SCADA systems are crucial for industrial organizations since they help to maintain efficiency, process data for smarter decisions, and communicate system issues to help mitigate downtime.

The basic SCADA architecture begins with programmable logic controllers (PLCs) or remote terminal units (RTUs). PLCs and RTUs are microcomputers that communicate with an array of objects such as factory machines, HMIs, sensors, and end devices, and then route the information from those objects to computers with SCADA software. The SCADA software processes, distributes, and displays the data, helping operators and other employees analyze the data and make important decisions.

How it Works Use Cases In today’s rapidly changing industrial landscape, manufacturers and utilities must embrace modern HMI/SCADA and digital transformation to keep up with the pace of change, meet growing operations challenges, and remain competitive. HMI/SCADA software runs industrial plants around the world, helping operators to make critical decisions to run machinery.

Technological innovations are reshaping the industrial landscape. These innovations include cheap sensors, a high-speed telecom infrastructure that can move huge amounts of data, unprecedented computation power, mobile and touch interfaces, and a standards-based open ecosystem for interoperability. This ecosystem includes web-based technologies, APIs for connectivity, machine learning, and Industrial AI.