowing to central historians without loss, even when network connections hiccup. The post emphasizes secure OT/IT convergence – moving data to the cloud or enterprise securely, with no open inbound ports, and no data gaps. It struck a nerve (in a good way) because data integrity is a universal concern. Engineers and managers alike appreciated learning how to prevent data loss from network outages. By showing how to buffer and forward historical data safely, the article gave readers peace of mind that they can trust their analytics and compliance data, making it one of the year’s most impactful reads. Read Blog »
Thanks for Learning & Innovating with us!
The enthusiastic response to this content reminds us why we do what we do – we’re here to empower you with practical tips, expert perspectives, and proven solutions. Thank you for reading and engaging with us throughout 2025. We look forward to continuing our knowledge-sharing mission in the years ahead, helping you turn operational challenges into opportunities for innovation.
Here’s to another year of learning and innovation together!
