1.

Components of SCADA

Field Instrumentation
Eyes and ears of the SCADA System.
Refers to the devices that are connected to the equipment or machines being
controlled and monitored by SCADA.
These instruments convert physical parameters to electrical signals readable by the
Remote Station equipment.
Pushbuttons, switches, meters, transducers, control relays, actuators.

Remote Station
Deployed in the field
Gathering data from the field instrumentation.
Control the field devices.
Primarily used to convert electronic signal received from field interface devices into
language used to transmit the data over a communication channel.
RTU, MBSC or PLC

RTU
- A ruggedized computer with very good radio interfacing.
- Used in situations where communications are more difficult.

MBSC
- A system use to monitor and control a substation with inherited features and
functions of SCADA.
- A hierarchical structure system based on a station computer which communicates
via serial communication buses to a distributed system such as protection relays,
control modules and the alarm system.

Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)

- A small industrial computer usually found in factories.
- Good programmability.

Communication Network

Communication Equipment needed to transfer data to and from different sites.

Cable, telephone line, radio, PLC, fiber optic.

Central Monitoring Station

Master Unit in SCADA System.
In charge of collecting information gathered by the remote stations of and generating
necessary actions for any event detected.
Single Computer configuration or can be networked to workstations to allow sharing
of information.

2. Typical SCADA System Configuration

Point-to-Point Configuration
The simplest set-up for telemetry system.
One Station can be set up as the master and the other as the slave.

Point-to-Multipoint Configuration
 One device is designated as the master unit to several slave units.
Each slave is assigned a unique address or identification number.

3. Modes of Communication

Polled System
- Master/Slave system
- Master unit is in total control of communications.
- Slave unit respond to the master only when it receives a request.
- If slave does not respond for a predetermined period of time, the master retries to poll it for a
number of times before continuing to poll the next slave unit.
No collision can occur.
- Failure can easily be detected.

Interrupt System
- Report by Exception (RBE)
- When slave detects a significant change, it will initiates communication to the master and
transfers data.
- System reduces unnecessary transfer of data as in polled systems.
- Quick detection of urgent status of information.

4. SCADA ARCHITECTURES

SCADA systems have evolved in parallel with the growth of modern computing technology.

Monolithic SCADA Systems

- SCADA Systems were standalone systems with virtually no connectivity to other systems.
- Communication Protocols in use were developed by vendors and were often proprietary.
- Connections to the Master were done at the bus level via proprietary adapter.

Distributed SCADA Systems

- Take advantage of the LAN technology to distribute the processing across multiple
systems.
- Provides more processing power for the system as a whole than would have been
available in a single processor.
- Improve redundancy and reliability of the system as a whole.

Networked SCADA Systems

- Related to second generation, primary difference is that of being an open system
architecture.
- Making possible to distribute SCADA functionality across a WAN.
- Use of WAN protocols such as Internet Protocol for communication between master
station and Remote Station.