Industrial Data Communications for Beginners: From Serial Protocols to Wireless OT Networking & Plant Cybersecurity

The plant network goes down at 14:23 on a production Tuesday, and the technician staring at dark switch LEDs has thirty seconds to know whether the fault is cable, configuration, controller, or compromise. Textbook theory does not survive the moment Modbus byte order is wrong, PROFINET device names will not resolve, a DLR ring fails to converge in the time the line will tolerate, or an unauthorized vendor connection bypasses every firewall rule on the network diagram. This book turns a beginner into a working industrial network practitioner who can specify, install, commission, troubleshoot, and defend the networks that keep modern plants running. Inside, you will find: • Field-ready protocol fluency — read Modbus RTU on RS-485, EtherNet/IP and CIP on the plant backbone, PROFINET RT and IRT on Siemens-aligned systems, and DNP3 on SCADA links without a translator at your shoulder • Real cable and termination craft — pull tension, bend radius, EMI separation, T568A and T568B workmanship, and fiber endface inspection that actually passes certification • Ring redundancy that survives the first fault — MRP, DLR, PRP, and HSR configured so production keeps running when a cable, switch, or power supply drops • OT cybersecurity built on the Purdue Model and IEC 62443 zones and conduits — defense in depth that holds under real threat conditions, not paper compliance • OPC UA, MQTT, and Sparkplug B integration — clean cloud connectivity without exposing the control system to the open internet • TSN and Ethernet-APL — the converged-network shift that is replacing PROFIBUS PA and reshaping plant-floor design • Structured troubleshooting with Wireshark, ping, ARP, and protocol-specific tools — root cause every time, not band-aid every time • Documentation, IP plans, and commissioning checklists that hold up at audit Built for I&C technicians, automation apprentices, controls engineers, SCADA technicians, and OT cybersecurity trainees stepping onto the plant floor.