2. What is SCADA?
Acronym for
Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition
used to monitor and control a plant or
equipment in industries such as
telecommunications, water and waste control,
energy, oil & gas, refining and transportation.
3. What is SCADA?
2
SCADA is not a specific technology, but a type
of application.
Any application that gets data about a system
in order to control that system is a SCADA
application.
4. What is SCADA?
3
A collection of standard and/or custom software
[sometimes called Human Machine Interface
(HMI) software or Man Machine Interface
(MMI) software] systems used to provide the
SCADA central host and operator terminal
application, support the communications
system and monitor and control remotely
located field data interface devices
5. SCADA Functions
In simple terms, SCADA performs the
following four functions
1. Data acquisition
2. Networked data communication
3. Data presentation
4. Control
6. SCADA Components
1
Sensors and Actuators
Sensors convert input parameters of the managed
system (like temperature or angle of rotation) to
measurable digital or analog electrical signals
Actuators (e.g. control relays) generate proper
signals to perform the control function
7. SCADA Components
2
Remote telemetry units (RTUs)/PLCs
These are small computerized units deployed in the
field at specific sites and locations.
RTUs serve as local collection points for gathering data
from sensors and delivering commands to actuators.
8. SCADA Components
3
Host Computer
A central computer server or servers
sometimes called a SCADA Center, master
station, or Master Terminal Unit (MTU) with
large interactive terminals for display and
control which act as human interface
9. SCADA Components
3
Host Computer
The central host computer or master station is
most often a single computer or a network of
computer servers that provide a man-machine
operator interface to the SCADA system.
10. SCADA Components
3
Host Computer
The computers process the information
received from and sent to the RTU sites and
present it to human operators in a form that
the operators can work with.
11. SCADA Components
3
Host Computer
Operator terminals are connected to the
central host computer by a LAN/WAN so that
the viewing screens and associated data can
be displayed for the operators.
12. SCADA Components
3
Host Computer
The central host computer acts as a server for
the SCADA application, and the operator
terminals are clients that request and send
information to the central host computer
based on the request and action of the
operators.
13. SCADA Components
4
Communications Network
It is intended to provide the means by which data
can be transferred between the central host
computer servers and the field-based RTUs.
The Communication Network refers to the
equipment needed to transfer data to and from
different sites. The medium used can either be cable,
telephone or radio.
15. SCADA Components
4
Communications Network
For remote sites, the use of radio offers an
economical solution. Radio modems are used to
connect the remote sites to the host.
An on-line operation can also be implemented
on the radio system. For locations where a
direct radio link cannot be established, a radio
repeater is used to link these sites.
16. SCADA Components
4
Communications Network
With increased deployment of office LANs and
WANs (internet) as a solution for interoffice
computer networking, SCADA LANs are being
integrated into everyday office computer
networks.
17. SCADA Components
4
Communications Network
The foremost advantage of local or wide area networking
is that there is no need to invest in a separate computer
network for SCADA operator terminals.
In addition, there is an easy path to integrating SCADA
data with existing office applications, such as
spreadsheets, work management systems, data history
databases, Geographic Information System (GIS)systems
and water distribution modelling systems.
18. SCADA Host/HMI
HMI sits on the operating system which is
usually an UNIX version (e.g. LINUX).
However, modern windows-based SCADA are
becoming increasingly popular, which makes
development and integration with external
world a much easier exercise.
19. SCADA Software
Typical software used in the SCADA system
are:
Central host computer operating system
(UNIX/Windows)
Operator terminal operating system
(UNIX/Windows)
20. SCADA Software
Central host computer application
Software that handles the transmission 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
21. SCADA Software
Common features of central host
computer application
Dynamic Process Graphics
Trending - Real Time and Historical
Alarms
Recipe Management
Security
22. SCADA Software
Common features of central host
computer application
Device Connectivity
Script for logic development
Database connectivity
23. SCADA Software
Operator terminal application
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.
24. SCADA Software
Communications protocol drivers
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.
25. SCADA Software
Communications network management software
Software required to control the
communications network and to allow the
communications networks themselves to be
monitored for performance and failures.
26. SCADA Software
RTU automation software
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.
27. SCADA Architectures
Three levels:
Supervisory level
Contains Master Station, Communication and Data Base Servers and
Switches
Control or controller level
PLC/RTU/PAC
Field or Device level
Field Instruments, sensors, drive and other actuating devices
29. SCADA Architectures
2
Monolithic SCADA
Centred around mainframe computers
Standalone systems
Connectivity with external world and RTUs
using vendor-specific proprietary protocols
No networking
34. SCADA Architectures
Distributed SCADA
Distributes the functionalities among multiple
servers connected by LAN. Each server is low
cost minicomputer/ high-end PC Server.
Functionalities are Communication Service,
HMI, Data Base Service, Data Processing
Service etc.
35. SCADA Architectures
3
Networked SCADA
Open architecture against earlier vendor controlled proprietary
environment.
Allows use of standard third-party hardware/software conforming
to open system
Allows functionalities of Master System to be geographically
distributed over WAN as against local area connectivity in the
distributed system. For example, Communication Server may be
away from the Master Station connected through IP
36. SCADA Protocols and Standards
In this section, we try to find answer to:
What is a protocol?
Why Protocols and Standards are important
Who makes standards?
Communication Standards for SCADA
37. SCADA Protocols and Standards
• All communications between devices require that the
devices agree on the format of the data and information
exchange sequence. The set of rules defining this is called a
protocol.
• Protocols allow different vendors to manufacture
equipments which are compatible with all equipments
conforming to the protocol. For example, any MODBUS
controller from vendor X will work with a MODBUS
instrument from vendor Y.
38. SCADA Protocols
2
A SCADA system has three major sub-systems - Master Station,
Controllers and Field Instruments. Hence three major
communications in case of SCADA are:
1. Between Master Station and External World
2. Between Controlling Station (RTU/PLC/PAC) and
Master Station
3. Between Field Instrument and Controlling Station
40. SCADA Protocols
4
ISO
ISO stands for International Organization of
Standardization. ISO-OSI is a conceptual model for
Open System Interconnection (OSI) and is commonly
known as OSI model.
42. SCADA Protocols
6
IEC
• International Electrotechnical Commission
(IEC) is a non-profit non-govt. international
standards organization that sets standards and
protocols for a very wide range of Electric and
Electronic devices and communications.
• Some IEC standards related to SCADA are
described in the next section.
43. SCADA Protocols
7
MODBUS
• Most popular of the communication protocols used in SCADA, MODBUS is an
application layer (Level 7 of OSI model) messaging protocol that provides Master-
Slave/Client-Server communication between devices connected on different types
of buses or networks.
• In simple terms, it is a method used for transmitting information over serial lines
between electronic devices. In SCADA, it is used in communication between Host
Station and Controller (RTU/PLC/PAC), where Host Station is the Master. It is also
used in communication between Controller and Field Instrument, where Controller
is the Master.
• Originally developed for only serial messaging, the protocol has been expanded to
include implementations over Serial, TCP/IP and the User Datagram Protocol (UDP).
45. SCADA Protocols
9
IEEE 802.3 Ethernet
The term Ethernet refers to the family of local-area network (LAN) products covered by
the IEEE 802.3 standard that defines what is commonly known as the CSMA/CD
protocol. Three data rates are currently defined for operation over optical fiber and
twisted-pair cables:
• 10 Mbps 10Base-T Ethernet
• 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet
• 1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet
Is easy to understand, implement, manage, and maintain
Allows low-cost network implementations
Provides extensive topological flexibility for network installation
Guarantees successful interconnection and operation of
standards- compliant products, regardless of manufacturer
46. SCADA Protocols
10
TCP/IP
• TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol,
which is a set of networking protocols that allows two or more
computers to communicate.
• Since all modern controllers and many field instruments have built-in
Microprocessors/Microcontrollers, TCP/IP is widely used in today’s
SCADA applications, particularly for remote control and monitoring over
wide area network.