SCADA: What It Is, Where It’s Been, and Where We Are Today
If you work in any industry that involves automation, you are likely already familiar with SCADA. This kind of system, which is such an integral part of monitoring and automation,…
RTU and PLC Protocols for SCADA Systems
Protocols are important for ensuring communication between devices. And there are protocols for all sorts of things. Most of the well-known ones, for example, are related to the Internet (TCP/IP,…
How Does TCP/IP Work?
Every time you visit a website, stream music and videos, or even make a call from your cell phone, you are sending and receiving data. Most people don�t think about…
Traditional HMIs vs. Web-Based HMIs
HMI stands for �human machine interface.� An HMI can take many different forms, but its ultimate purpose is to allow the human user to effectively interact with, control, and operate…
What are Protocols?
What are protocols? Let's start with the dictionary. If you look up the word �protocol� in Webster�s Dictionary, you�ll find that it generally refers to the way things need to…
Using Auto Dialers in Water Management
If you�re in water management, maybe you dread rainy nights. If this sounds all too familiar, you might consider using an auto dialer. The presence of a downpour forces those…
How Water Treatment Plants Work
A modern, well-managed water treatment plant is an important factor in the purity of your drinking water. Making your water safe to drink is a top priority. Several factors can…
4 Problems You Can Solve with an OPC System
So you have a system you use in your industry�maybe it�s SCADA, or some other kind of telemetry setup. It may already be a pretty solid system, but you can…
Using HMI’s in a SCADA System
In a SCADA system, there are a lot of different parts working together: sensors, PLCs, RTUs, various communication technologies, and more. Most of these are on the machine end of…
What are Programmable Logic Controllers?
When you start getting even a little bit technical about automation, you�re going to run into the term �Programmable Logic Controllers,� or PLCs. These devices are everywhere, and are used…