SCADA Communication

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SCADA Communication is a core component of a SCADA Monitoring System

SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) communication can take place in a number of ways. Early SCADA communication took place over radio, modem, or dedicated serial lines. Today, it is much more common for SCADA communications to travel over LAN or SONET.

The process of communication over a SCADA system involves several different SCADA system components. These include the sensors and control relays, Remote Terminal Units (RTUs), SCADA master units, and the overall communication network.

Advanced RTUs Offer More Complete SCADA Communication
Each of these parts is necessary for effective SCADA communication. A system can effectively monitor alarms and status updates within the network only when all of these system components function properly. For more complete monitoring of SCADA communications, operators must deploy advanced RTUs.

The RTU is where most SCADA communication is gathered within the system. Values from inputs and outputs, referred to as SCADA points, are sent from individual sensors to the RTU. The RTU is responsible for forwarding these SCADA communications to the master station, or Human-Machine Interface (HMI).

The HMI Translates SCADA Communications into a Human-Readable Form
The HMI is the component of the SCADA communication system that takes all of the data from the RTUs across the network, and converts it into a form that is readable by humans. Network operators then examine the SCADA communications in the comprehensive HMI window, and respond to network alarms accordingly.

As SCADA communications can contain sensitive data, it is important to utilize secure LAN networks when transmitting data to RTUs and the master station. However, LAN can be expensive to install at remote sites, and it may not be feasible for an organization to immediately incorporate all of their remote sites into the LAN network.

NetGuardian Provides for Multiple Types of SCADA Communication
Employing NetGuardian 832A RTUs can save you from immediately incorporating all of your sites into your LAN network, while still allowing all your RTU devices to eventually transmit SCADA communication over the LAN as your network expands outward. The NetGuardian is designed to communicate over several connection types (LAN, serial, and dial-up), allowing you to simply switch your RTU device's connection to the LAN port when LAN because available at your site. This provides a cost-effective communication solution, allowing you to expand their LAN over several billing cycles while still using your existing SCADA communication equipment.

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