Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) System
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Systems or SCADA systems primarily function as Process Control Systems (PCS). This system is used for monitoring, collecting, and analyzing real-time data from connected devices of houses or office building or a sophisticated nuclear power plant. SCADA software is designed to automate the operations of the electronic system. The system can be programmed as per requirements and working conditions.
SMEs are taking advantage of this by integrating this technology with other distribution and power management systems. This integration has helped to increase operational efficiency, reduce data maintenance efforts, processes that manage outages, coordination, and planning of work and resources.
The benefits of integrating SCADA in SME operation includes:
- Highly complex operations are improved by closely integrating machine operation with the SCADA system to manage distribution and control wastage.
- Increased efficiency of the workforce with one central hub as the managing system. This has eliminated the to and fro to multiple systems with potentially different data for similar computation.
- ADMS ensures security monitoring and operation analysis for all substations. It is an advanced analysis system that checks circuit operations to detect glitches in one area affecting operations in other parts of the machinery.
- The system accommodates streamlining of login and authority management within operators to access the system and the related components.
- The distribution system is dynamic in nature, i.e., it is programmed to change the instructions on a daily basis due to both planned work and outage restoration. It happens to ensure safe and efficient operation of the system is to be achieved.
- The system has checkpoints to monitor the current state of the network in the organisation and the related operations. It ensures that the dedicated connection is continuously maintained and made available to those working on planned and unplanned work.
- As voltage fluctuation is one of the primary factors playing to hamper the safe operations in the industry, the system converts low, high or dirty electricity into a good-quality voltage flow.
Industrial automation technology is progressing at a fast and furious pace. To keep up with the efficient flow of power and a healthy environment in the office and industrial space, it is essential to keep on track the security of the systems as well. By setting up a proper Human-Machine Interface (HMI) and employing a SCADA system, one can accomplish this lofty goal with the greatest of ease. No discussion on trends in the automation space is complete without speaking about the maintenance and safety of the connected machinery. As machines often work at such high speeds that it becomes difficult for humans to intervene and compute the actual throughput of the entire system, it is necessary that advanced system like SCADA shall be integrated to allow smooth functioning.