the system.

As the number of control loops

Industrial control system (ICS) is a general
grows, DCS becomes more cost effective than
term that encompasses several types of control
discrete controllers. Additionally, a DCS
systems and associated instrumentation used
provides supervisory viewing and management
for industrial process control. Control systems
over large industrial processes. In a DCS, a
can range in size from a few modular panel-
hierarchy of controllers is connected
mounted controllers to large interconnected and
by communication networks, allowing
interactive distributed control systems (DCSs)
centralised control rooms and local on-plant
with many thousands of field connections.
monitoring and control.
Control systems receive data from remote
sensors measuring process variables (PVs), A DCS enables easy configuration of plant
compare the collected data with desired set controls such as cascaded loops and interlocks,
points (SPs), and derive command functions that and easy interfacing with other computer
are used to control a process through the final systems such as production control. It also
control elements (FCEs), such as control valves. enables more sophisticated alarm handling,
introduces automatic event logging, removes the
Larger systems are usually implemented
need for physical records such as chart
by supervisory control and data
recorders and allows the control equipment to
acquisition (SCADA) systems, or DCSs,
be networked and thereby located locally to the
and programmable logic controllers (PLCs),
equipment being controlled to reduce cabling.
though SCADA and PLC systems are scalable
down to small systems with few control loops. A DCS typically uses custom-designed
processors as controllers and uses either
Such systems are extensively used in industries
proprietary interconnections or standard
such as chemical processing, pulp and paper
protocols for communication. Input and output
manufacture, power generation, oil and gas
modules form the peripheral components of the
processing, and telecommunications.
system.
Discrete controllers
The processors receive information from input
modules, process the information and decide
The simplest control systems are based around
control actions to be performed by the output
small discrete controllers with a single control
modules. The input modules receive information
loop each. These are usually panel mounted
from sensing instruments in the process (or
which allows direct viewing of the front panel
field) and the output modules transmit
and provides means of manual intervention by
instructions to the final control elements, such
the operator, either to manually control the
as control valves.
process or to change control setpoints.
Originally these would be pneumatic controllers, The field inputs and outputs can either be
a few of which are still in use, but nearly all are continuously changing analog
now electronic. signals e.g. current loop or 2 state signals that
switch either on or off, such as relay contacts or
Quite complex systems can be created with
a semiconductor switch.
networks of these controllers communicating
using industry-standard protocols. Networking SCADA systems
allow the use of local or remote SCADA operator
interfaces, and enables the cascading and Supervisory control and data acquisition
interlocking of controllers. However, as the (SCADA) is a control system architecture that
number of control loops increase for a system uses computers, networked data
design there is a point where the use of communications and graphical user
a programmable logic controller (PLC) interfaces for high-level process supervisory
or distributed control system (DCS) is more management. The operator interfaces which
manageable or cost-effective. enable monitoring and the issuing of process
commands, such as controller setpoint changes,
Distributed control systems
are handled through the SCADA supervisory
computer system. However, the real-time control
A distributed control system (DCS) is a digital logic or controller calculations are performed by
process control system (PCS) for a process or networked modules which connect to other
plant, wherein controller functions and field peripheral devices such as programmable logic
connection modules are distributed throughout
controllers and discrete PID controllers which was from panels local to the process plant.
interface to the process plant or machinery. However this required personnel to attend to
these dispersed panels, and there was no
The SCADA concept was developed as a
overall view of the process. The next logical
universal means of remote access to a variety of
development was the transmission of all plant
local control modules, which could be from
measurements to a permanently-manned central
different manufacturers allowing access
control room. Often the controllers were behind
through standard automation protocols. In
the control room panels, and all automatic and
practice, large SCADA systems have grown to
manual control outputs were individually
become very similar to distributed control
transmitted back to plant in the form of
systems in function, but using multiple means of
pneumatic or electrical signals. Effectively this
interfacing with the plant. They can control large-
was the centralisation of all the localised panels,
scale processes that can include multiple sites,
with the advantages of reduced manpower
and work over large distances. This is a
requirements and consolidated overview of the
commonly-used architecture industrial control
process.
systems, however there are concerns about
SCADA systems being vulnerable However, whilst providing a central control
to cyberwarfare or cyberterrorism attacks. focus, this arrangement was inflexible as each
control loop had its own controller hardware so
The SCADA software operates on a supervisory
system changes required reconfiguration of
level as control actions are performed
signals by re-piping or re-wiring. It also required
automatically by RTUs or PLCs. SCADA control
continual operator movement within a large
functions are usually restricted to basic
control room in order to monitor the whole
overriding or supervisory level intervention. A
process. With the coming of electronic
feedback control loop is directly controlled by the
processors, high-speed electronic signalling
RTU or PLC, but the SCADA software monitors
networks and electronic graphic displays it
the overall performance of the loop. For
became possible to replace these discrete
example, a PLC may control the flow of cooling
controllers with computer-based algorithms,
water through part of an industrial process to a
hosted on a network of input/output racks with
set point level, but the SCADA system software
their own control processors. These could be
will allow operators to change the set points for
distributed around the plant and would
the flow. The SCADA also enables alarm
communicate with the graphic displays in the
conditions, such as loss of flow or high
control room. The concept of distributed
temperature, to be displayed and recorded.
control was realised.
Programmable logic controllers
The introduction of distributed control allowed
flexible interconnection and re-configuration of
PLCs can range from small modular devices
plant controls such as cascaded loops and
with tens of inputs and outputs (I/O) in a housing interlocks, and interfacing with other production
integral with the processor, to large rack- computer systems. It enabled sophisticated
mounted modular devices with a count of alarm handling, introduced automatic event
thousands of I/O, and which are often networked logging, removed the need for physical records
to other PLC and SCADA systems. They can be such as chart recorders, allowed the control
racks to be networked and thereby located
designed for multiple arrangements of digital
locally to plant to reduce cabling runs, and
and analog inputs and outputs, extended provided high-level overviews of plant status and
temperature ranges, immunity to electrical noise, production levels. For large control systems, the
and resistance to vibration and impact. general commercial name distributed control
Programs to control machine operation are system (DCS) was coined to refer to proprietary
typically stored in battery-backed-up or non- modular systems from many manufacturers
volatile memory. which integrated high-speed networking and a
full suite of displays and control racks.
History While the DCS was tailored to meet the needs of
large continuous industrial processes, in
Process control of large industrial plants has industries where combinatorial and sequential
evolved through many stages. Initially, control logic was the primary requirement, the PLC
evolved out of a need to replace racks of relays as MATLAB and Simulink. Unlike traditional
and timers used for event-driven control. The old PLCs, which use proprietary operating systems,
controls were difficult to re-configure and debug, IPCs utilize Windows IoT. IPC's have the
and PLC control enabled networking of signals advantage of powerful multi-core processors
to a central control area with electronic displays. with much lower hardware costs than traditional
PLCs were first developed for the automotive PLCs and fit well into multiple form factors such
industry on vehicle production lines, where as DIN rail mount, combined with a touch-screen
sequential logic was becoming very complex. It as a panel PC, or as an embedded PC. New
was soon adopted in a large number of other hardware platforms and technology have
event-driven applications as varied as printing contributed significantly to the evolution of DCS
presses and water treatment plants. and SCADA systems, further blurring the
boundaries and changing definitions.
SCADA's history is rooted in distribution
applications, such as power, natural gas, and Security
water pipelines, where there is a need to gather
remote data through potentially unreliable or SCADA and PLCs are vulnerable to cyber
intermittent low-bandwidth and high-latency attack. The U.S. Government Joint Capability
links. SCADA systems use open-loop Technology Demonstration (JCTD) known as
control with sites that are widely separated MOSAICS (More Situational Awareness for
geographically. A SCADA system uses remote Industrial Control Systems) is the initial
terminal units (RTUs) to send supervisory data
back to a control centre. Most RTU systems demonstration of cybersecurity defensive
always had some capacity to handle local capability for critical infrastructure control
control while the master station is not available. systems. MOSAICS addresses the Department
However, over the years RTU systems have of Defense (DOD) operational need for cyber
grown more and more capable of handling local defense capabilities to defend critical
control. infrastructure control systems from cyber attack,
The boundaries between DCS and SCADA/PLC such as power, water and wastewater, and
systems are blurring as time goes on. The technical safety controls, affect the physical environment.
limits that drove the designs of these various The MOSAICS JCTD prototype will be shared
systems are no longer as much of an issue.
with commercial industry through Industry Days
Many PLC platforms can now perform quite well
as a small DCS, using remote I/O and are for further research and development, an
sufficiently reliable that some SCADA systems approach intended to lead to an innovative,
actually manage closed-loop control over long game-changing capabilities for cybersecurity for
distances. With the increasing speed of today's critical infrastructure control systems.
processors, many DCS products have a full line
of PLC-like subsystems that weren't offered Types of Industrial Control Systems
when they were initially developed.
In 1993, with the release of IEC-1131, later to Distributed Control System (DCS)
become IEC-61131-3, the industry moved
towards increased code standardization with Plant distributed control system (DCS) – While
reusable, hardware-independent control the term DCS applies in general to any system
software. For the first time, object-oriented in which controllers are distributed rather than
programming (OOP) became possible within centralized, in the power generation and
industrial control systems. This led to the petrochemical process industries it has come to
development of both programmable automation refer to a specific type of control system able to
controllers (PAC) and industrial PCs (IPC). execute complex analog process control
These are platforms programmed in the five algorithms at high speed, as well as provide
standardized IEC languages: ladder logic, routine monitoring, reporting and data logging
structured text, function block, instruction list and functions. In most applications, the input and
sequential function chart. They can also be output modules of the system are distributed
programmed in modern high-level languages throughout the facility, but the control processors
such as C or C++. Additionally, they accept themselves are centrally located in proximity to
models developed in analytical tools such the control room.
These systems typically use proprietary gas and water distribution industries where
hardware, software and communication monitoring and control must take place across
protocols, requiring that both replacement parts large geographical distances. The RTUs were
and technical support be obtained from the developed primarily to provide monitoring and
original vendor. control capability at unattended sites such as
substations, metering stations, pump stations,
and water towers. They communicate with a
Direct digital control (DDC)
central station over telephone lines, fiber-optics,
radio or microwave transmission.
The DDC directly interfaces to the process for
data acquisition and control purpose. Monitored sites tend to be relatively small, with
the RTU typically used mainly for monitoring and
• That is, it has necessary hardware for only limited control. Hardware and software are
directly interfacing (optoisolator, signal proprietary, with either proprietary or open
conditioner, ADC, etc.) and reading data protocols used for data transmission to the
from process. central station.
• It should also have memory and
arithmetic capability to execute required Programmable logic controller (PLC)
P, P+I, P+I+D control strategy.
• At the same time, the interface to control
vale should also be part of DDC. Programmable logic controller (PLC) based
systems: PLCs, which are described in greater
The microprocessor performs the following detail in the next section, can be networked
tasks. together to share data as well as provide
centralized monitoring and control capability.
Control systems consisting of networked PLCs
1. It reads the various process variables are supplanting both the plant DCS and the
from different transmitters through RTU-based systems in many industries. They
multiplexer and ADC. were developed for factory automation and have
2. It determines the error for each control traditionally excelled at high speed discrete
loop and executes control strategy for control, but have now been provided with analog
each loop. control capability as well.
3. It outputs the correction value to control
vale through DAC.
Hardware for these systems is proprietary, but
Direct digital control (DDC) systems are used both control software and network
in the commercial building heating, ventilation communication protocols are open, allowing
and air conditioning (HVAC) industry to monitor system configuration, programming and
and maintain environmental conditions. They technical support for a particular manufacturer’s
consist of local controllers connected to a equipment to be obtained from many sources.
network with a personal computer (PC) based
central station which provides monitoring,
reporting, data storage and programming
capabilities. The controllers are optimized for
economical HVAC system control, which
generally does not require fast execution
speeds. Their hardware and control software are
proprietary, with either proprietary or open
protocols used for network communication.

Remote terminal unit (RTU)

Remote terminal unit (RTU) based SCADA:

RTU-based systems are common in the electric,