| A | SCADA is an acronym that stands for supervisory control and data acquisition. A SCADA system is an industrial measurement and control system that generally consists of a central host computer (referred to as a master station, or master terminal unit), one or more field data gathering and control units or remotes, and a collection of standard and/or custom software that's used to monitor and control remotely located field data elements. Where field elements are widely dispersed, SCADA systems use wireless telemetry for data acquisition. SCADA software typically provides users with the ability to implement rudimentary control logic, data aggregation and alarm detection capabilities, a set of pre-configured graphic display templates for data trending and trend comparison purposes, and configuration tools (libraries of pre-defined common elements like tanks, pumps, valves, actuators, etc.) that allow users to create and animate (based on changes in real-time data elements or expressions that utilize real-time data) their own graphical displays. As with any product category, you'll find a spectrum of functionality depending on the vendor and the industry/company size they target. The bulk of these systems run on the Microsoft Windows operating system, but there are a few open source options out there. SCADA systems have been around for a long time, so a quick search on the Web -- if you have access -- will get you to numerous vendor and informational sites. Take a quick glance at the Citect web site or as another alternative, search the GE Fanuc site for iFIX information. You'll get the idea pretty quickly! |