Scada

What exactly does the term SCADA stand for and what type of control is it?

Thanks Bob

SCADA stands for Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition. As the name indicates, it is not a full control system, but rather focuses on the supervisory level. As such, it is a purely software package that is positioned on top of hardware to which it is interfaced, in general via Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), or other commercial hardware modules.

SCADA systems are used not only in industrial processes: e.g. steel making, power generation (conventional and nuclear) and distribution, chemistry, but also in some experimental facilities such as nuclear fusion. The size of such plants range from a few 1000 to several 10 thousands input/output (I/O) channels. However, SCADA systems evolve rapidly and are now penetrating the market of plants with a number of I/O channels of several 100 K: we know of two cases of near to 1 M I/O channels currently under development.

SCADA systems used to run on DOS, VMS and UNIX; in recent years all SCADA vendors have moved to NT and some also to Linux.

These are not my words, but cut and paste. Here is the link they are from...

http://ref.web.cern.ch/ref/CERN/CNL/2000/003/scada/

Here is a link to a software site with a free download. I just stumbled across it.

http://www.azeotech.com/

In the past, I have used GE Fanuc's Cimplicity, operating from a DELL PC to one or more Fanuc 9030 PLC's, and usually other equipment, such as MultiLin's, which is a combination device. We used this setup in a prison in California for standby power. The MultiLin's in each remote location are able to monitor power usuage in each cellblock, office building, etc, and to be able to disconnect it from power for load-shedding on standby, or to blackout the building.

SCADA can go on a network, twisted pair (telephone or dedicated line), RF, fiber optic, etc. It can be very simple, or as complicated as you want to make it. It can download all kinds of info into excell spreadsheets, as far as production numbers, energy consumption, tank or pressure levels, an on and on and....

Just another way to phase out jobs. I don't think I like scada anymore.

regards.....casey

There is a site in Ozz that is over 1 million tags!!! The SCADA system is Citect. I am lead to believe that it was the only SCADA system in the world that could handle that number of tags, at the time. May have changed since. The project is Olympic Dam. 10 redundant servers and a scan time of less than 1 second. Included dial to remotes and remote dial up to server with alarms.

It is reputed that Citect have been advised of a system coming up that is in excess of 2 million tags. AWESOME!!!!

I wrote a very small page recently describing -in general- the functions that must be provided by the SCADA system
check it :

http://scada.jeeran.com/

Note: a lot of higly experienced people here donot agree with the idea of creating SCADA using a programming language ..
So read this post to read their openions also:
http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9425

Ayman

I clicked on your link to scada.jeeran.com and my NOD32 virus scanner reported the VBS/Redolf.A virus incoming.

Please check your computer with an up to date virus scanner.

Regards
Bob

Ayman

In case you do not know what this virus does, Here's a link to Symantec's (Norton AV) explanation of this virus.

Like Bob I was also warned about this virus upon clicking your link.

Paul

Thank you BobB and PLucas for the notefication and the link.

I will check it.