Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA)

Learning objectives

At the end of training program participants would be able to:

• Understand the concept of SCADA system

• List out components of a typical SCADA system.
• Describe evolution of SCADA systems
• Classify SCADA systems
• Explain SCADA protocols
• Know implementation of SCADA systems

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Contents

• Introducing the concept of SCADA system

• Components of a typical SCADA system.
• Evolution of SCADA systems
• Types of SCADA systems
• SCADA protocols
• Deployment of SCADA systems

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Introduction

• SCADA Stands for Supervisory Control and Data

Acquisition. SCADA systems are used to monitor
and control a plant or equipment in industries such
as telecommunications, water and waste control,
energy, oil and gas refining and transportation.
These systems encompass the transfer of data
between a SCADA central host computer and a
number of Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) and/or
Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), and the
central host and the operator terminals. A SCADA
system gathers information, transfers the
information back to a central site and alerts the
home station about the fault occurs and carrying
out necessary analysis and control and displaying
the information in a logical and organized fashion.

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SCADA System consists of

• One or more field data interface devices, usually RTUs, or PLCs, which interface to field sensing devices
and local control switchboxes and valve actuators
• A communications system used to transfer data between field data interface devices and control units and
the computers in the SCADA central host.
• A central host computer server or servers.
• A collection of standard software i.e HMI software used to provide the scada central host and operator
terminal application, support the communications system and monitor and control remotely located field
data interface devices.

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Field Data Interface Devices

• Devices such as level meters, water flow meters, valve position transmitters, power consumption meters,
and pressure meters all provide information by which an experienced operator can manage a water
distribution system.
• Before the information passed to and from the field data interface devices must be converted to a form
that is compatible with the language of the SCADA system.
• RTU (Remote Terminal Unit) used to convert electronic signals received from field interface devices into
the language (known as communication protocol) used to transmit the data over a communication
channel.
• Instruction and logics are traditionally held within the PLC, which is used to automate, monitoring and
control of industrial facilities.
• PLCs were used to replace relay switching logic control systems. It is desirable to influence the program
within the PLC through the use of remote signal.
• In RTU a simple local control program is required which is stored within the RTU and perform the control
within the devices.
• RTU will be used to refer to a remote field data interface device however such a device could include
automation programming that would have been classified as a PLC.

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Communication Network

• It provides the means by which data can be transferred between the central host computer servers and
the field- based RTUs. The medium used can either be cable, telephone or radio.
• The use of telephone lines (i.e. leased or dial-up) is a more economical solution rather than cables.
• Remote sites are usually not accessible by telephone lines. The use of radio offers an economical
solution. Radio modems are used to connect the remote sites to the host.
• SCADA network can be integrate with the office LANs and WANs.
• The advantage is that there is no need to invest in a separate computer network for SCADA operator
terminals and there is an easy path to integrating SCADA data with existing office applications.

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Central Host Computer

• It is a single computer or a network of computer servers that provide MMI to the SCADA system.
• Computer process the information received from and sent to the RTU sites and present it to human
operators in a form that the operator can work with.
• SCADA system are able to offer high resolution computer graphics to display a graphical user interface or
mimic screen of the site.

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Operator Workstations and software components

• Operator workstations are most often computer terminals that are networked with the SCADA central host
computer.
• The central host computer acts as a server for the SCADA application, and the operator terminals are
clients that request and send information to the central host computer based on the request and action of
the operators.
• Software products typically used within a SCADA system are as follows:
- Central host computer operating system: Software used to control the central host computer hardware.
- Central host computer application: Software that handles the transmittal and reception of data to and
from the RTUs and the central host. The software also provides the graphical user interface which
offers site mimic screens, alarm pages, trend pages, and control functions.
- Operator terminal application: Application that enables users to access information available on the
central host computer application.
- Communications protocol drivers: Software that is usually based within the central host and the RTUs,
and is required to control the translation and interpretation of the data between ends of the
communications links in the system.
- Communications network management software: Software required to control the communications
network and to allow the communications networks themselves to be monitored for performance and
failures.
- RTU automation software: Software that allows engineering staff to configure and maintain the
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application housed within the RTUs (or PLCs).
SCADA Architectures of

The following sections will provide a description of the following three generations of
SCADA systems:

• First Generation – Monolithic

• Second Generation – Distributed
• Third Generation – Networked

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Monolithic SCADA system

• When SCADA systems were first developed, the

data and information centered on “mainframe”
systems. Networks were generally non-existent,
and each centralized system stood alone. As a
result, SCADA systems were standalone systems
with virtually no connectivity to other systems.
• The Wide Area Networks (WANs) that were
implemented to communicate with remote terminal
units (RTUs) were designed
• Redundancy in these first generation systems was
accomplished by the use of two identically
equipped mainframe systems, a primary and a
backup, connected at the bus level

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Distributed SCADA Systems

• The next generation of SCADA system took advantage of

development and improvement of system and LAN to
distribute the information across multiple system.
• It served as operator interfaces, providing the human-
machine interface (HMI) for system operators. The
distribution of individual SCADA system functions across
multiple systems provided more processing power for the
system.
• The networks that connected these individual systems
were generally based on LAN protocols and were not
capable of reaching beyond the limits of the local
environment.
• The distributed architecture often kept all stations on the
LAN in an online state all of the time. i.e if an HMI station
were to fail, another HMI station could be used to operate
the system, without waiting for failover from the primary
system to the secondary.

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Networked SCADA System

• The major improvement in the third generation is that

of opening the system architecture, utilizing open
standards and protocols and making it possible to
distribute SCADA functionality across a WAN and not
just a LAN.
• The utilization of this system makes it easier for the
user to connect third party peripheral devices (such as
monitors, printers, disk drives, tape drives, etc.) to the
system and/or the network.
• The major improvement in third generation SCADA
systems comes from the use of WAN protocols such
as the Internet Protocol (IP)

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SCADA Protocol

• SCADA protocol consists of two message sets or pairs. One set forms the master protocol, containing the
valid statements for master station initiation or response, and the other set is the RTU protocol, containing
the valid statements an RTU can initiate and respond to.
• The most popular are International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 60870-5 series, specifically IEC
60870-5-101 (commonly referred to as 101) and Distributed Network Protocol version 3 (DNP3).

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IEC 60870-5-101

• It has different frame format and services that may be provided at different layers. IEC 60870-5 is based
on a three-layer Enhanced Performance Architecture (EPA) reference model for efficient implementation
within RTUs, meters, relays, and other Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs).

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Field bus Protocol

• Field bus (or field bus) is the name of a family of industrial computer network protocols used for real-time
distributed control, now standardized as IEC 61158.
• The hierarchy in this level can be represented as:-
• HMI at the top where an operator can monitor or operate the system. This is typically linked to a middle
layer of programmable logic controller(PLC) via a non-time-critical communications system (e.g.
Ethernet). At the bottom of the control chain is the field bus which links the PLCs to the components
which actually do the work such as sensors, actuators, electric motors, console lights, switches, valves
and contactors.

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Field bus Protocol

IEC 61158 standard with eight different protocol sets called "Types" as follows :

• Type 1 Foundation Field bus

• Type 2 Control Net
• Type 3 PROFIBUS
• Type 4 P-Net
• Type 5 FOUNDATION Field bus HSE (High Speed Ethernet)
• Type 6 Swift Net (a protocol developed for Boeing, since withdrawn)
• Type 7 World FIP
• Type 8 Inter bus

Both Foundation Field bus and PROFIBUS technologies are now commonly implemented within the
process control field

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DNP3 (Distributed Network Protocol Version-3)

DNP3 is a protocol for transmission of data from point A to point B using serial
communications.
DNP3 was developed with the following goals:

• High data integrity

• Flexible structure.
• Multiple applications.
• Minimized overhead.
• Open standard.

DNP3 provides the rules for substation computers and master station computers to communicate data and
control commands.

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Field bus Protocol

The substation computer gathers data for transmission to the master such as :

• Binary input data that is useful to monitor two-state devices. For example, a circuit breaker is closed or
tripped, or a pipeline pressure alarm shows normal or excessive.
• Analog input data that conveys voltages, currents, power, reservoir water levels and temperatures
• Count input data that reports kilowatt hours of energy
• Files that contain configuration data
• The master station issues control commands that take the form of:
• Close or trip a circuit breaker, raise or lower a gate, and open or close a valve
• Analog output values to set a regulated pressure or set a desired voltage level

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Deploying SCADA System

There are many different ways in which SCADA systems can be implemented. The way in which SCADA
systems are connected can range from fiber optic cable to the use of satellite systems. The following
sections will present some of the common ways in which SCADA systems are deployed. Binary input data
that is useful to monitor two-state devices. For example, a circuit breaker is closed or tripped, or a pipeline
pressure alarm shows normal or excessive.
• Twisted-Pair Metallic Cable
• Coaxial Metallic Cable
• Fiber Optic Cable
• Power Line Carrier
• Satellites
• Leased Telephone Lines
• Very High Frequency Radio
• Ultra High Frequency Radio

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Observation and Conclusion

• Today’s SCADA systems are able to take advantage of the evolution from mainframe based to
client/server architectures. These systems use common communications protocols like Ethernet and
TCP/IP to transmit data from the field to the central master control unit.
• SCADA protocols have also evolved from closed proprietary systems to an open system, allowing
designers to choose equipment that can help them monitor their unique system using equipment from
variety of vendors.
• Because SCADA systems use leased telephone lines, twisted pair cable, microwave radio, and spread
spectrum techniques, they have many of the same security vulnerabilities
• While SCADA protocols are more open today, there is no clear consensus of which protocol is best. IEC
60870-5 series and DNP3 have many similarities but are not 100% compatible.

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Any Questions Please

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Thank
You
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