Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition

An exciting development from Idec is the introduction of a Web Server module to complement the expanding MicroSmart PLC family. Connecting the Web Server to a PLC by a simple serial connection makes the PLC available on an EtherNet network. This allows remote programming and monitoring from a PC located anywhere on the network using the standard WindLDR programming software.

If a web browser such as InterNet Explorer is used pages located in the web server can be accessed.

These web pages, depending on the application, will allow user access for control and monitoring purposes.

Similarly, SCADA software with EtherNet access will be able to show graphical displays displaying monitoring and maintenance status of any PLC on the network.

But the traffic is not all one way! Any PLC with access to EtherNet via its web server module, can send an Email to a mobile phone or PC registered within the server.

Say for example upon detection of an abnormal condition an error message can be sent to be displayed on an engineer’s mobile phone.

Last, but not least, data can be exchanged with touch screen operator interfaces or, by using the user communication functions in the MicroSmart PLC, with any other PLC on the network.

The web server module is a versatile unit and is the latest addition to the Idec MicroSmart PLC family, a family that will be extended in the near future by the addition of the exciting Pentra PLC range.

Source and more info: processingtalk

Invensys Eurotherm has successfully upgraded an obsolete DEC VAX based Human Machine Interface (HMI) platform at a nuclear power station belonging to the British Nuclear Group. The Remote Emergency Indication Centre (REIC) project had two main objectives: the replacement of an obsolete DEC VAX computer system with the EurothermSuite HMI, and the retention of the plant’s many Solartron Isolated Measurement Pods (IMPs). Solartron IMP modules are in use in many conventional and nuclear power stations throughout the UK.

They are popular because they eliminate one of the most significant SCADA implementation costs (signal cabling from the sensor to the measurement system) and they are environmentally hardened.

This project marks the first time that an IMP-based installation has had its life extended using Eurotherm HMI technology.

In terms of the overall REIC upgrade, the Eurotherm HMI communicates to the existing 3591C Solartron IMP modules via the existing S-Net system.

No modifications were made either to the Solartron IMP modules or Input channels, or the existing S-NET network.

The project consists of installations within three distributed plant areas, the REIC, the Emergency Control Room (ECR) and the Main Control Room (MCR).

Within the REIC building, the new system includes two EurothermSuite Operation Servers running Wonderware InTouch software, plus two printers.

The EurothermSuite system communicates to the original Solartron IMP modules using a Eurotherm software driver compatible with S-NET protocol.

One EurothermSuite Client Workstation, plus printer and communication module, is located in the remote ECR.

The TFT screen is mounted in the existing desk.

Meanwhile, two additional EurothermSuite Clients, together with one printer and communication module, are mounted in the remote MCR.

These remote system Workstations communicate over existing spare twisted pair cores via Ethernet.

This was achieved using Remote Mini Bridge module pairs, which avoided the high cost of running new communication cables.

The system includes Watchdog Timer software to provide an alarm in the event that communications to any PC Client is lost.

The Watchdog timer initiates alarms contact to the Station Alarm Analyser to reflect this status.

Source and more info: processingtalk

ESA elettronica, a leading European and international supplier of industrial computers and HMI devices, will now offer InduSoft’s Windows-based HMI/SCADA software bundled with its Windows CE-based line of Operator Terminals. CEView enables users to create HMI and SCADA applications tailored to their specific industry and applications. ESA’s line of Windows CE Terminals includes the VT575CE (7.5′ STN display, 640×480 resolution), VT585 (10.4′ TFT display, 640×480 resolution), and VT595 (12.1′ TFT display, 800×600 resolution), all based on the VIA Eden 400MHz CPU.

The Terminals come standard with 128MB RAM, 64MB Flash, 10/100 Base-T Ethernet, 3 serial ports (2 are on the CIB board, an optional communications card), 1 parallel port, and a USB 1.1 port, along with Compact Flash and PCI expansion slots.

‘InduSoft’s CEView HMI/SCADA software has been certified to run on our line of Windows CE-based Terminals’, said Marco Ceriani, Product Manager at ESA.

‘By bundling CEView with our VT500 series Windows CE Terminals, we can offer our customers a product solution to meet their application needs’.

Marcia Gadbois, VP of Business Development at InduSoft, noted that ESA will also provide full support of the HMI/SCADA software.

‘Not only will ESA be bundling and reselling our software with their hardware, they will provide full software support to their customers,’ she said.

‘This is very important to customers all over the world, who often demand local support when buying software products.’ CEView is the world’s first complete SCADA and HMI package available for the Windows CE platform.

CEView is based on InduSoft Web Studio (IWS), a full scale Windows-based supervisory control and monitoring system currently used in over 20,000 installations worldwide.

Source and more info: manufacturingtalk

The German electric drives market is seeing growth in a variety of new, intelligent, multi-functional products, as end-users seem to be showing a preference for these units for space, cost saving and ease of installation reasons. Technology advancements reflect trends such as decentralisation of drives, higher safety and security and integration of Ethernet in the communication process. Frost and Sullivan finds that the German Electric Drives Market earned revenue of $778.1 million in 2004 and estimates to reach $884.1 million in 2011.

‘As parts of the market become more demanding, in terms of technological integration, the drives market must adapt its offering to fit with the increasingly complex and automated manufacturing environment,’ states Frost and Sullivan Programme Manager Richard Tamworth.

The growing popularity of factory automation systems, such as SCADA and DCS, means that drives need to communicate as part of a wider manufacturing network.

Some drives manufacturers are already positioning themselves to take advantage of this trend while others are being squeezed out by increasing price competition from Far eastern manufacturers at the less-intelligent end of the market.

The German market remains a key target for new manufacturers, despite its relative maturity.

As a result, new competitors from regions, such as China and South Korea, are entering the market in order to establish positions.

Source and more info: manufacturingtalk

ENDRESS+Hauser has released ControlCare, an intelligent and extremely low-cost platform that facilitates full and seamless interconnectivity with Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus and HART components.

This allows users of legacy systems to reap the benefits of Fieldbus technology without having to replace their control systems.

Since it uses open standards for communication, data access, configuration and diagnosis, there is no longer any need for device, process and plant information to be restricted to any proprietary protocol.

ControlCare achieves this by adopting OPC (OLE for Process Control), an open standard defining a common standard for the exchange of information between cooperating software applications. ControlCare’s OPC client-server architecture enables easy integration with HMI and SCADA applications.

ControlCare allows for Fieldbus and conventional devices to be integrated quite simply using Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus DP, Profibus PA, ModBus Serial and ModBus TCP. There is also support for 4-20mA HART connections and conventional digital in, digital out, analog in and analog outputs.

ControlCare project engineering is performed with the ControlCare Application Designer Suite software which uses function block diagram as the core control strategy design tool.

Additionally, custom functionality is enabled by native support of the “Hybrid” function block concept allowing free form programming in any of the five IEC-61131-3 programming languages, Structured Text, Ladder Logic, Instruction list, Sequential Function Chart and Function Block Diagram.

Source and more info: ferret

GE Fanuc has announced that it is working with CH2M Hill, a multinational engineering firm and designer of the Singapore Deep Tunnel Sewerage System, on one of the largest integrated SCADA systems in the world. One of the project’s first centralised water reclamation facilities, the Changi plant, is configured with approximately 500,000 tags across an architecture of 50 nodes running the recently-announced Proficy iFIX 4.0. CH2M Hill was retained in 1998 to complete a feasibility study and preliminary design for the plant.

The company provided all detailed designs and tendering services including all structural, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and control facilities.

This design took full advantage of advances in technology over the duration of design development.

‘CH2M Hill has had considerable success with iFIX on previous projects and it was the obvious choice for a project of this magnitude,’ said Jim Black, the CH2M Hill Information and Controls Systems Technology Discipline Director.

‘The iFIX SCADA application empowers the driver towards operational excellence across the entire range of functional areas of the plant including the deep tunnel system pumping stations, treatment process, solids removal, etc’.

The completed solution features 50 iFIX SCADA nodes and 10 thin clients processing the 500,000 tags.

Proficy Historian is utilised to manage the overwhelming amount of historical data that is used for compliance reporting as well as for on-going plant improvement projects.

The Proficy real-time information portal and terminal services allow for the optimised access by a wide user base via standard web browsers.

These CH2M Hill developed applications include integration of the plant information systems, electronic operation and maintenance (O and M) manuals and computerised maintenance management system (CMMS).

The Proficy real-time information portal provides complete integration of the plant floor and business systems used to optimise facility operation.

iFIX HMI/SCADA is part of the Proficy family of automation software products, a single intelligent production solution that will work with existing multi-vendor hardware and software solutions to gather and analyse data.

Solutions can connect to equipment across the entire physical enterprise to deliver both on-line monitoring for rapid operational response as well as collect historical data as the foundation for continuous improvement.

The significant scope of this project fostered a co-operative environment between GE Fanuc and CH2M Hill.

Source and more info: processingtalk

Citect, one of the world’s largest, real-time intelligence and industrial automation software companies, today announced the recruitment initiative to grow its SCADA and facilities business. ‘The growth in our SCADA and facilities markets means that we need more systems integrators to support our business operations throughout Europe, especially the UK, Germany and France’ said Martin Filz, Managing Director for Citect in Europe. ‘We offer an excellent CIP package to companies who are looking to increase their business opportunities.’ ‘Integrators participating in the Citect program can benefit from working with a global company that continually develops their products and offers strong marketing support.

In addition, partners have access to Citect’s world-class support and educational services enabling them to reduce risk and engineering effort during the development of new HMI/SCADA projects.

Source and more info: manufacturingtalk

ESA elettronica Spa, a leading supplier of industrial computers and HMI devices, will now offer InduSoft Windows-based HMI/SCADA software bundled with their Windows CE-based line of operator terminals. CE View enables users to create HMI and SCADA applications tailored to their specific industry and applications. The ESA line of Windows CE Terminals includes the VT575CE (7.5” STN display, 640×480 resolution), VT585 (10.4” TFT display, 640×480 resolution), and VT595 (12.1” TFT display, 800×600 resolution), all based on the VIA Eden 400MHz CPU.

The terminals come standard with 128MB RAM, 64MB Flash, 10/100 Base-T Ethernet, 3 serial ports (2 are on the CIB board, an optional communications card), 1 parallel port, and a USB 1.1 port, along with Compact Flash and PCI expansion slots.

‘InduSoft CEView HMI/SCADA software has been certified to run on our line of Windows CE-based Terminals’, said Marco Ceriani, Product Manager at ESA.

‘By bundling CEView with our VT500 series Windows CE Terminals, we can offer our customers a product solution to meet their application needs’.

Marcia Gadbois, VP of Business Development at InduSoft, noted that ESA will also provide full support of the HMI/SCADA software.

‘Not only will ESA be bundling and reselling our software with their hardware, they will provide full software support to their customers,’ she said: ‘This is very important to customers all over the world, who often demand local support when buying software products’.

CEView is the world’s first complete SCADA and HMI package available for the Windows CE platform.

CEView is based on InduSoft Web Studio (IWS), a full scale Windows-based supervisory control and monitoring system currently used in over 20,000 installations worldwide.

Source and more info: processingtalk

Continuing to upgrade its range of industry-leading solutions for applications in high frequency sonar, test and measurement and radar, ICS Sensor Processing – part of Radstone Embedded Computing – today announced the ICS-645B 32-channel high-speed data acquisition card.

Providing a new level of price/performance for the company’s ICS-645 family, the ICS-645B takes full advantage of the higher throughput capabilities of PCI 2.2 with its 64-bit, 66 MHz interface, delivering four times the PCI bandwidth capacity, while the FPDP II interface delivers two and a half times (400 MBytes/second) the throughput of previous family members.

“The ICS-645 product line has led the market for high-speed acoustic ADC boards since it was introduced,” said Scott Hames, Director of Product Management at ICS. “The announcement of the ICS-645B brings leading-edge performance to acoustic A/D applications while remaining highly affordable. We believe our customers will agree that the ICS-645B represents outstanding value for money.”

With 32 single-ended input channels, simultaneously sampled (even in multi-card systems) by high-speed oversampling ADCs (Analog Devices AD9260) at sample rates up to 20 MSPS (million samples per second) and a programmable clock source, the ICS-645B has been optimized to provide effective, streamlined functionality in a single full length PCI card. The ICS-645B addresses the challenge of moving data back to the host processor or recorder by providing two high bandwidth data paths: the 64/66 PCI interface provides sustained aggregate data rates in excess of 300 MBytes/second, while the FPDP II port provides a dedicated connection to collect data from multiple cards. 16 MBytes of onboard storage is provided, allowing the ICS-645B to tolerate unpredictable interrupt latencies encountered in non real-time operating systems.

Source and more info: mil-embedded

Advanced Control Systems (ACS) recently completed successful factory acceptance tests of new SCADA systems for Rutherford Electric Membership Corporation of Forest City, North Carolina, and Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corp. of Lenoir, NC. These successful tests are significant milestones in a plan to have four NC co-op systems fully operational by mid-2006.

In the spring of 2004, Rutherford and Blue Ridge, along with two other North Carolina cooperatives, began the search for new SCADA systems to meet their evolving needs in today’s energy environment. The four utilities established a team to produce a specification and obtain proposals for replacement systems. After an extensive and intense review of the proposed systems, all four chose the ACS PRISM(tm) SCADA system as their preferred solution.

Source and more info: primezone