A Data Historian is a type of time-series database designed to efficiently collect and store process data from a SCADA or automation system. The stored data can then be used to display trends of process data on charts, create reports, or perform data analysis.

They are called “Man-Camps” for a reason – you don’t often see women in them.  Some see only a few hearty and adventurous women.  Some never do.  Most are far from any place you might consider to be a town or village.  Lots of them are in tough locations – deserts, mountains, permafrost.

Upgrading your obsolete control system is a helpful 7-part blog series addressing the important technical aspects of upgrades and written by an industry professional with over 25 years of experience.

First, some background...

Let me tell you what a Certified SCADA Security Architect is, and why I became one:

Problem

I was working on a template where I had to display steps in a sequence on the HMI. The number of steps could change from sequence to sequence and the template required a few parameters.

The beauty of the Library of Process Objects is that there isn’t much that the AOI’s cant do.  Rockwell has done a wonderful job creating pre-canned logic that can account for almost every application.  I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes it feels like overkill however knowing that all the features are available whether you use them or not is nice. 

Advancing Automation Technology series will take an in-depth look into how the latest technology is being used to develop state-of-the-art control systems. We will select various software and hardware packages being used today, and provide you with the best practice techniques on how to apply them, and when you should consider applying each topic.

As control system integrators, we often encounter antiquated equipment and systems. What most people see on the surface is just the tip of the iceberg. Once you dive into the programs used for automation and data collection, you typically find a jumble of what we like to refer to as “spaghetti code”.

It is important to have friends in our lives.  They are supportive and understanding. They can also challenge us and make us our best selves.  Friends in business are called partners.  There is a financial relationship between business partners but the best of these relationships have the same features as good friendships.

It has long been an industry standard to use the common starter/disconnect switch for service to a three phase motor.  Since being introduced in the mid to late 1980’s, variable frequency drives, or VFD’s have been gaining popularity.