Unplugged: An IIoT Podcast

Carl Gould, CTO and co-founder of Inductive Automation, joins hosts Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes for an in-person conversation recorded in Australia ahead of the Ignition Everywhere event in Brisbane.
Carl traces Ignition's journey from FactorySQL in 2003 to the 8.3 release, which introduces file-based configuration, Git and GitOps compatibility, Perspective offline mode, and a new architecture for managing distributed OT systems at scale. He breaks down the three design principles that have guided the platform from day one (cost, convenience, and capability), shares his evolving take on AI in industrial automation, and explains why he calls the IT/OT divide "a fictional line."
In this episode, we discuss:
The 8.3 release: file-based config, GitOps, deployment modes, and Perspective offline
Scaling from thousands of tags to millions with distributed, decoupled architectures
Why AI in industrial automation is a means to an end, not a product in itself
The community and culture behind Ignition's worldwide growth

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This episode is proudly made possible by PLCnext Technology

PLCnext Technology is the ecosystem for industrial automation consisting of open hardware, modular engineering software, a global community, and a digital software marketplace.

Learn more at:
⁠⁠⁠https://www.plcnext-community.net/news/synergy-edge-cloud/
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FlowFuse at Hannover Messe 2026
Discover how FlowFuse empowers you to build, deploy, and scale industrial automation -- your way. Visit FlowFuse at Hall 014, Stand K26 during Hannover Messe (April 20-24, 2026) and experience live demonstrations of FlowFuse connecting the entire industrial stack -- from PLCs on the shop floor to MES, ERP, and cloud services -- enabling real-time industrial connectivity, data integration, and AI-powered operations.

Let's transform industrial data together -- live, integrated, and in real time.

Claim your free pass and learn more: https://flowfuse.com/events/hannover-messe-2026/

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Carl Gould is the CTO and co-founder of Inductive Automation. He has been building and guiding the Ignition platform since 2003. Under his leadership, Ignition has grown from a SQL connectivity tool into a comprehensive platform used across industries worldwide for SCADA, HMI, MES, and IIoT applications.

Connect with Carl Gould on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-gould

Learn more about Inductive Automation: https://inductiveautomation.com

Connect with Phil on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/philseboa/⁠

Connect with Ed on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/edfuentes/

What happens when a controls engineer raised in coal mines starts turning chicken manure into renewable energy? In this episode, made possible by PLCnext Technology, we get a masterclass in practical automation, functional safety, and building systems that work in the real world.
Jason Watts, Owner and Founder of Alpha Industrial Technologies, joins Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes to discuss building an automation company around passionate engineers, using AI as an adversary in the design process, and why improperly applied safety functions can be more dangerous than no safety at all.

In this episode, we explore:
Building an automation company with a flexible, passion-driven workforce model
Using AI as an adversary to stress-test engineering designs and find failure modes
Cross-industry technology transfer from mining and automotive to agriculture
Why Safe Torque Off (STO) is often implemented incorrectly and the case for risk assessments
Converting poultry manure into renewable natural gas and fertilizer using bio digesters and IIoT
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This episode is proudly made possible by PLCnext Technology

PLCnext Technology is the ecosystem for industrial automation consisting of open hardware, modular engineering software, a global community, and a digital software marketplace.

Learn more at:
⁠⁠https://www.plcnext-community.net/news/synergy-edge-cloud/

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Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonwattsae/
Connect with Phil on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philseboa/
Connect with Ed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edfuentes/
Learn more about Alpha Industrial Technologies: http://www.alphaindustrial.us

Join host Ed and Phil as they explore how PLCnext Technology is redefining what industrial controllers can do, and why openness in automation is both a massive opportunity and a serious responsibility. Martin Boers, Technical Specialist at PLCnext Technology with Phoenix Contact, joins to discuss the origins of the PLCnext ecosystem, what IT/OT convergence really looks like on the plant floor, and how partnerships with companies like Festo and Yaskawa are shaping the future of automation platforms.

Key topics in this episode:
- The four pillars of PLCnext Technology: Control, Engineer, Store, and Community
- IT/OT convergence: LDAP, firewalls, certificates, and the EU Cyber Resilience Act
- Docker containers and the PLCnext Store app ecosystem
- PLCnext Technology partnerships and the all-electric society

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This episode is proudly made possible by PLCnext Technology

PLCnext Technology is the ecosystem for industrial automation consisting of open hardware, modular engineering software, a global community, and a digital software marketplace.

Learn more at:
⁠https://www.plcnext-community.net/news/synergy-edge-cloud/

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Connect with Martin on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mboers/

Connect with Phil on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/philseboa/

Connect with Ed on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/edfuentes/

Learn more about PLCnext Technology:
https://www.plcnext-community.net/

What happens when a controls engineer with 16 years of mining and manufacturing experience decides to build an AI-powered SoftPLC from scratch? In this episode, we find out.
Alex Sharikov, Founder of JasperX and creator of JasperNode, joins Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes to share how he's enabling small manufacturers to program and troubleshoot their control systems using plain English, no PLC software required.
Key topics in this episode:
Why 80% of Australian manufacturers struggle with automation support
How JasperNode's "atomic and unambiguous logic" keeps AI reliable
The shift from prompt engineering to context engineering in control systems
Building a SoftPLC from scratch instead of patching AI onto existing platforms
Why human-in-the-loop safety is non-negotiable for production environments

This episode is proudly made possible by PLCnext Technology
PLCnext Technology is the ecosystem for industrial automation consisting of open hardware, modular engineering software, a global community, and a digital software marketplace.

Learn more at:
https://www.plcnext-community.net/news/synergy-edge-cloud/

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Connect with Alex on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-sharikov/
Connect with Phil on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-seboa/

Connect with Ed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-fuentes-2046121a/

Learn more about JasperX: https://jasperx.com.au

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About Industry Sage Media:
Industry Sage Media is the content creation company behind Unplugged: An IIoT Podcast. We help automation brands grow their reach, influence, and pipeline through expert-driven content.
Learn more at: http://www.industrysagemedia.com

Industrial automation meets modern software as FlowFuse CEO ZJ van de Weg joins Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes to unpack how open-source tools like Node-RED are connecting teams across IT and OT, breaking down barriers with visual, low-code programming. Hear firsthand insights about scaling automation systems, the challenges and rewards of open source in manufacturing, and clever approaches to secure data management and fleet updates.
From home automation passion projects to strategic deployment in factories, this episode teases out the evolution of workflow integration, the importance of context, and practical ways organizations are pursuing smarter operations, plus a preview of what to expect at the ProveIt! Conference.
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About ZJ:
ZJ is the CEO of FlowFuse. As an engineer-turned-CEO with a career built on open-source software, his mission is to empower engineers to build better, more efficient software solutions.
Connect with ZJ: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/zegerjan/⁠
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About FlowFuse:FlowFuse is the Industrial Application Platform that connects any machine, moves data across any protocol, models it in any data platform, and operates industrial applications at scale—accelerated by an LLM-powered copilot that uses Model Context Protocol (MCP) to connect AI directly to your live industrial data.
Learn More:https://flowfuse.com/https://flowfuse.com/platform/why-flowfuse
Learn about FlowFuse at ProveIT Conference:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wvbhw9MHzs
Follow FlowFuse on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FlowFuseInc
Listen to our episode with FlowFuse’s Nick O’Leary:https://youtu.be/mNCiiAHHFGU
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Connect with Phil on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-seboa/
Connect with Ed on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-fuentes-2046121a/

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About Industry Sage Media:
Industry Sage Media is your backstage pass to industry experts and the conversations that are shaping the future of the manufacturing industry.

Learn more at: http://www.industrysagemedia.com