Technology Area

SCADA or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems are generally used across many commercial enterprises and big businesses. If you are unaware of the uses of SCADA in everyday activities they are widely used in applications like traffic signals and distributing power for electrical power distribution grids. SCADA systems are also commonly used for civil engineering applications.

What does a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition do?

The Remote Telemetry Unit (RTU) controls the equipment inside a SCADA system such as pumps, switches and valves. The RTU controls the physical equipment and can relay information back to human operators in a form that is easily and quickly digestible. Often the human operators will simply make use of this information to carry out pre defined protocols that have been put in place at the start of the application. The human operator can often be alerted to any actions they need to perform by an alarm – ensuring that the whole operation is run smoothly in a mix of SCADA and human interaction.

Which everday processes employ SCADA ?

You won’t often see where it is used but it is commonly used in a number of industries that individuals come across every day. SCADA systems control many everyday processes such as:

• Waste water treatment

• Traffic lights

• Chemical industry

• Automotive industry

• Paper and mill industries

• Food processing

SCADA or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems are also often found in large industries like:

• Oil

• Gas

• Mining

• Power Plants

Have SCADA systems moved on over time?

In the last twenty years SCADA systems have transformed considerably enabling them to perform more tasks by themselves and with much less human intervention. Various advances in technology like the development of Distributed Control System (DCS), Intelligent RTUs, and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) have all contributed towards this Now, instead of depending on human operators RTUs are capable of safety related tasks determined by data from the master station.

Until recently a lot of SCADA or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems have used radio and direct serial and modem connections although as modern technology moves forward much of the communication requirements are being met through the use of Ethernet.

As a way to minimize the danger to the security of a SCADA system, they should not be connected to the internet . This seriously reduces the risk of someone getting unauthorised access of the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system and controlling it in an act of cyber terrorism.

This article was written on behalf of Lee Dickens Ltd. Lee Dickens are experts in Process Monitoring and SCADA. For more detials, please visit www.leedickens.biz