Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition

M2M Data Corporation, an Internet-based Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) leader, today announced a significant security upgrade to its industry-leading iSCADA™ service product. Data and access security procedures & processes have been upgraded to meet electric utility industry standards. iSCADA is a full-featured application for remote monitoring and control of energy assets. iSCADA includes real-time data collection, alarming, trending, and control.

The security upgrade includes 20-plus additions and improvements and has been audited & approved by a major electric utility.

Trevor Harper, Director of Technology Development, said of the upgrade, “This upgrade enhances our robust data security and offers iSCADA administrators more security options to meet their individual security requirements.”

Source and more info: PRWeb

WebSCADA Corporation, a world leader in industrial automation and information solutions with applications in the automation, SCADA, and process control, today announced the availability of new WebSCADA security product, WS SecuCrypto, for industrial automation customers. WS SecuCrypto offers a versatile, flexible, and cost-effective security solution to distributed SCADA systems.

Developed for online SCADA applications, WS SecuCrypto represents an array of software encryptors and decryptors for digital communications over the Internet. Innovative features, such as configurable encryption algorithms, web-based interfaces, multiple implementation options, service-oriented architecture design, and WebSCADA’s proprietary encryption algorithms, make it a unique and revolutionary security software solution available from SCADA marketplace. WS SecuCrypto is a perfect choice for SCADA systems to communicate securely via the open Internet. All information that passes through WS SecuCrypto is automatically encrypted prior to transmission. Using WS SecuCrypto, secure communication can be established between any two points over the Internet. It allows SCADA system operators and business decision makers to quickly,easily, and securely communicate withAdvertisement their partners, devices, and PLCs, and it also allows companies to leverage their investment by helping them to seamlessly integrate additional security services into their existing security architecture.

Source and more info: Thomas Net

Luxoft Labs, a wireless sensing technology provider, announced that it joined the OPC Foundation, an organization dedicated to ensuring interoperability in automation. Already a ZigBee Alliance member, Luxoft Labs’ new affiliation with OPC Foundation demonstrates its long-term strategy, based on open standards. Luxoft Labs recently implemented both ZigBee and OPC technologies in its MeshNetics(TM) SensiLink integration platform.

MeshNetics(TM) SensiLink is essentially a middleware that integrates wireless sensor networks with various existing or user-defined applications, such as SCADA, HMI, GIS, etc. The sensor data and commands are channeled via one of the gateways (GPRS, RS232 or USB). This data can be then processed and stored. External applications are connected via one of the three interfaces: OPC Server, Web Services and JAVA API. An operator can easily configure network and data acquisition parameters and manage events via a user-friendly GUI. MeshNetics(TM) SensiLink also features distributed intelligence, thanks to the Smart Engine module that performs computations on sensor nodes.

Source and more info: Business Wire

Wonderware, a business unit of Invensys Process Systems, recently briefed ARC regarding their latest production and performance management software solutions. Historically, a key challenge of traditional MES and supervisory solutions has been to bring production management and operations management together with process management into a single model or system. This requires software that is flexible, scalable, and modular; capable of leveraging existing plant and business systems; able to be implemented incrementally at the manufacturer’s desired pace by taking a total life-cycle approach across multiple plant rollouts; and conforms to open standards such as ISA95 and B2MML for P2B integration. Wonderware approaches these requirements by offering a suite of Production Management (MES) solutions that execute production orders, record production events, visualize production status and history, and integrate with ERP, IT and plant resources. Wonderware also offers a suite of Performance Management (MI/BI) solutions that record production performance and deviations from targets, generate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) based on manufacturing data, provide tools for notification, visualization and analysis, and provide performance data in production context.

The common denominator for Wonderware’s production and performance management software solutions is their underlying ArchestrA infrastructure, which is based on Microsoft .NET XML/Web Services and Windows Server technologies. ArchestrA provides a common platform for plant solutions ranging from supervisory HMI and SCADA through production and performance management. Wonderware feels that use of the ArchestrA infrastructure helps plants to drive standards throughout their organizations, reuse engineering work across projects, integrate disparate systems, remotely manage application changes, provide modularity of a common plant /manufacturing model, and normalize their manufacturing environment. Other aspects of the ArchestrA infrastructure include a single development environment and platform, single namespace, and a relational/time-series historian, which combines real-time and historical capabilities.

Source and more info: ARC

Verano, Inc., a leading provider of security and SCADA solutions for mission-critical industries, announced it has acquired PlantData Technologies, a leading SCADA security, IT services and industrial automation firm headquartered in Houston, Texas. Remaining an independent subsidiary of Verano, PlantData Technologies compliments all aspects of Verano’s business from its market-leading security solution, Industrial Defender, to its mission-critical SCADA platform and integration services, offering customers a one-stop-shop for all their real-time control and security needs.

Both companies are practicing experts in SCADA and mission-critical real-time security, targeting customers in power generation, transmission and distribution, water distribution and treatment, gas and liquid pipelines, and mass transit systems. Through the extensive experience and integration of world-class products and services, clients can now gain a comprehensive SCADA and real-time security solution through a single source.

Source: ARC Advisory Group

Citect announced that it has entered into an amended Merger Implementation Agreement with Schneider Electric Australia Holdings Pty Ltd (SEAH) (a subsidiary of Schneider Electric) for an increased offer to acquire all the shares in Citect by way of a revised scheme of arrangement. Under the revised share scheme, Citect shareholders will receive a cash payment of $1.85 per share plus a fully franked dividend of $0.05 per share. This equates to approximately $100 million for all the issued ordinary shares in Citect.

The scheme continues to be subject to a number of customary conditions including shareholder approval, although SEAH has now received all necessary regulatory approvals to the scheme proceeding. SEAH has also proposed a revised offer for Citect options under which Citect will cancel all of the options on issue by way of a separate scheme of arrangement in return for amounts of between 4.5 and 10.1 cents an option, taking into account the terms of the relevant options.

Source and more info: ARC Advisory Group

eLutions Inc. and ITA Holdings, Inc. (formerly Axeda Systems Inc.) today announced that they had entered into a letter of intent for the acquisition of ITA Holdings’ Wizcon Systems business (consisting of operations in France, the Netherlands, the UK and Israel) by eLutions Inc., a private company headquartered in Tampa, Florida.

Completion of the acquisition is subject to due diligence investigations satisfactory to eLutions, the negotiation and execution of a definitive acquisition agreement, ITA Holdings obtaining all required consents and other customary closing conditions. ITA Holdings will be seeking the approval of its stockholders to consummate the proposed transaction. It is anticipated that the transaction will close in the first quarter of 2006.

Saelig Co. announces an addition to its data acquisition products with two 24-bit USB data loggers. With up to 24-bit resolution, and 0.1% accuracy, ADC-20 and ADC-24 offer the ultimate in resolution and accuracy — all in a portable unit that simply plugs into the USB port of a standard Windows based PC. ADC-20 features four differential channels, which can be used as eight single channels, while the ADC-24 has eight differential channels, which can also be used as 16 singles. Using the USB port removes the need for an external power supply to the unit.

Both the ADC-20 and ADC-24 feature multiple voltage ranges and true differential inputs that can also be configured as single-ended inputs — providing you with a versatile and flexible solution to your high-resolution data acquisition needs. And the high-resolution ADC-20 and ADC-24 are powered directly by your PC — eliminating the need for batteries or a separate power supply, and making them ideal when you need a portable data logger.

Up to one million readings can be taken into the PC when the loggers are used with the supplied PicoLog software. Up to four units can be used simultaneously with PicoLog, or with a customer’s own software and DLL drivers provided. Both units have seven programmable voltage ranges, and analog inputs are protected to ±30V. Differential inputs are galvanically isolated to reduce ground noise and conversion time is between 60ms and 660 msec per channel.

Source and more info: Saelig Company Inc

Verano, a private company that specializes in computer systems that control industrial operations, on Tuesday bought PlantData Technologies, a consulting firm focused on securing those networks, in a move that underlines the increasing concern over protecting digital systems.

The amount of the deal was not disclosed. PlantData, a 10-employee firm, consults large industrial companies to ensure they are compliant with standards such as the ones put out by the North American Electric Reliability Council.

It has worked with customers such as ExxonMobil Chemical, National Oilwell Varco, and others to help them plug compliance and security holes in their industrial computer systems.

Industrial systems ranging from the electrical power grid to water treatment plants run on computer networks called Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems.

Source and more info: RedHerring

Sealevel Systems has introduced the Relio R1000 embedded I/O server. Designed to operate without fans or other moving parts, the R1000 combines the reliability and design consistency of a PLC with the versatility of an industrial computer. For flexible local and remote I/O expansion, the system connects to Sealevel SeaI/O data acquisition modules available in a variety of digital and analog versions.

Powered by a high-performance, low-power 600MHz Celeron M processor, the R1000 is packed with standard I/O including 10/100BaseT Ethernet, two serial ports, one high-speed USB 2.0 port, and two USB 1.1 ports. The product is designed and maintained with strict attention to long-term availability, avoiding the obsolescence problems inherent with motherboard-based industrial computers.

Interface to a wide variety of real world devices is available using Sealevel’s popular SeaI/O family. Choose from Reed and Form C relays, optically isolated inputs, TTL, A/D, and D/A options. R1000 systems communicate with SeaI/O devices using Modbus RTU allowing one or more SeaI/O modules to be physically attached to the R1000 or located remotely up to 4000 feet away.

Source and more info: LinuxElectrons