Definitions | What is SCADA?

What is a SCADA System?

And why you can benefit from a modern SCADA Software platform.

SCADA is an acronym for Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition

But first some definition SCADA systems and SCADA software. SCADA is the name for the systems that monitor, do supervisory control, handle alarms, relay alerts and collect data from industrial processes. SCADA systems are used in many types of processes including infrastructure (gas pipelines, wind farms, water treatment, wastewater treatment, etc.), industrial processes (production, manufacturing, power generation, refining, etc.) or facility-based processes (airports, HVAC, cold storage, ships, etc).

SCADA systems all in all are not necessarily the main control system but focus more on continuous monitoring for supervisory type control. So, the SCADA software is operated at a higher level connected to the hardware (PLCs, I/O modules, dataloggers, sensors, counters, meters, etc.) that collects data from the physical processes.

 SCADA frameworks can communicate with the automation hardware through industrial networks (Ethernet, DeviceNet, Modbus, ControlNet, and so on …). SCADA systems are highly scalable so the number of processed variables may vary from few to hundreds of thousands based on the complexity and extensity of the monitored technology. SCADA systems use multiple methods to gather and store data. The data stores vary from local files to proprietary process data historians (like OSISoft PI) to SQL or NoSQL database servers. Some of these data storage methods can store massive amounts of data with very high sampling frequencies.

SCADA systems now support Web and mobile client technologies and this way provide remote access to monitoring via the Internet, security is a key attribute of the modern solutions. SCADA systems are now much more scalable and affordable than in the past and therefore are being applied in many more applications.

The Top Reasons Companies are Modernizing their SCADA systems with FactoryStudio

  • There is a need to be Scalable from small to unlimited. You can scale from a small I/O count low cost solution to an unlimited I/O, unlimited clients, unlimited connections with unlimited developers all at one price. Giving you Unlimited potential for your applications.
  • Modern SCADA systems should have native SQL integration. FactoryStudio includes a full-featured embedded SQL engine. This provides several advantages including:
    • A safe and secure location for your entire project configuration.
    • It can be used as the historian database to log tags, alarms and events on small to medium systems (up to 10GB of data).
    • On Large systems, it can be used as a local Store and Forward location, when the remote database is not available.
    • It provides an ideal system to store local runtime settings, retentive information, local recipes, schedules and tables and queries when preparing reports.
    • Multiple Database Connections seamless integration with any third-party database, including Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, Informix, SQL Lite, PostgreSQL and others.
    • Real-time Queries and Tables, native advanced DataGrid objects
  • Connectivity is key: we have device connectivity, interfaces, and aggregation. We provide built-in protocols for PLCs, DCSs, CNCs, sensors – you name it, we connect to it.
    • IIoT – Industrial Internet of Things. From the FactoryStudio Edge HMI, IIoT Gateway to the Cloud. We connect to Microsoft Azure, AWS or others as needed. We support trusted standards – OPC UA, MQTT, WITSML …. And give you real-time analytics, Azure IoT Analytics, Amazon AWS, advanced custom applications.
  • Stability, Security and Reliability by design in todays world is a given.
    • Redundancy and High Availability
    • Create Function Libraries or Full .NET classes or namespaces
    • Multi-platform – Windows, Linux, iOS, Android and more
  • No more application design limitations. Systems designed for Rapid Application Development (RAD) with Intuitive Project Management.
    • Built in Version control, Audit Trail, Concurrent Project Development
    • Build, Test, Run, Production, Debug, and Deploy Modes
    • Projects are stored in encrypted SQL database files
    • All modules, All capabilities, All Scripts (VB.NET, C#, JavaScript) One IDE

Call us or request a demo to see FactoryStudio in action and take us up on our offer to evaluate your legacy SCADA or new applications needs and recommend a new modern architecture.

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