ICS stands for Industrial Control Systems. It controls and automates industrial processes such as manufacturing, energy production, and water treatment. It is a term used to describe different types of control systems. Industrial Control Systems (ICS) is used in nearly every industrial sector and critical infrastructure such as the manufacturing, transportation, energy, and water treatment industries.
ICS components
- Field Devices-Meters, Sensors, Valves, Switches
- Field Controllers-PLC, PAC, RTU, IED
- HMI- Human Machine Interface- WorkStation, SCADA Server, Emergency Management System
Field Devices
Field Devices are components of ICS which works on ground to with the help of sensors and actuator. Field devices the devices which sense the parameter and send the output or parameter to Field controller for further processing.
Field Controllers
The primary job of Field controllers is to interact with Field devices to get data. It collects and process input and output (I/O) data. Controller further coordinate with HMI and send processed data to HMI and command from HMI to field devices.
Field controllers are embedded microprocessor and convert the electric signal from field Devices in digital single and vice-a-versa.
Below are some field controllers:
- PLC,
- PAC,
- RTU,
- IED
RTU- Remote controller Unit
A remote terminal unit (RTU) is a microprocessor-controlled electronic device that connect remote physical devices reports to a distributed control system (DCS) or SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system. One of the key characteristics of an RTU is that it relays information from a remote location over long distances to a centrally located host using/supporting a variety of communications mediums and ICS protocols.
RTU can execute programs independently without involve the HMI or operator. This enables RTU to respond quickly in case of emergencies without operator input or Command.
Intelligent Electronic Device (IED)
An Intelligent Electronic Device (IED) is used to describe microprocessor-based controllers of power system equipment in electric power industries. Basically, it is used to monitor and control electric devices such as circuit breakers, capacitors, and transformers.
Programmable logic Controller (PLC)
Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) : It’s a special computer used for industrial automation industries to give instructions to manufacturing machines and devices.
Key features of PLC:
- a) Logical Controller: Through PLC, operator executes series of commands or instructions which manufacturing devices will follow to execute for production.
- b) Input/Output (I/O) Modules: PLCs connects with the physical field services through input and output modules (I/O). Input modules receive signals from various field devices such as sensors, and send to PLC to process.
- c) Programming Languages: As its name says, PLCs can be programmed using various programming languages to execute the commands.
- d) Real-Time Execution: PLCs are designed to operate in real-time and it can continuously monitor and respond to machinery they are controlling.
- e) Interface for other devices: PLCs exchange data with other devices, such as human-machine interfaces (HMIs), supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, and other PLCs.
Human-Machine Interface (HMI)
HMI typically located at a centralized or distributed control centre, where operators can get a complete set of unified control system data presented in a graphical user interface are used as an operator control panel to PLCs, RTUs, and in some cases directly to IEDs.
It’s allowing the operator to have a real-time or near real-time operational view of the process. Also capable of providing historical trends, alarms and event notifications, or support other applications that an operator may use to do their job.
ICS Type
The structures of ICS architectures are diverse, and depend upon system requirements, process function, and business needs
Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition (SCADA)
SCADA is used in a wide range of industries. Some of the common places that use SCADA for various processes include:
Common uses for SCADA
- Electrical Delivery
- Oil and Gas Delivery
- Drinking Water Delivery
- Wastewater Removal
- Transportation Systems
Data Acquisition: Gather real-time data from sensors, meters, and other field devices. This data can include parameters such as temperature, pressure, flow rate, voltage, and more. The data is collected through communication protocols such as Modbus, DNP3, or OPC, which allow the SCADA system to communicate with remote devices.
Remote Monitoring: SCADA provide a centralized console or dashboard to monitor remote devices on graphical user interfaces (GUIs) in the form of charts, tables, and visual representations to provide real-time information to operators.
Control and Supervision: SCADA allows operators to control the industrial process remotely. SCADA operator can start, Stop, set parameters and can do much more remotely from SCADA process.
Alarming and Event Notification: As SCADA systems monitor and getting real-time information including events and Alerts or any abnormal conditions or notifications, so operator can troubleshoot the issue immediately.
Alarms can be triggered based on predefined thresholds and other parameters.
Data Storage and Historian: SCADA systems also helps to provide Historical data which can be used for performance evaluation, trend analysis, fault diagnosis, and regulatory compliance purposes.
SCADA Architecture
Distributed Control System (DCS)
DCS were initially developed to support large process industries such as refineries and chemical plants. As these controllers are distributed in entire manufacturing plant; that’s why it called Distributed Control System.
DCS is decentralized solution where each machine or group of machines controlled by a dedicated controller. These distributed individual automatic controllers are connected to the field devices.
Architecture: DCS requires a hierarchical architecture that consists of multiple controllers, often referred to as “nodes,” which is distributed throughout the plant or facility. These nodes are interconnected via a communication network that allows them to exchange data and control signals.
Control Functions: Each controller or node is dedicated for a process and responsible for controlling that specific process or equipment within its designated area. This allows for local control and decision-making.
Communication and Integration: DCSs also use industrial communication protocols, such as Ethernet, Profibus, or Modbus, to enable data exchange and coordination between different nodes and devices.
Redundancy and Fault Tolerance: It provide redundancy in terms of Power, controller, availability.
Operating Process: DCSs provide operators with a centralized interface, typically through HMIs or operator stations, for monitoring and controlling the entire system.
Data Acquisition and Processing: DCSs also collect data from field devices, sensors, and other sources in real-time and then processed locally at each node to perform control functions, make local decisions, and provide operators with real-time information about the process.
Uses of DCS
- Papermaking
- Fixed Chemical
- Water Treatment
- Rail Transit
- Power Stations
- Petrochemical
- Biopharmaceutical
ICS Topologies
ICS network topologies are similar to IT topologies. However, there are some fundamental differences critical to ICS applications. ICS networks require redundancy to ensure availability, which is not a common practice in IT. In addition, many older ICS networks use proprietary technologies, which are not used in the IT domain
Some similarities that an IT network engineer might notice are the serial technologies. RS232, RS485, and Ethernet reside at the physical layer in the OSI stack and are common to both domains. RS232, which is an older technology in the IT domain, is still commonly used for point-to-point communications in RTUs and PLCs. RS485 is the foundation for many proprietary control networks used at site facilities
ICS can be design with BUS, Ring and Star topologies.
What is Polling Method in ICS
An ICS Master sending communication to field devices frequently via a process called “Polling”. Master send a request for update from field controllers such RTU or PLCs. They respond back with requested data. ICS master will send this data to SCADA system for verification and if all OK then it will schedule the same for next polling and if not then again share the data.
Conclusion
ICS stands for Industrial Control Systems which is used in manufacturing, Oil, Gas, Mining and other Industrial industries. ICS Components includes Field devices, Field Controllers, PLC, PAC, RTU & HMI, SCADA (Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition).
ICS also working on Protocols includes, Modbus, Fieldbus, Profibus, DNP-3.
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