I Built a Full Industrial SCADA System That Runs From a Single HTML File

Александр Ларионов — Fri, 15 May 2026 16:24:08 +0000

How a single HTML file replaces million-dollar SCADA software

After 20+ years in industrial automation — working with PLCs, RTUs, SCADA systems, and digital substations — I was frustrated. Every SCADA platform I used required:

Heavy installation (2-4 GB)
Dedicated server infrastructure
Annual license fees ($5,000-50,000/year)
Vendor lock-in
Windows-only deployment

So I built BitSCADA — a complete industrial SCADA system that runs entirely from a single HTML file. Open it in Chrome, Firefox, or Safari — and you have a fully functional SCADA with real-time visualization, function blocks, and industrial protocol support.

What makes it unique?

1. Literally one file

The entire SCADA — graphic editor, runtime engine, 53 function blocks, 65 graphic elements — lives inside a single HTML file (~240 KB online, ~3 MB offline with embedded React). No installation. No server. No database server (SQLite is built into the Gateway).

2. Full IEC 61850 support in a browser

This is the part I'm most proud of. No other browser-based SCADA supports IEC 61850. BitSCADA implements:

MMS client — read/write data objects, datasets, reports
GOOSE subscriber — real-time event subscription
Sampled Values receiver — phasor measurement streams

This means you can connect to digital substations directly from your browser.

3. 9 industrial protocols

IEC 61850 (MMS, GOOSE, Sampled Values)
OPC UA (browsing, subscriptions, read/write)
OPC DA (via COM/DCOM bridge)
Modbus TCP (holding/input registers, coils)
MQTT
SNMP
REST API (15 endpoints)
WebSocket (real-time)
Custom protocols via Python Gateway

4. 53 function blocks

Not just visualization — BitSCADA has a complete FBD (Function Block Diagram) engine:

Logic: AND, OR, NOT, XOR, SR flip-flop, edge detectors
Math: add, subtract, multiply, divide, abs, min, max, formula
Timers: on-delay, off-delay, pulse
Counters: up, down, up/down with preset
PID controller with anti-windup
Filters: exponential, sliding window, RMS
Comparators, limiters, multiplexers
Database write, alarm generators, signal generators

5. 65 graphic elements

Drag & drop from the palette:

Process equipment: pumps, motors, fans, compressors, conveyors
Valves: gate valves, ball valves, check valves, control valves
Vessels: tanks, columns, separators, heat exchangers
Piping: horizontal/vertical pipes, elbows, tees, reducers
Electrical: contactors, fuses, transformers, grounding
Sensors: pressure, temperature, level, flow meters
Indicators: gauges, bar charts, traffic lights, lamps
Displays: trends, sliders, buttons, switches

Architecture

The system has two components:

Browser (any modern browser)
└── BitSCADA HTML file
        ├── Graphic Editor (drag & drop, multi-page, popups)
        ├── Runtime (fullscreen, password protection, alarms)
        ├── Function Block Engine (53 blocks, 100ms cycle)
        └── WebSocket ←→ SCADA Gateway (Python)
                            ├── IEC 61850 (asyncua + custom)
                            ├── OPC UA (asyncua library)
                            ├── Modbus TCP (pymodbus)
                            ├── MQTT / SNMP
                            ├── SQLite Database
                            └── REST API (15 endpoints)

The Browser handles all visualization and logic. The Python Gateway handles protocol communication and database storage. They communicate via WebSocket.

Performance

Metric	Value
Scan rate	10,000 tags/sec
Update cycle	100 ms minimum
Parallel threads	4
Browser tabs	8
Startup time	< 3 seconds
File size	240 KB (online) / 3 MB (offline)

Tech stack

Frontend: React 18, JSX, Babel (transpiled in-browser)
Backend: Python 3.10+, asyncio, aiohttp
Protocols: asyncua (OPC UA), pymodbus, custom IEC 61850
Database: SQLite3
Build: Custom Python build script, Base64 encoding, XOR protection

The build process

One thing I'm particularly proud of is the build system. The JSX source (~175 KB) gets:

Base64 encoded
SHA256 integrity hash computed
XOR-encrypted author watermark embedded
Unique Build ID and License Key generated
Everything injected into the HTML template

The result is a self-contained, tamper-protected HTML file that works offline.

Try it yourself

🌐 Live Demo & Documentation

📥 Download Free Demo — 2-hour trial, no registration

💻 GitHub Repository

💰 Buy Full Source Code — complete source with build system

About me

I'm an industrial automation engineer (IACS/SCADA) with 20+ years of experience:

Process automation systems design and deployment
PLC/RTU programming and commissioning
Network equipment configuration (Cisco, MikroTik, Huawei)
SCADA/HMI development and integration
IEC 61850 digital substation projects
Technical documentation per industrial standards (GOST, IEC)
Full-stack development (Python, JavaScript, React)
AI/ML engineering (PyTorch, custom model training)
AutoCAD, electrical schematics design

I built BitSCADA because I needed a lightweight, portable SCADA that I could deploy anywhere — from a USB stick at a remote substation to a tablet on the factory floor.

What's next?

I'm currently working on:

Genesis-1 — an AI model trained on 32 IT specializations that can autonomously manage infrastructure
Expanding BitSCADA protocol support
Mobile-optimized runtime

What do you think? Would you use a browser-based SCADA in your projects? Let me know in the comments!

DEV Community: Александр Ларионов