Assignment #4

Name:
Hamza Tariq
Roll #:
BEE-13136
Subject:
PSA
Submitted To:
Sir Ashraf

Superior University Lahore

What is SCADA?
The task of supervision of machinery and industrial processes on
a routine basis can be an excruciatingly tiresome job. Always
being by the side a machine or being on a 24x7 patrol duty
around the assembly line equipment checking the temperature
levels, water levels, oil level and performing other checks would
be considered a wastage of the expertise of the technician on
trivial tasks. But, to get rid of this burdensome task, the engineers
devised equipments and sensors that would prevent or at least
reduce the frequency of these routine checks. As a result of that,
control systems and its various off springs like SCADA
systems were formed. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
(SCADA) offers the ease of monitoring of sensors placed at
distances, from one central location.
SCADA (Supervisory control and data acquisition) is an industrial
automation control system at the core of many modern industries,
including:

Energy
Food and beverage
Manufacturing
Oil and gas
Power
Recycling
Transportation
Water and waste water
And many more

SCADA systems are used by private companies and public-sector

service providers. SCADA works well in many different types of
enterprises because they can range from simple configurations to
large, complex projects.
Virtually anywhere you look in today's world, there is some type
of SCADA system running behind the scenes, whether at your

local supermarket, refinery, waste water treatment plant, or even

your own home.

How Do SCADA Systems Work?

SCADA systems deploy multiple software and hardware elements
that allow industrial organizations to:

Monitor, gather, and process data

Interact with and control machines and devices such as
valves, pumps, motors, and more, which are connected
through HMI (human-machine interface) software

Record events into a log file

In basic SCADA architectures, information from sensors or manual
inputs are sent to PLCs (programmable logic controllers) or RTUs
(remote terminal units), which then send that information to
computers with SCADA software. SCADA software analyzes and
displays the data in order to help operators and other workers to
reduce waste and improve efficiency in the manufacturing
process.
Effective SCADA systems can result in significant savings of time
and money. Numerous case studies have been lpublished
highlighting the benefits and savings of using a modern SCADA
software solution such as Ignition.

A basic SCADA diagram

History
Supervisory control first evolved in electric utility systems when a
need to operate remote substation equipment without sending in
personnel or line crew at the remote site was felt. In 1940s, a pair
of wires for every unique equipment was used between sites. The
potential of multiplexing on one pair of lines was soon put to use
taking ideas from the Magnetic Stepping Switch developed by
telephone companies in the 30s. Security being an issue, a select-

check-operate procedure was adopted where the operator waited

for acknowledgement from device before finally operating it.
Taking further cues from the telephone relay systems and its
coding schemes, Westinghouse and North Electric Company
developed the Visicode supervisory control.
General Electric and Control Corporation too developed their own
independent supervisory control programs. These were used in
pipelines, gas companies and even airports for runway landing
lights. These systems became popular during 1950 and 1965. By
that time, i.e. in 1960s Telemetry was developed for monitoring
purposes. Before 1970s equipment was generally hard wired as
solid state devices were in birth and infancy stages. But with the
advent of low cost computer technology, software and computers
enabled the performing of the functions previously done by
technicians and operators sitting besides panel instruments and
tone telemetry.
The first push was given by the 8 and 16 bit computers called
minicomputers. The second was the microprocessors, several
years later. Computers offered flexibility in programming and
communicating with field data acquisition units that was
previously being done by hard wired equipments. This was the
dawn of SCADA. Many organizations have been involved with the
standardization of SCADA systems since then, including the IEEE,
American National Standards Institute, Electric Power Research
Institute, International Electrotechnical Commission, DNP3 Users
group etc.

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 realtime 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.
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.

Ignition HMI/SCADA Software

Ignition by Inductive Automation is an industrial automation
software platform that many businesses and organizations have
switched to for their HMI/SCADA needs.
Ignition has been installed in thousands of locations in over 90
countries since 2010. Its powerful and robust nature allows
SCADA system integrators to reach the demands of their
customers while costing less than other SCADA software
solutions.
Here are a few reasons why more enterprises are choosing
Ignition:

Ignition uses modern IT practices that make it compatible

with current SCADA system components.

Its unique licensing model lets users pay a flat fee based on
the number of servers. Other SCADA vendors typically charge
per client or per tag, but Ignition offers unlimited clients and
tags.

Ignition is web-deployable: it can be downloaded and

installed in a few minutes, and clients can be launched or
updated instantly.
Inductive Automation's motto of "Dream it. Do it." is a perfect
embodiment of what Ignition can do. While its bold claims may
sound too good to be true, one demonstration of the software
proves how powerful it really is. Once you see what's possible,
youll begin to imagine how the software can fit your SCADA
needs and open up new possibilities.

Ignition SCADA Architecture

SCADA systems consist of:

Field data interface equipment, generally programmable
logic controllers (PLCs) or remote terminal units (RTUs).
These connect to field sensing devices, local control

switchboxes and valve actuators. Field-data-interface

equipment forms the core part of SCADA systems.
A communications system. This is employed to move data
between different pieces of field data interface equipment
and control units, and the computer systems employed in
the SCADA central host. The system may be telephone,
radio, satellite, cable, and so on, or a combination of any of
these. The communications network is designed to offer the
way by which the data can be transmitted in between the
field-based RTUs and the central host computer servers.
A central host computer server(s). This is often known as a
master station, a SCADA center, or a master terminal unit
(MTU). The central host computer is usually a single
computer or a computer server network.
A set of standard and/or customized software systems. They
are helpful in delivering the operator terminal application
and SCADA central host. This supports the communications
system, and monitors and controls the remotely located
field-data-interface equipment.
Some of the software products usually used within the SCADA
system include:
Central host computer OS
Operator terminal OS
Central host computer application
Operator terminal application
Communications protocol drivers
RTU automation software
Communications network management software

Applications
Manufacturing.
In manufacturing, SCADA is used to make sure that productivity
targets are met and all systems run smoothly. The SCADA system
on a production line tracks how many units have been produced
and how many are in various other stages. Analog values like
temp at various production stages are also measured. Imagine
how important it is to know the temp of molten metal that must
be formed into usable products.
Food Production.
Very similar to manufacturing, food production is a major SCADA
application. If temp is important for making gear, it is vital for the
mass production of foods. If temperature varies more than a few
degrees, entire batches could be bad. This generates a lot of
wasteful expense, which makes deployment of a SCADA system
absolutely vital. The movement of liquid and solid ingredients
through the process are also tracked by SCADA.
Electric and Gas Utilities.
Utility companies, mainly gas utilities, suffer the combined
headaches of manufacturing and telecom companies. They have
to move a physical product through their systems, and they are
spread out across big areas. This makes SCADA devices a good fit
in utility environments. They need to control the movement of
power and gas through the distribution chain. They must also
keep the supporting telecom infrastructure online.
Wastewater Treatment.
The conversion of wastewater back into drinking water can really

be thought of as another type of manufacturing process. It

delivers the world's most vital item. Flow rate sensors are very
common in wastewater centers, as are contaminant sensors.
Telecom and Information Technology (IT).
Many people don't use the term "SCADA" in telecom
environments. Still, many people do use this term to describe
remote monitoring and control systems in telcos. Telecom is
simply a instant production environment, with bits of data instead
of parts or food products. Monitoring temp of servers and other
delicate gear is common when SCADA is used in this type of
application. Monitoring the dedicated alarm contact closures of
many types of gear is also popular. Also common is monitoring
against physical intrusions into remote sites using magnetic door
sensors and passive infrared (PIR) motion sensors.