Sparkplug B
Sparkplug B is an open MQTT payload specification maintained by the Eclipse Foundation that adds industrial semantics to MQTT-based communication. It defines a standardized topic namespace structure (spBv1.0/[group_id]/[message_type]/[edge_node_id]/[device_id]), protobuf-based payload encoding with industrial data types, and a birth/death certificate mechanism for device lifecycle management. Birth certificates (sent when a device connects) declare the full set of metrics a device will produce — so consuming systems can configure their data models before any process data arrives. Death certificates notify the namespace when a device disconnects unexpectedly, enabling consuming systems to handle data gaps correctly.
Why it matters
Sparkplug B transforms MQTT from a lightweight transport into a self-describing industrial data bus. Without Sparkplug B, every device requires custom payload parsing code in every consuming system — which recreates integration complexity inside the namespace instead of eliminating it. With Sparkplug B, a consuming system that understands the spec can ingest data from any compliant device with zero custom integration code. This is the mechanism that makes UNS scalable — the namespace describes itself, and new devices join the namespace without requiring application changes in existing consumers. Sparkplug B was created by Cirrus Link Solutions and is now an Eclipse Foundation open standard (Eclipse Tahu project).
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Cite this definition
Finocchiaro, Michael. “Sparkplug B.” DemystifyingPLM PLM Glossary, 2026, https://www.demystifyingplm.com/glossary/sparkplug-b