realvirtual CONNECT

Real PLC signals. Live in the browser.

CONNECT is the data leg of the realvirtual platform: one native Windows application that speaks Siemens S7, Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS, OPC UA, MQTT, Modbus and EtherNet/IP – and streams live signals into realvirtual WEB in the browser. Connect your PLC and watch your signals move a 3D scene within minutes.

Get CONNECT free Explore the 3D HMI

realvirtual CONNECT in the browser: Add Interface dialog with native protocol drivers from Siemens S7 to FANUC, next to the live 3D HMI with OEE dashboards — The Add Interface dialog in CONNECT: native drivers for MQTT, OPC UA, Siemens S7, TwinCAT ADS, Modbus, EtherNet/IP, ctrlX, Keba, Festo AX, FANUC, Denso, ABB RobotStudio and SIMIT – next to the running 3D HMI.

Architecture

How CONNECT works

CONNECT runs as a native gateway close to the machine – on the IPC or an edge PC in the same network as the controller. Browsers connect through one open WebSocket protocol; the fieldbus side stays native.

realvirtual WEB3D HMI, dashboards & documentation in the browser

Third-party systemsMES, PDM, own bridges – rv WebSocket Realtime v2, openly documented

InfluxDBSignal history: trends & KPIs over time

↕ live signals · history queries · write

realvirtual CONNECTSignalBus: native protocol drivers, signal mapping & mirroring, embedded web server, AI diagnosis (RAG)

↕ read & write cyclically – 10–50 ms

PLCs & controllersSiemens S7PLCSIM AdvancedTwinCAT ADSOPC UAMQTTModbus TCPEtherNet/IPctrlXKebaFesto AXFANUCDensoABB RobotStudioSIMIT

Native protocols, no detours

CONNECT talks to controllers in their own language – no wrapper chains, no cloud broker in between. Each interface is configured in the browser and monitored live, signal by signal.

rv WebSocket Realtime v2 – protocol documentation →

Siemens S7 PLCSIM Advanced Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS OPC UA MQTT Modbus TCP EtherNet/IP Bosch Rexroth ctrlX Keba Kemro X Festo AX FANUC Denso ABB RobotStudio SIMIT Shared Memory WebSocket v2

Signal monitoring in realvirtual CONNECT: MQTT interface with 1,353 live signals, each one mapped to the 3D scene in the browser

One tray icon, everything on board

CONNECT runs as a quiet tray application on the machine PC: the protocol gateway, the embedded realvirtual WEB server, the AI diagnosis index for your documentation and – if you want it – an MCP server for AI agents. One glance at the menu shows what is running: here, 1,344 live signals and one connected client.

realvirtual CONNECT tray menu: gateway running, embedded realvirtual WEB, AI diagnosis index and 1,344 live signals

What sets it apart

Built for the machine network, not the cloud

public

realvirtual WEB built in

CONNECT embeds the complete realvirtual WEB and serves it locally. Download, connect, open the browser – the included demo scene shows your live signals on 3D geometry within minutes.

cloud_off

Offline in the OT network

The license is validated locally – no phone-home, no internet requirement at runtime. Activation works online or fully offline via request code, made for air-gapped networks.

cable

Native protocol drivers

Siemens S7, Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS, OPC UA, MQTT, Modbus and EtherNet/IP – implemented natively in .NET, configured and monitored in the browser.

swap_horiz

One protocol for everything

Browser clients connect through the openly documented WebSocket Realtime v2 protocol. The same interface carries your own bridges too – MES, PDM or custom systems.

mediation

Mirror & aggregate signals

The SignalBus mirrors signals between interfaces and merges several controllers into one stream. CONNECT is server and client of the open WebSocket protocol at once – so instances and third-party bridges can be chained and aggregated.

timeline

Signal history in InfluxDB

Per-signal sampling – continuous or on change – into an InfluxDB bucket. Trends and KPIs over time are queried straight from the 3D HMI; the data stays in your network.

smart_toy

AI on board

CONNECT hosts the RAG backend for AI error diagnosis – your documentation is indexed locally – and an optional MCP server, so AI agents can read signals and inspect the machine.

speed

Real-time where it counts

Cyclic reads at industrial update rates – 10 to 50 ms is typical and keeps 3D motion in the browser smooth. Signal changes are pushed to all connected clients.

Use cases

One gateway, three jobs

Live 3D HMI & monitoring

Stream machine states, OEE figures and alarms into the browser-based 3D HMI – on the shop floor display, the tablet or the service laptop.

Standalone – no model required

Run CONNECT on its own: the embedded demo scene and signal monitoring show your live PLC signals in the browser – before any custom model exists.

Shipped with the machine

Deliver CONNECT together with realvirtual WEB as the machine's local information system: offline-capable, versioned, running on the machine PC for 10+ years – ready for the EU Machinery Regulation 2027.

Pricing

Transparent, node-locked, no subscription trap

Free

€0

Up to 20 signals
All protocol drivers included
Embedded realvirtual WEB with demo scene
Free community registration

Request free version

Annual

€1.200/ year net

Unlimited signals
All protocol drivers included
Updates included
Online and offline activation

Request quote

Lifetime

€3.900one-time net

Unlimited signals
Perpetual license
Ideal for machine-companion delivery
Online and offline activation

Request quote

All prices net, per activated PC (node-locked). A seat can be deactivated and moved to another machine at any time. A CONNECT license is already included with the realvirtual WEB server.

Frequently asked questions about CONNECT

What counts as a signal?

Every controller variable mapped into CONNECT – a bool, int, float or text value – counts as one signal. The free version handles up to 20 in parallel; the commercial licenses remove the limit.

Does CONNECT need an internet connection?

Only for the moment of activation or deactivation. At runtime the license is validated purely locally against a signed token – CONNECT never phones home. For networks without any internet access, offline activation via request code is available.

Does it run in air-gapped OT networks?

Yes – that is the design case. CONNECT is a self-contained application, serves realvirtual WEB to browsers in the local network, and needs neither cloud services nor external dependencies.

What are the system requirements?

A Windows PC – typically the machine IPC or an edge PC in the controller's network. CONNECT ships as a self-contained application with the .NET runtime included; nothing else needs to be installed. Clients only need a browser.

Does CONNECT work with Unity?

No – CONNECT is the standalone and browser leg of the platform. Inside Unity, realvirtual's own interfaces (Starter and Professional) talk to controllers directly; no separate gateway is needed there.

Can I connect my own systems?

Yes. The WebSocket Realtime v2 wire protocol is openly documented – MES connectors, PDM systems or your own bridges speak the same protocol as realvirtual WEB.

Starter

Professional

realvirtual WEB