Optimize Performance and Streamline SCADA Projects with Expert Tips
Why Ignition is a Game-Changer in Industrial Automation
Ignition by Inductive Automation is one of the most versatile industrial automation platforms available today. With its powerful features, open architecture, and web-based deployment, it enables businesses to build highly scalable solutions for SCADA, IIoT, and enterprise automation. However, while Ignition offers nearly limitless possibilities, how you implement it can make or break your project.
Common Pitfalls: Where Team Go Wrong
Too often, teams fall into the trap of reinventing the wheel—writing custom scripts for functions Ignition already handles or failing to follow best practices for coding and project management. This leads to bloated, inefficient, and hard-to-maintain systems.
The Key to Success: Leveraging Built-In Features
On the flip side, those who understand how to use Ignition’s built-in tools properly can drastically reduce development time, improve performance, and create solutions that are easy to scale and maintain.
What You’ll Learn in This Guide
To help you get the most out of Ignition, we’ve compiled a list of do’s and don’ts—key principles that will save you time, reduce errors, and optimize your automation projects.
The Do’s:
Best Practices for Working with Ignition
Before jumping into development, take advantage of Ignition’s vast resources:
✅ Read the User Manual – It’s well-structured and provides clear documentation on every feature.
✅ Enroll in Inductive University – A free training platform with structured lessons on everything from basic navigation to advanced scripting.
✅ Use the Ignition Exchange – Download pre-built project templates and modules to accelerate development.
✅ Engage in the Ignition Forum – The community is full of experts who have already solved many common problems.
Good coding practices make projects easier to scale and troubleshoot:
✅ Use consistent naming conventions – Follow industry standards for variables, constants, and functions.
✅ Write headers and comments in scripts – Clearly document what each script does and why.
✅ Use getLogger for logging – Helps track execution and debug issues efficiently.
✅ Avoid duplicate scripts – If you need to reuse logic, create shared functions or libraries.
One of the biggest mistakes developers make is overcomplicating their implementations:
✅ Use Gateway-to-Gateway Communication – Avoid writing scripts to move data between servers when Ignition already handles it natively.
✅ Leverage Transaction Groups – Automatically move and log data without scripting.
✅ Enable Store and Forward – Ensures no data is lost in case of connection issues.
✅ Use Ignition’s OPC UA Drivers – Instead of scripting your own data handling logic.
Ignition projects grow over time, so designing them correctly from the start is crucial:
✅ Use a Parent-Child Project Structure – Reduces redundancy and makes updates easier.
✅ Implement Role-Based Security – Prevent unauthorized changes and ensure safety.
✅ Use the Enterprise Administration Module (EAM) – Helps manage large-scale deployments and version control.
✅ Standardize Folder and Tag Structures – Keeps projects organized and easy to navigate.
Ignition’s flexibility allows for powerful applications, but poor design choices can lead to performance bottlenecks:
✅ Use Query Optimization Techniques – Instead of running multiple queries, pull all necessary data at once and filter it locally.
✅ Limit Polling Rates on Tags – Avoid excessive tag updates that can overload the system.
✅ Minimize Nested Loops in Scripts – Overcomplicating loops can slow execution significantly.
The Don’ts:
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Ignition
❌ Writing custom scripts for built-in Ignition features wastes time and introduces avoidable errors.
Example: Instead of manually writing Python scripts to move data, use Ignition’s Transaction Groups or OPC UA connections.
❌ Failing to document scripts and configurations makes troubleshooting a nightmare.
❌ Leaving “dead code” (unused scripts, orphaned tags, or old configurations) clutters projects.
Best practice: Always include headers, comments, and version tracking in your scripts.
❌ Avoid writing scripts that manually push data every few seconds—this is inefficient.
Example: Instead of using a Python loop to update SQL tables, use Ignition’s built-in SQL Bridge to handle it natively.
❌ Developers who skip Inductive University often miss out on powerful features Ignition offers.
❌ Deploying without thorough testing can cause hidden performance issues down the road.
Solution: Always prototype in a test environment before pushing changes to production.
❌ Running inefficient queries or scripts can slow down the entire system.
❌ Excessive database queries (e.g., pulling one row at a time in a loop) put unnecessary load on resources.
Best practice: Optimize queries and store fetched data in memory rather than repeatedly hitting the database.
Work Smarter, Not Harder with Ignition
Ignition is a powerful, flexible platform, but how you use it determines its effectiveness. By leveraging built-in tools, following best practices, and avoiding common mistakes, you can create high-performance, scalable automation solutions.
✅ Invest time in training and documentation to prevent costly rework later.
✅ Use Ignition’s built-in features instead of writing custom scripts for common functions.
✅ Structure projects with long-term scalability in mind to minimize maintenance headaches.
Ultimately, working smarter with Ignition means letting the platform do what it was designed for—so you can focus on innovation and efficiency rather than troubleshooting and rewriting code.
Want to take your Ignition expertise to the next level? Start with Inductive University, explore the Ignition Exchange, and engage with the community forums—you’ll be surprised how much time and effort you can save!
At Pigler Automation, we don’t just follow best practices—we set the standard. As an Ignition Gold Certified Integrator, our team has the expertise to help you streamline automation, optimize performance, and implement Ignition the right way.
Contact Pigler Automation today to leverage our industry-leading knowledge and take your SCADA and IIoT solutions to the next level! 🚀
