SCADA & DCS

Introduction
Definition
SCADA is an acronym that stands for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition. It is a collection of equipment
that provides an operator at a remote location to monitor, and perform supervisory control on, a particular
piece of equipment or an entire system.

How SCADA works

A SCADA system basically enables monitoring and control of a remote site, a process or a distribution spread
out over some geographical area. It achieves this function by collecting measurements and status data from
the field and transmitting them to a central computer. This is called data acquisition. The central computer
then manipulates the data for storage and/or processes it for presentation suitable for use by different types
of users. This is called data management. The computer also allows remote intervention by operators; the
operator actions are in turn transmitted to the actuator devices or local controllers in the field. This is called
supervision.

Functions of a SCADA system

A SCADA system provides the following functions:
1. Monitoring – displaying of plant or process parameters in real-time.
2. Alarming – recognition of exceptional events and immediate reporting of such events.
3. Supervisory (plant) control – start-up, shut-down of the plants; change of set points; selection of
batch processes, etc.
4. Control – application of algorithms and adjustment of process values so as to maintain those values
within the set limits with minimum human intervention.
5. Data recording – data logging, real-time trending, historical trending, report generation.

Figure 7.1 A representation of the SCADA functions

64
Application Areas
Examples of areas where SCADA is applied are:
1. Electric power generation, transmission and distribution: Electrical power utilities use SCADA
systems to monitor and control the generating plant as well as the distribution system. In
distribution systems, for example, SCADA enables remote operation of circuit breakers so as to take
sections of the power grid online or offline.
2. Water and sewage: State and municipal water utilities use SCADA to monitor and regulate water
flow, reservoir levels, pipe pressure and other factors.
3. Buildings, facilities and environments: Facility managers use SCADA to control, for example, HVAC,
refrigeration units, lighting and entry systems.
4. Manufacturing: SCADA systems manage parts inventories for just-in-time manufacturing, regulate
industrial automation and robots, and monitor process and quality control.
5. Mass transit: Transit authorities use SCADA to regulate electricity to subways, trams and trolley
buses; to automate traffic signals for rail systems; to track and locate trains and buses; and to
control railroad crossing gates.
6. Traffic signals: SCADA regulates traffic lights, controls traffic flow and detects out-of-order signals.
7. Gas and oil pipelines: SCADA is used to monitor and control the pipelines.

Components of a SCADA System

A typical SCADA system comprises of field devices, RTUs/controllers, communication networks and
equipment, servers, terminals and software. Figure 7.2 shows a block diagram illustrating how these
components relate.

Figure 7.2

Field Devices
They comprise of sensing and actuating devices. Sensing devices acquire data from the field so as to get the
status of the processes in the field. Examples are reservoir level meters, water flow meters, valve position
transmitters, temperature transmitters, power consumption meters, and pressure meters.

Actuating devices effect actions in the field according to the requirements of the process. Examples are
electric valve actuators, motor control switchboards, and electronic chemical dosing facilities.

RTUs and PLCs

Remote Telemetry Units (RTUs) are electronic interfaces that are primarily responsible for converting signals
from field devices into a form that is compatible with the rest of the SCADA system. They also convert data
from the SCADA system into a form compatible with field devices.

65
PLCs are used to control the operation of actuators in the field. They connect directly to field data interface
devices and incorporate programs mainly in the form of logic operations. The programs enable certain
actuators to run when certain process sate conditions are met. Examples of control operations carried out by
PLCs are pump control, conveyor belt control, mixing of raw materials.

RTUs basically provide interfacing while PLCs provide interfacing as well as control functions.

Communications Network
The communications network is the equipment responsible for the transfer data between the RTUs / PLCs
and the central host servers as well as between the servers and the rest of the sites in the SCADA system.

The medium of communication can either be cable, telephone, fiber, power line carrier or radio. The media
used depends on comparative advantages and disadvantages of the methods in different situations:
 Cable is usually implemented in a factory and where the geographical area is small.
 Telephone lines are used when geographical area is large
o Proprietary and leased lines are used for systems requiring on-line connection with the
remote stations.
o Dial-up lines can be used on systems requiring updates at regular intervals (e.g., hourly
updates).
 Radio is used when accessing remote areas where there are, for example, no telephone lines. An on-
line operation can also be implemented on the radio system.
 Fiber and power line carrier can be used in same areas as where Telephone lines can be used. They
can be proprietary, leased or dial-up.

Central Host Computer

The central host computer or master station is responsible for processing the data received from and to be
sent to the RTU/PLC sites and present it to human operators in a form that the operators can work with. A
single computer or a network of computer servers may be used as the host computer.

Database
The database is used to store data pertaining to the process or plant. The constituent data elements are
known as tags or points. Each tag is a data item representing a single input or output value monitored or
controlled by the system. The database is thus commonly referred to as a tag database.

Tags can be either "hard" or "soft". A hard point is representative of an actual input or output connected to
the system. A soft point represents the result of a logic and mathematical operations applied to other hard
and soft points, for example total weight from 5 load cells, distance moved from speed. Most
implementations conceptually remove this distinction by making every tag a soft point that at its simplest
can be equal to a single hard point.

Tag values are normally stored as value-timestamp combination, that is the value of the tag and the
timestamp when the value was recorded or calculated. A series of value-timestamp combinations is the
history of that point. It is also common to store additional metadata such as path to field device and PLC
register, design time comments, and even alarming information with the tags.

The rest of the system obtains values/states of the plant from the tags in the database.

Operator Workstations
Operator workstations enable operators to interact with the system. They provide a platform for viewing the
process as well as to apply inputs into the process. Operator workstations are client computer terminals that

66
request and send information to the central host computer based on the request and action of the
operators. They are connected to the host computer using LAN/WAN.

Man-machine Interface
The user interface or the man-machine interface (MMI) provides communication interface between an
operator and the machines making up the system. This allows the status of the plant to be presented to
operators in a form that can be easily understood. It also allows the system to accept commands from
operators. MMI can be summarized by figure 7.3.

A MMI consists of input devices such as a mouse, keypad and touch screen and output devices such as a
screen, audio, print-outs and mimic boards. Modern SCADA systems are able to offer high resolution
computer graphics to display a graphical user interface or mimic screen of the site or system in question.

Figure 7.3 The operator as part of the control loop

SCADA Software
SCADA software is responsible for running the system. Software products typically used within a SCADA
system are as follows.

Central host computer operating system

This is the software that is used to control the central host computer hardware. The software can be based
on UNIX or other popular operating systems.

Operator terminal operating system

This is software used to control the operator terminal computer hardware. The software is usually the same
as the central host computer operating system. This software, along with that for the central host computer,
usually contributes to the networking of the central host and the operator terminals.

Central host computer application

This is software that handles the transmittal and reception of data to and from the RTUs and the central
host. The software also provides the graphical user interface which offers site mimic screens, alarm pages,
trend pages, and control functions.

Operator terminal application

This is the application that enables users to access information available on the central host computer
application. It is usually a subset of the software used on the central host computers.

Communications protocol drivers

This is software that is usually based within the central host and the RTUs, and is required to control the
translation and interpretation of the data between ends of the communications links in the system. The
protocol drivers prepare the data for use either at the field devices or the central host end of the system.

67
Communications network management software
This is software required to control the communications network and to allow the communications networks
themselves to be monitored for performance and failures.

RTU automation software:

This is software that allows engineering staff to configure and maintain the application housed within the
RTUs (or PLCs). Most often this includes the local automation application and any data processing tasks that
are performed within the RTU.

Comments on SCADA Software

Many SCADA systems employ commercial proprietary software upon which the SCADA system is developed.
The proprietary software often is configured for a specific hardware platform and may not interface with the
software or hardware produced by competing vendors. A wide range of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)
software products also are available, some of which may suit the required application. COTS software usually
is more flexible, and will interface with different types of hardware and software. Generally, the focus of
proprietary software is on processes and control functionality, while COTS software emphasizes
compatibility with a variety of equipment and instrumentation. It is therefore important to ensure that
adequate planning is undertaken to select the software systems appropriate to any new SCADA system.

Distributed Control Systems (DCS)

Distributed control system (DCS), is a variant of SCADA. In DCS, the field data gathering or control units are
usually located within a more confined area. A closely integrated set of operator interfaces (MMIs) is
provided to allow for easy system configurations and operator control. Communications may be via a LAN
and will normally be a reliable and high speed link. A DCS system usually employs significant amounts of
closed loop control. SCADA systems on the other hand generally cover larger geographic areas, and rely on a
variety of communications systems that are normally less reliable than a LAN. Closed loop control in this
situation is less desirable.

As an example, in a power utility, DCS may be used for generation of power, while SCADA is used for the
distribution and transmission of power.

Stratification of control tasks

The task of managing a process is broken down into several sets of hierarchical tasks. Each task is delegated
to a machine or computer operating at the corresponding level of the task in the system. These tasks include
regulation, supervision, measurement, protection, and on/off control. Figure 7.4 shows a hierarchy split into
four control levels.

The computers that are at different control levels are connected via communication for:
 receiving input data from transducers,
 issuing control signals, and
 interacting with an operator.

Control tasks
Seven independent computer tasks can be identified:
 process instrumentation
 process regulation
 acquisition of measurement data
 process supervision
 protection and process safety
 on/off process control

68
  set-point process control (governing/tracking)

LEVEL 3
LANs such as Mainframes
Ethernet Gateway
LEVEL 2
Proprietary Supervisory minicomputers
networks
LEVEL 1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 PLCs

LEVEL 0
Plant devices

(a)

Ethernet

PLC VAX

PLC PLC PLC

(b)

Figure 7.4 Control hierarchy: (a) a company-wide network; (b) a real system

Control levels
Five independent levels of control are recognized in process control of figure 7.4:
 Level 0 – actual plant level (process hardware, transducers, drives, etc.)
 Level 1 – process controller level (PLCs and other controllers directly controlling the plant)
 Level 2 – data acquisition, remote terminal unit, direct digital control
 Level 3 – supervisory control or process control center (minicomputers)
 Level 4 – management control or dispatching center (mainframes)

Figure 7.5 is a representation of the control levels.

69
 Data
presentation Management
and control Control
LEVEL 4

Supervisory
Supervisory
LEVEL 3 process data
Control
access
and control

Data acquisition
LEVEL 2 DDC; RTU

Process controller
LEVEL 1 Process
instrumentation

LEVEL 0 Signal transducers and drives

Process hardware

Connection of control levels through coded or bus digital

signals.
Connection of control levels through digital or analogue signals
transmitted in series (hardwired or simple communication links).

Figure 7.5 Distributed control levels

Tasks of the various control levels

Level 1
 Logic and protection functions
 Control of basic process units
 Coordination of a few basic process units
 Calculation of complex process variables from given process signals

I/O hardware requirements are:

 Analogue and digital I/O circuits
 Serial bus connection

70
  Standard serial interface to RTU

Level 2
 Control of process variables
 Communication with controller, complex process instruments, other RTUs and superimposed digital
computer

I/O hardware requirements are:

 Analogue/digital I/O circuits
 Standard interface to controller
 Communication interface

Level 3
 Optimizing functions
 Process data issuing
 Data logging
 Engineering calculations
 Account issuance
 Program compilation
 Data supervision
 Front-end processing towards level 4 system

I/O requirements are:

 Communication interface
 Operators console interface
 Standard data bus

Level 4
 Optimize overall system performance
 Account issuance
 Off-line programs (simulation and modelling)
 Program compilation

I/O requirements are:

 Standard communication interface
 Operator’s console interface
 Peripheral devices interface

Advantages of DCS
1. modularity – resulting tree is conceptually simple, and as such is easy to design, commission,
maintain and modify/expand.
2. system integrity – a correctly designed system will be, for short periods, fault tolerant and can cope
in a limited mode with the failure of individual stations.
3. increased performance – lower level machines take the work off higher level machines allowing
machines to be specialized for operations at their operating levels and thus perform them more
superbly.
In figure 7.4, the pulpit PLC issues broad commands to the lower level PLCs, and concerns itself
mainly with data gathering for the VAX system. The lower level machines concern themselves with
running the plant and monitoring for alarm conditions, passing any information the operator should
be aware of back to the pulpit PLC for display on VDU screens.

71
Communication Protocols
A communication protocol is the “electronic” language used to transmit data over a communication channel.
Communication protocols are needed to enable PLCs and RTUs to exchange data, either with other PLCs and
RTUs or SCADA Host platforms. Over the years, communication protocols have evolved from being
proprietary towards a single industry standard. Many manufacturers gravitated to MODBUS, but added on
proprietary elements to meet specific functionality requirements. In recent years, protocols have appeared
that are truly non-proprietary, such as DNP (Distributed Network Protocol).

Assignment following a visit to a plant

1. Describe any SCADA or DCS that you recognised in the plant.
2. What was the communication media used?
3. What tasks could be done on an operator interface?
4. Describe the operator interface devices used?

SCADA PICTURES

SCADA Network

72
 SCADA NETWORK

INTERCONECTION OF SCADA NETWORKS (COORDINATION BETWEEN ACTORS IN A SYSTEM)

73
 SCADA ARCHITECTURE

TYPICAL CONTROL ROOM

74
TYPICAL DISPLAY OF A POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

ENGINEERING AND RUNTIME ENVIRONMENTS

75