Scriptable Soft PLC
Express machine-adjacent logic with clear Startup, Loop, and Teardown lifecycle functions. Run each Lua automation in its own container.
Soft PLC · Edge automation
Automation,
composed in software.
BFC turns an industrial Linux controller into a modular Soft PLC and edge data platform. Connect IO-Link devices, run automation next to the machine, persist process data, and make it useful through REST and Node-RED.
Lua / JSON / Python
IO-Link + IODD
x64 + ARM
Edge controller · Running
Connected devices
Condition sensorPort 1 · Active
UHF RFIDPort 2 · 4 tags
SmartLightPort 3 · Ready
Automation / main.lua
Live1function Startup()
2sensor = ConditionSensor.new()
3end
4
5function Loop()
6value = sensor:read()
7gateway:write(value)
8end
Cycle
250 ms
Gateway API
● 200 · Data stored
3
Runtime formats
3
Target architectures
REST
Open data interface
Local
Edge-first execution
One platform, complete path
From field device to useful data.
BFC connects the layers that usually become separate projects: device communication, automation logic, local persistence, APIs, and visual workflows.
IO-Link integration
Connect IO-Link masters and devices through generated drivers. Turn IODD definitions into automation-ready software components.
Data with context
Store current and historical typed values in MariaDB, expose them through the Gateway API, and administer them with familiar tools.
Node-RED ready
Bring live BFC values into visual flows and dashboards using the included Gateway node, automatic login, and token refresh.
Guided commissioning
Prepare a compatible Linux controller from a Windows workstation over SSH/SFTP, then manage services, automation containers, and logs.
Isolated by design
Package platform services and automations as Docker containers. Update or troubleshoot one responsibility without rebuilding the entire stack.
The BFC stack
Modular where it matters. Integrated where it counts.
Services share one controller and one private Docker network, but keep clear responsibilities. Your automation remains understandable from the device port to the dashboard.
See how the stack works01 · Automation
BFC Console containers
Lua lifecycle scripts and generated device drivers execute close to the process.
02 · Data
Gateway + MariaDB
Typed values and RFID data become persistent, queryable REST resources.
03 · Experience
Node-RED + dashboards
Compose flows, visualize signals, and integrate edge data with wider systems.
04 · Operations
BFC Setup Tool
Commission the controller and control the stack from a focused desktop interface.
A shorter path to the edge
Commission. Automate. Observe.
Move from a compatible controller to useful process data without assembling a platform from unrelated pieces.
01
Prepare the controller
Use the Setup Tool to detect the Linux target architecture, transfer offline images, and create the core services.
02
Deploy automation
Upload a Lua script. BFC creates an independently managed Console container with the required runtime and plugins.
03
Use the data
Read current or historical values through the Gateway, inspect stored data, or bring it into Node-RED flows.
Build at the machine edge
Start with the platform. Grow with the process.
Explore the preview package or follow the user guide from controller prerequisites through your first running automation.