How to Connect IEC 60870-5-104 to Cloud SCADA
IEC 60870-5-104 (IEC 104) is a telemetry protocol common in utility, power, and pipeline SCADA, especially outside North America. This guide explains how to bring IEC 104 data into a cloud platform for monitoring distributed telemetry sites.
Short version: Merobix reads IEC 60870-5-104, the TCP/IP telemetry protocol used in utility and pipeline SCADA, so IEC 104 devices can feed a cloud dashboard with timestamped, report-by-exception data - alongside DNP3 and Modbus in the same platform.
IEC 60870-5-104 in Telemetry
IEC 104 is the network (TCP/IP) profile of the IEC 60870-5 telemetry standard, widely used for power utility and pipeline remote monitoring. Like DNP3, it timestamps events and supports spontaneous (report-by-exception) transmission, which suits wide-area telemetry with many remote stations.
Bringing IEC 104 Into the Cloud
Merobix supports IEC 60870-5-104 among its drivers, so devices and RTUs speaking IEC 104 can be read into the managed cloud, in parallel with a legacy host if needed. For sites with mixed telemetry protocols, IEC 104 sits alongside DNP3 and Modbus in one platform, so the whole network reports to a single web dashboard.
How to Connect IEC 60870-5-104 Devices to Merobix
- Confirm the protocol and connection. Identify that your device speaks IEC 60870-5-104 and how it is reached - a direct IP address, a serial connection, or through a cellular gateway at the site.
- Establish connectivity to the cloud. For remote sites, a cellular edge gateway reads the local device and connects outbound to the cloud - no fixed IP, no inbound firewall rule, no VPN. On networked sites, a direct connection works.
- Map the tags you care about. Select the registers, points, or nodes you want to monitor - pressures, levels, flows, states, alarms - and map them to named tags with engineering units. Merobix configures this for you as part of onboarding.
- Set polling or report-by-exception. Choose how data is collected - scheduled polling for reliable links, or report-by-exception to conserve cellular data and battery on remote sites.
- Verify data and set alarms. Confirm live values match the field, then set alarm thresholds. SMS and email alarms, typically delivered within a minute, are included - so the data is not just visible, it reaches someone when it matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Merobix support IEC 60870-5-104?
Yes. IEC 60870-5-104 is among Merobix's broad protocol-driver coverage, so IEC 104 telemetry devices and RTUs can be read into a cloud dashboard with timestamping and report-by-exception intact.
Can I mix IEC 104 with DNP3 and Modbus?
Yes. Merobix reads IEC 60870-5-104 alongside DNP3, Modbus, and its other drivers, so a mixed telemetry network reports to a single platform.
Is IEC 104 suitable for wide-area telemetry?
Yes - like DNP3, it timestamps events and supports spontaneous report-by-exception transmission, which suits many remote stations over wide-area links.
Sources & Further Reading
- IEC 60870-5 telecontrol standards - International Electrotechnical Commission
- Guide to Operational Technology (OT) Security (SP 800-82 Rev. 3) - NIST
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