Microprocessor Controllers of Automatic Systems
and Automatic Control Systems
Valeria P. Safronova, Marina V. Yakovleva 1
Department of Marine Electronics
St. Petersburg State Marine Technical University
Saint-Petersburg, Russia
1
marine_electronics@corp.smtu.ru
Abstract— The article discusses modern microprocessor
computing and processing tools in modern control systems. A
new type of automatic systems and automatic control systems
based on the use of modern microprocessor controllers is being
discussed.
Keywords—microprocessors; control systems; automatic
systems
I. INTRODUCTION
In the mid-1970s, the first distributed microprocessor-based
process control systems (RMS) were developed and introduced
to the market. This was a natural consequence of the
development of control methods – on the one hand, and
technical means – on the other. Today, RMS have become the
main ones in the automation of production, so it is of interest to
analyze the state and prospects of their development, especially
in connection with the rapid development of technical means
and network structures. Under one term – “distributed
systems”, until now, mean [1-5]:
• distributed structures of automated process control
systems [1]. Such structures (functionally and (or)
geographically distributed) were designed to implement
the management of complex technological processes
and complexes, which in themselves have a hierarchical
structure and topological distribution. Within the
framework of such structures it is possible to implement
effective management of interconnected subsystems, the
number of which for each specific technological
complex is optimal [2,3];
• type of software and hardware systems as a set of
hardware and application software for automated
process control system [4,5].
As can be seen [6], there are terminological inaccuracies in
the definition of RMS, and consideration of various aspects of
the creation and application of distributed control structures is
relevant. The article analyzes the state and prospects of
development of RMS as software and hardware complexes.
It is on the basis of distributed structures that computer-
integrated control systems of technological processes,
complexes and production are created today [1-4].
Automation of production has always used the latest
achievements of science and technology, often acting as the
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initiator of their creation [6]. Today, the need to create RMS
within the framework of a common computer-integrated
enterprise management system, which covers all areas of
production management, from order processing and
procurement of materials, to the production and processing of
accounts, does not cause, perhaps, no one doubts. A wide range
of tools for creating such systems makes it possible to fully
implement the emerging tasks. In these circumstances, it is
necessary to determine the main approaches and trends in the
creation of RMS [1-2].
II. MODERN MICROPROCESSOR SYSTEMS
Modern trends in the development of automation systems
are characterized primarily by the widespread introduction of
microprocessor-based industrial automation. At the same time,
domestic engineering firms for the development and
implementation of automation systems have gained wide
access to modern Western technologies in this area. The market
of automation has moved to the stage of saturation and it
affected the market. Hundreds of suppliers offer a variety of
devices and systems for control and management, thus
significantly complicating the choice of end users. What, in our
opinion, should be taken into account when deciding on the
implementation of a specific automation system?
Today there are several main directions in the field of
automation of technological processes, which are based on the
principles of construction and the main control microprocessor
means of industrial automation. These include distributed
control systems (Distributes Control System – DCS) and
systems built on basis of programmable logic controllers
(Programmable Logic Controller – PLC) or PC compatible
industrial controllers.
The history of DCS and PLC origin and development dates
back to the late 70s and early 80s and is directly related to the
emergence of microprocessors, which led to revolutionary
changes in the field of computer technology and technologies
for the development of industrial automation [6,2].
Initially, DCS and PLC developed independently, as they
had distinct differences, primarily in the automation object.
Direction DCS replaced introduced on the threshold of the 80-
ies of the automated control systems of technological processes
(ACSTP), which is based on a powerful (for the time)
industrial computers – mainframes [5,4]. They are assigned the
tasks of collecting and processing of sensor signals, the
978-1-7281-0339-6/19/$31.00 ©2019 IEEE
preparation and submission of information to the operator, the
accumulation and documentation of archived data,
development of recommendations and implementation of
control actions, etc. the Main disadvantage of these systems
was their excessive centralization and redundancy, which
hampered their implementation.
The emergence of microprocessors stimulated the rapid
development of multiprocessor and multi-machine control
systems based on new distributed control principles, system
interfaces and network technologies. The new systems, called
DCS, developed in the direction of “from General to
particular", i.e. from the formulation of a common integrated
process control problem at all its levels to the creation of a
single distributed software and hardware environment for its
solution. This approach to the structure of the control system
naturally resulted from the need to “distribute” the tasks
previously performed by the Central control computer. This led
to the selection and development of technical, software and
organizational support for such systems.
At the heart of a typical downstream node of distributed
processing DCS is usually a powerful standard backbone-
modular interface system (e.g. VME), designed for
independent simultaneous operation of several processor
modules (controllers) with local and shared memory. The
backbone-modular architecture predetermined the design of the
DCS lower nodes-large cabinets with crates for placement of
processor modules, shared memory, network interfaces, as well
as a large number of local input/output modules of analog and
discrete signals of the object.
Used at first in military systems, microprocessor-based
distributed control system spread quickly in the industrial
sector and replaced the outdated by the time mainframe.
The first DCS were introduced in industries with complex
continuous production cycles in chemistry and oil refining,
where there was a need to use large integrated systems. The
leading companies in the development of DCS are the
companies Honeywel, Fisher-Rosemount, Westinghouse.
The emergence of PLC is primarily due to the automation
of discrete processes and the need to replace traditional control
systems assembled on the basis of relay-contact or contactless
logic control systems, working on a soft logic. At the first
stage, the PLC was almost one to one replaced by these
systems, but with a noticeable advantage – the ability to change
the control algorithm by reprogramming. Hence, in fact, the
name-programmable logic controller.
The first PLC named MoDiCon (Modular Digital
Controller) was used in 1968 in the automotive industry of the
USA to replace cabinets with relay logic. However, very
quickly, seeing the advantages of building automation systems
based on PLC, the developers began to expand the
functionality and technical capabilities of PLC.
Modern PLC have a wide variety of input-output modules,
including discrete, analog, weight measurement, stepper motor
control, etc. They have as part of their software algorithms of
analog processing and solving problems of continuous control.
The use of a variety of networks and Fieldbus, client/server
architecture, new technologies from Microsoft (OPC, COM,
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DCOM, Active-X, Web-client), modern SCADA-programs
have turned systems built on the basis of PLC into powerful
distributed control systems competing with DCS systems in the
field of automation of continuous technological processes.
With all this, PLC managed to keep the features that at the
beginning of their development caused their huge popularity
among end users. These include, first of all, ease of
programming and maintenance. The presence of so-called
“technological” programming languages, as close as possible to
the needs of the end user, greatly simplified the PLC
programming procedure. This made it possible to maintain the
basic property of PLC – the possibility of operational change of
the control algorithm by software. The availability of easy-to-
learn, technological programming languages makes it possible
to modernize the system control algorithms directly to the end
user. The international standard IEC 1131 has now been
adopted, according to which five PLC programming languages
are recommended: relay-contact circuits, instruction list,
structured text, function blocks and graph set.
If we analyze the areas of application of the DCS and PLC
directions, it is necessary to take into account that they are now
much closer and therefore it is very difficult to draw a clear
boundary in the priorities of their application areas [5,2]. This
applies primarily to the development of process control
systems by continuous processes. However, there are a number
of factors that can be recommended when making a decision. If
the automation object is a complex technological process with
the number of input / output signals from several thousand or
more (with the predominance of analog information) and
having the character of geographically concentrated, it is
advisable to use DCS [2].
It is necessary to consider that the introduction of the DCS
requires the simultaneous significant capital expenditures. They
may be smaller if the same problem was solved using PLC [3].
However, the construction of a system based on PLC allows
the phased implementation of the control system.
III. CONCLUSION
In recent years, the market of industrial automation has
become very popular. Products of such companies as Octagon
Systems, Advantech, Analog Devise and others, known in the
Western world as the direction of PC based control or PC
compatible controllers. The main idea of the developers of this
direction was to present the possibility of using ordinary
standard PC software to create applications for control of
various processes.
Thousands of users of personal computers were able to
apply their knowledge and experience to work in a new area for
them and dozens of companies began to offer businesses these
products as a base for the construction of APCS.
Offering fairly low prices, full openness of interfaces,
software and a wide range of USO modules, these controllers
are trying to compete with the classic PLC.
However, trying to compete with PLC in the field of
industrial automation, PC based control developers should pay
attention to some contradiction, which is inherent in the basic
idea of their creation.
 The involvement of PC users to the developments in the
field of automated control systems is a promising direction, but
we should not forget that the main developers of automatic
control systems are not specialists in the field of computer
technology, but specialists in the field of automation, who
should use software focused on solving problems of automatic
control.
After all, in modern PLC, when developing application
software, many tasks are solved not even at the level of
programming, but at the level of simple configuration. We
should not forget the negative aspects of the experience of the
introduction of the first computer-based control systems, when
the development of application software required the
involvement of specialists primarily in the field of
programming.
This caused serious difficulties both in the development and
maintenance of such systems. In addition, modern PLC have
powerful software tools for self-diagnosis and debugging, they
have the ability to change the application program during its
execution.
Therefore, trying to compete with PLC in the field of
automatic control systems, PC based control developers will
have to solve these problems, i.e. will repeat the path that has
already passed the creators of PLC. And these steps are already
being taken. The special means of creation of the applied
software taking into account these features are developed.
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