IIoT, SCADA & Edge Connectivity worked example

Protocol Conversion Cost at 92% clean-conversion rate: a worked example

Push clean-conversion rate up to 92% and the picture changes. This example computes every intermediate figure at that operating point. Use it when an OT integrator is sizing a brownfield protocol conversion project to bring legacy serial or Modbus devices onto OPC UA or MQTT for an MES or unified namespace.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Legacy devices to convert: 60 devices (unchanged)
  • Conversion cost per device: 600 $ / device (unchanged)
  • Clean-conversion rate: 92 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 80)
  • Fixed program engineering adder: 18,000 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Variable protocol conversion cost = devices × cost per device × clean-conversion rate) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 51,120 $ for total protocol conversion cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 852 $ / piece for conversion cost per device.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 33,120 $ for variable protocol conversion cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 18,000 $ for fixed program engineering adder.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where clean-conversion rate sits at 80% and the headline result is 46,800 $, this scenario comes in 9.23% above the baseline at 51,120 $.
  • It computes total protocol conversion cost by applying a clean-conversion success rate to per-device cost, then adding a fixed engineering program charge. The value of this scenario is the size of the gap it exposes: that gap, priced out over a year, is the budget you can justify spending to close it.

Results at a glance

  • Total protocol conversion cost: 51,120 $ (headline result)
  • Conversion cost per device: 852 $ / piece
  • Variable protocol conversion cost: 33,120 $
  • Fixed program engineering adder: 18,000 $

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Protocol Conversion Cost calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.