Red Lion as the integration layer
Red Lion Controls hardware appears regularly in industrial automation environments as the practical solution to a specific class of problem — connecting equipment that does not natively communicate with the main control system. A legacy analyser with a proprietary serial output, a third-party drive with a non-standard protocol, a pneumatic positioner controller that predates industrial Ethernet — Red Lion’s broad protocol library and Crimson configuration environment make it a reliable choice for these bridging applications without requiring custom software development.
The Crimson programming environment runs across the Red Lion HMI, gateway, and data logging product range, which means a single configuration tool covers standalone panel HMIs, protocol gateway units, and the Data Station Plus edge data logger.
Project experience
Allmatic AAF001 underground ventilation fan — protocol bridge — Red Lion Crimson program developed to bridge Ampcontrol Gasguard serial communications into a Rockwell ControlLogix PLC. The Gasguard system used a proprietary serial protocol not natively supported by the PLC; the Red Lion unit translated the gas monitoring data into EtherNet/IP tags readable by the ControlLogix program, enabling integrated fault alarming and interlocking in the main control system.
DBCT Berth 1 and 2 mooring hooks and man overboard systems (2011) — Red Lion HMI and Data Station Plus deployed as part of the mooring hook and man overboard safety system upgrades at Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal. The Data Station Plus provided independent data logging of system events separate from the main SCADA historian.
Nebo Road Water Treatment Plant — communications testing — Red Lion units used during commissioning and communications testing between legacy field instruments and a ControlLogix control system, validating protocol bridge configuration before site integration.
When Red Lion is the right choice
Red Lion is most appropriate when the integration requirement is at the device or field level rather than the system level — bridging a specific piece of equipment into an existing control system, providing a local operator display at a remote location, or capturing data from equipment that the main PLC cannot directly read. For system-level OT integration across multiple platforms and sites, dedicated OT integration platforms are generally more appropriate. Red Lion fills the gap between those two levels reliably and cost-effectively.