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PLC KERNEL and ThingsBoard PE

Introduction

Section titled “Introduction”

The Kernel Sistemi PLC KERNEL is a programmable logic controller with an ARM microprocessor and an Ethernet port. This guide walks through connecting a PLC KERNEL device to ThingsBoard PE via MQTT, configuring the LogicPaint application for telemetry reporting, and verifying data on the platform.

Prerequisites

Section titled “Prerequisites”
  • PLC KERNEL device with ARM microprocessor and Ethernet port
  • LogicPaint programming software installed on your PC
  • Serial cable for PC-to-PLC connection
  • ThingsBoard PE instance

Create a device

Section titled “Create a device”

  1. Log in to your ThingsBoard PE instance.

    ThingsBoard PE login page

  2. Go to Device Groups and open the ALL group.

    Device Groups page listing all device group
    ALL device group — empty device list

  3. Click + in the top-right corner of the table, then select Add Device.

    Add Device dialog — enter device name and click Add

  4. Enter a device name, for example PLC KERNEL Device, and click Add.

  5. Confirm the new device appears at the top of the list.

    Newly created PLC KERNEL device at the top of the device list

Configure LogicPaint

Section titled “Configure LogicPaint”

Get the access token

Section titled “Get the access token”

ThingsBoard identifies and authenticates the device using an access token. Copy it from ThingsBoard before opening LogicPaint.

  1. Click the device row to open device details.

    Device details panel

  2. Click Copy access token. Save the token to a safe place — you will need it in the next steps.

    Copy access token button in device details

Configure MQTT settings

Section titled “Configure MQTT settings”

  1. Open LogicPaint.

    LogicPaint application main window

  2. Connect the PLC KERNEL to your PC via serial cable.

  3. Go to File > Show Ethernet Port Configuration.

    File menu with Show Ethernet Port Configuration option

  4. Click MQTT Configuration.

    Ethernet port configuration — MQTT Configuration button

  5. Paste the access token copied from ThingsBoard into the indicated field.

    MQTT configuration — access token field with pasted token

  6. Fill in the MQTT connection fields: broker host, port, username, and password.

    MQTT connection fields — broker host, port, and credentials

  7. Add a slot for each value to be monitored.

    Slot configuration — one slot per monitored sensor value

  8. Close both open windows with the Close button.

  9. Click Compile + Send Application to compile and deploy the configuration to the PLC.

Verify telemetry

Section titled “Verify telemetry”

Once the application is running on the PLC, telemetry data appears in ThingsBoard automatically.

  1. Click the device row to open device details.

    Device details panel

  2. Go to the Latest telemetry tab to confirm incoming readings.

    Latest telemetry tab showing published sensor readings

Create a dashboard

Section titled “Create a dashboard”

Use ThingsBoard dashboards to visualize the telemetry from the PLC KERNEL device. Dashboards support a wide variety of widgets for real-time and historical data display.

© 2026 The ThingsBoard Authors