A firmware upgrade is available for MicroSmart FC6A Plus PLC CPUs to support the industry-standard MQTT protocol. The upgrade can be downloaded to the FC6A CPU, so users can connect all types of field data to onsite and cloud-based brokers and make the information readily available for users and analytical applications. They also can send commands to the CPU using MQTT. The FC6A with MQTT capability is well-suited for new automation system designs or for adding IIoT connectivity to existing systems. MQTT is supported on Ethernet port 1, so the PLC CPU can use existing wired, Wi-Fi or mobile data wireless networking.