1|P a g e ExaM StudY
16 /SCADA
Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) is a system of software and hardware
elements that allows industrial organizations to:
Control industrial processes locally or at remote locations
Monitor, gather, and process real-time data
Directly interact with devices such as sensors, valves, pumps, motors, and more
through human-machine interface (HMI) software
Record events into a log file
1. SCADA systems are crucial for industrial organizations since they help to
maintain efficiency, process data for smarter decisions, and communicate system
issues to help mitigate downtime.
2. The basic SCADA architecture begins with programmable logic controllers (PLCs)
or remote terminal units (RTUs). PLCs and RTUs are microcomputers that
communicate with an array of objects such as factory machines, HMIs, sensors,
and end devices, and then route the information from those objects to computers
with SCADA software.
3. The SCADA software processes, distributes, and displays the data, helping
operators and other employees analyze the data and make important decisions.
4. For example, the SCADA system quickly notifies an operator that a batch of
product is showing a high incidence of errors. The operator pauses the operation
and views the SCADA system data via an HMI to determine the cause of the issue.
5. The operator reviews the data and discovers that Machine 4 was malfunctioning.
The SCADA system’s ability to notify the operator of an issue helps him to resolve
it and prevent further loss of product.
A BASIC SCADA DIAGRAM
2|P a g e ExaM StudY
WHO USES SCADA?
SCADA systems are used by industrial organizations and companies in the
public and private sectors to control and maintain efficiency, distribute data for
smarter decisions, and communicate system issues to help mitigate downtime.
SCADA systems work well in many different types of enterprises because they
can range from simple configurations to large, complex installations. SCADA
systems are the backbone of many modern industries, including:
Transportation
Energy Oil and gas
Water and waste
Food and beverage Power
water
Manufacturing Recycling
And many more
Virtually anywhere you look in today's world, there is some type of SCADA system
running behind the scenes: maintaining the refrigeration systems at the local
supermarket, ensuring production and safety at a refinery, achieving quality
standards at a waste water treatment plant, or even tracking your energy use at
home, to give a few examples.
Effective SCADA systems can result in significant savings of time and money.
Numerous case studies have been published highlighting the benefits and savings
of using a modern SCADA software solution such as Ignition.
3|P a g e ExaM StudY
THE BIRTH OF SCADA
In the early 1950s, computers were first developed and used for industrial
control purposes. Supervisory control began to become popular among the
major utilities, oil and gas pipelines, and other industrial markets at that time.
In the 1960s, telemetry was established for monitoring, which allowed for
automated communications to transmit measurements and other data from
remotes sites to monitoring equipment.
The term “SCADA” was coined in the early 1970s, and the rise of
microprocessors and PLCs during that decade increased enterprises’ ability to
monitor and control automated processes more than ever before.
THE EVOLUTION OF SCADA
The first iteration of SCADA started off with mainframe computers. Networks as
we know them today were not available and each SCADA system stood on its own.
These systems were what would now be referred to as monolithic SCADA systems.
In the 80s and 90s, SCADA continued to evolve thanks to smaller computer
systems, Local Area Networking (LAN) technology, and PC-based HMI software.
SCADA systems soon were able to be connected to other similar systems. Many
of the LAN protocols used in these systems were proprietary, which gave vendors
control of how to optimize data transfer. Unfortunately, these systems were
incapable of communicating with systems from other vendors. These systems
were called distributed SCADA systems.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, building upon the distributed system model,
SCADA adopted an incremental change by embracing an open system
architecture and communications protocols that were not vendor-specific. This
iteration of SCADA, called a networked SCADA system, took advantage of
communications technologies such as Ethernet.
Networked SCADA systems allowed systems from other vendors to communicate
with each other, alleviating the limitations imposed by older SCADA systems, and
allowed organizations to connect more devices to the network.
While SCADA systems have undergone substantial evolutionary changes, many
industrial organizations continued to struggle with industrial data access from
the enterprise level. By the late 1990s to the early 2000s, a technological boom
occurred and personal computing and IT technologies accelerated in
development.
4|P a g e ExaM StudY
Structured query language (SQL) databases became the standard for IT databases
but were not adopted by SCADA developers. This resulted in a rift between the
fields of controls and IT, and SCADA technology became antiquated over time.
Traditional SCADA systems still use proprietary technology to handle data.
Whether it is a data historian, a data connector, or other means of data transfer,
the solution is messy and incredibly expensive. Modern SCADA systems aim to
solve this problem by leveraging the best of controls and IT technology.
MODERN SCADA SYSTEMS
Modern SCADA systems allow real-time data from the plant floor to be accessed
from anywhere in the world. This access to real-time information allows
governments, businesses, and individuals to make data-driven decisions about
how to improve their processes. Without SCADA software, it would be extremely
difficult if not impossible to gather sufficient data for consistently well-informed
decisions.
Also, most modern SCADA designer applications have rapid application
development (RAD) capabilities that allow users to design applications relatively
easily, even if they don't have extensive knowledge of software development.
5|P a g e ExaM StudY
The introduction of modern IT standards and practices such as SQL and web-
based applications into SCADA software has greatly improved the efficiency,
security, productivity, and reliability of SCADA systems.
SCADA software that utilizes the power of SQL databases provides huge
advantages over antiquated SCADA software. One big advantage of using SQL
databases with a SCADA system is that it makes it easier to integrate into existing
MES and ERP systems, allowing data to flow seamlessly through an entire
organization.
Historical data from a SCADA system can also be logged in a SQL database, which
allows for easier data analysis through data trending.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____ Copyrights @ E x a M S t u d Y
