A Technical Comparison
DCS versus PLC’s
Presented
By
Jim Cushman
Emerson Process Management
Power & Water Solutions
SI-MRT-XX-105 [2]
Evolution in Automation
Instrumentation Process Controls Field Intelligence,
Comm Tech,
Loop IT Integration
DCS
Controllers
PID loops Integrated
Control PlantWeb
Electrical Factory Automation
µP Control
Relays
PLCs
Logic sequences Low cost
Compact
1970 1980 1990 2000
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Emerson Confidential
27-Jun-01, Slide 2
History of PLC
Developed from Automotive Assembly and Factory
Automation where discrete points are used
Developed to replace mechanical timers and solid state
relays
Evolved where process restart is not a major concern but
processing speed is important
Designed with digital logic as the most important design
feature
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27-Jun-01, Slide 3
History of DCS
Evolved from single loop controllers
Evolved from analog based signal handling
Evolved with extensive involvement from the
process control end-users
Developed with alarm handling, diagnostics and
fail safe as important design feature
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27-Jun-01, Slide 4
DCS Designed with Latest
Technology
Windows or Solaris platform
“Off-the-shelf” Pentium controller
“Off-the-shelf” Ethernet network
Oracle configuration database
Oracle historical process data
AutoCAD control builder
(varies between vendor)
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27-Jun-01, Slide 5
CTLRCTLR CTLRCTLR
DCS Architecture
Realtime
Data
Server
(Single point
failure here)
PLC-MMI Architecture
DCS - SCADA Configuration
Control Room
Local Site Ovation
CTLR CTLR
eDB Engineer RS232 or Ethernet
Redundant
SCADA Servers
Ovation Network
Redundant
PLC/RTU In Out
Radios
RS232 or Ethernet Radio Repeater
Remote Site Repeater Site
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27-Jun-01, Slide 7
Comparison Of PLC & DCS
Operator Interface
PLC HMI have a separate DCS HMI is part of the single integrated
database from the control system database
and needs to be configured DCS has built in feature in the HMI as
separately. Database consistency standard and optimized for handling
is a major issue alarm messages and data from
Alarms and faceplates have to be controllers
specially configured Real time integration is available via a
PLC station to station serial card, OPC, or NetDDE.
communications are tedious and
are via third party integrators Transaction integration is via Historian.
Requires the use of network
servers, external hard disks with
huge configuration effort
Limited OPC server functionality
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27-Jun-01, Slide 8
Comparison of PLC & DCS
Configuration Vs Programming
PLC Programming is usually DCS configuration uses graphical
the familiar ladder logic function blocks that follow SAMA
standards
PLC Programming requires DCS configuration comes with
writing of logic for alarms and alarms and signal conditioning as
signal conditioning standard, part of the database
parameters
It is generally easier to understand
Challenge to write analog a Boolean Logic Block diagram
PID control using ladder logic than separate analog logic
diagram and ladder logic diagram
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27-Jun-01, Slide 9
DCS Windows Edition
Developer Studio
System Configuration
Tools
System Database Tools
Control Builder
Graphics Builder
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27-Jun-01, Slide 10
Comparison of PLC & DCS
Control Algorithms
PLC does not have Besides having a standard
standard algorithms and library of algorithms such as
requires programmers to PID, lead-lag, etc., DCS
build the logical also features other in DCS
conditions and equations such as drag-and-drop
from scratch configuration and graphical
configuration.
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27-Jun-01, Slide 12
DCS Developer Studio
The DCS System Database manages all items in the
system
– Input, output and calculated points
– Control modules
– Process graphics
– System configuration
This allows simplified engineering via standard drag
& drop functionality
– Drag & drop points, control, graphics and system
configuration to desired locations
– Download changes
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27-Jun-01, Slide 13
Data and Event Historian of PLC &
DCS Operator Interface
Data historian is often a DCS uses a sophisticated historian
basic package supplied by engine as a standard.
the HMI software vendor
The link and configuration is
Little analysis and exporting integrated within the single
capability database of DCS. Analysis of cause
and effect can be done.
Difficult to integrate a
sophisticated historian
package and requires a new
configuration database
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27-Jun-01, Slide 14
DCS Operator Interface - HMI
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27-Jun-01, Slide 15
DCS eDB Historian Architecture Features
Distributed Data Scanners
Data scanning is de-coupled from
the eDB database server eDB
Scanners to be available for DCS, Historian
WDPF and OPC
Scans process values and sends
exceptions, aggregates and TCP/IP
messages to the eDB Network
Scanner buffer stores during brief
network or server outages DCS WDPFII
Does not rely on process data
network — requires only TCP/IP
Third-Party
WEStation
Controller
OPC Server
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27-Jun-01, Slide 16
Alarm Management of PLC & DCS
Operator Machine Interface
Certain alarms and DCS alarm management is built
faceplates have to be upon the strength of DCS
specially configured
DCS enhances alarm management
Very basic alarm handling by
capability that is built for
discrete industry – minimizing nuisance alarms
Difficult to bring maintenance – simplifying alarm tracing
bits/flags into alarm system.
Difficult to relate alarms with
operational philosophy
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27-Jun-01, Slide 17
DCS Operator Station Functions
Process Diagrams Alarm System
Compatible with Solaris Alarm List, Alarm History,
process diagrams Unacknowledged Alarms &
Reset List functions
Point Menu
DCS alarm functionality - 4
Triggers display of trends, high & 4 low limits
graphics and point information
Iconic and audible alarms
Trends Point Reviews
3-D graph option Similar to Solaris but with
different look & feel
Drag & Drop trend building
with points Options
Trend groups DCS membrane keyboard
and dual-CRT options
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27-Jun-01, Slide 18
DCS Operator Station Functions
Alarm System
Tabs for mode switching between List, History,Unacknowledged, and
Reset displays
Find function to locate alarm points
Title bars move for more or less information displayed
Moveable menu tool bar
Number of alarm windows configurable based on system limitations
Line-by-line printing of alarm messages to a local printer
User-selectable fonts; standard alarm fields displayed or removed by
menu selection
Audible alarms use Wave files
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27-Jun-01, Slide 19
Comparison of PLC & DCS
Smart Transmitter Interface
PLC presently lack smart HART is available with DCS
interfaces and have to use
workaround solution DCS provides implementation to
Foundation Fieldbus in a
Not proactive Field Bus and customer plant
Open Architecture technologies
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27-Jun-01, Slide 21
DCS with HART I/O Modules & AMS
Maintenance Shop Control Room
Manage Manage
the Field the
Devices Process
AMS Inside DCS
AMS Pass CTLR CTLR
Through SW
HART AI & AO
Modules
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27-Jun-01, Slide 22
AMS (Asset Management Software)
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27-Jun-01, Slide 23
Comparison of PLC & DCS
Diagnostics and Failure Handling
PLCs have relatively little All key diagnostic bits reflecting
diagnostic status and may system health status can
only be indicative participate in logics for proper
safety actions
Limited use of diagnostic
bits in logic DCS diagnostics allow us to drill
down all the way to the field
instruments including HART &
Fieldbus.
DCS I/O is selectable either in
HOLD-LAST or FAIL-SAFE
positions in the event of failure
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27-Jun-01, Slide 24
Comparison of PLC & DCS
Advanced Control
PLC has limited advanced DCS has all the depth and
control features experience of implementing
A primitive auto-tuning advanced control
software is all they can show DCS has a full suite of
advanced control applications
to improve yield and
productivity known as “ Smart
Process”
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27-Jun-01, Slide 25
Comparison of PLC & DCS
Hardware Functionality
PLC I/O does NOT support DCS cards have complete
hot swap especially those in diagnostic and hot swap
remote areas capability
Limited redundancy options DCS has redundancy
options for most key
hardware components
A highly scalable system
that allows you to
add/change or upgrade
workstation, controller, I/O
online.
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27-Jun-01, Slide 26
Lower Total Cost of Ownership
Total cost of ownership, including long term
maintenance, upgrades, and replacement cost, is
typically lower for a DCS.
– configuration savings
– start up savings
– long term maintenance
– upgrade/expansion
– change management vs. replacement
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27-Jun-01, Slide 27
You Decide
A PLC-HMI system will work. It will run your plant. It will
do ladder logic. It will even do PID control.
– Can you integrate well with external systems?
– Do you have easy to use Advanced Control?
– Do you have performance monitoring software?
– Do you have an integrated asset management solution?
AMS
DCS provide best value, highest return, lowest long term
running cost.
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27-Jun-01, Slide 28
Systems Comparison
Siemens Rockwell Rockwell
Redundancy Ovation
PCS7 ProcessLogix ControlLogix
Controller Redundancy Yes Some Some Some
Controller Power Supply Yes Some Some Some
Redundancy
Communications Yes Some Some No
Redundancy
Programming/Configuration
Drag & Drop Configuration Yes Some Some Some
Device Configuration Yes No No No
Change Tracking
Configuration Audit Trail Yes No No No
Systems Comparison (Cont’d.)
(Cont’d.)
Traditional Control Siemens Rockwell Rockwell
Ovation PCS7 ProcessLogix ControlLogix
Technology
Regulatory Yes Some Yes Some
Sequence Yes Yes Some Yes
Advanced Control Technology
Fuzzy Logic Yes No No No
Neural Network Technology Yes No No No
Auto-Tune Technology Yes No Some Some
Multivariable Predictive
Control Yes No No No
Systems Comparison (Cont’d.)
(Cont’d.)
Siemens Rockwell Rockwell
Service and Support Ovation PCS7 ProcessLogix ControlLogix
24 x 7 Technical Support - Yes Some Some Some
Worldwide
Configuration Services Some Some
Yes Yes
Hardware Maintenance Some Some
Yes Some
Services
Installation Services Some Some
Yes Yes
Software Support & Upgrade Some Some
Yes Some
Support
Training Some Some
Yes Yes
Single Source Supplier Some Some
Yes Some
Systems Comparison (Cont’d.)
(Cont’d.)
Siemens Rockwell Rockwell
System Management Ovation PCS7 ProcessLogix ControlLogix
Event Historian Yes Some Some Some
Sequence of Events Yes Some Some Some
Recording
Asset Management Yes No No No
Global Database Yes No No No
Alarm Time Stamping Yes No Some Some
System Architecture
DCS / PLC Integration Yes Some Some Some
Scalable Yes Some Some Some
OPC Support Yes Some Yes Yes
Automated System Time Yes Some Some Some
Management
Automated System Yes Some Some Some
Diagnostics
Systems Comparison (Cont’d.)
(Cont’d.)
Siemens Rockwell Rockwell
System Aspects Ovation PCS7 ProcessLogix ControlLogix
Time Synchronization Yes No No No
Capability
Online Upgrade Yes No No No
Modifications without Yes No No No
Shutdown
Support for Control in the Yes No No No
Field
OPC Alarms and Events Yes No No No
Scalability Yes Some Some Some
I/O Simulation Capability Yes No No No
