Outdated SCADA?

No need to panic, but do plan ahead.

Strategic planning and appropriate upgrades can get you through the dark woods to a long lasting supervisory control & data acquisition “SCADA” system again. There are many facets to upgrading a SCADA system, not simply limited to procuring new SCADA servers and loading new operating systems and software on a computer. In all cases, a utility should review their complete system, identify all SCADA hardware and software wired up and operating their network, plan for upgrades and budget accordingly.

As an example, it is very common in the upper Midwest for water & waste water SCADA systems to contain Rockwell Allen Bradley programmable logic controllers “PLCs” . Allen Bradley does an excellent job of keeping its customers notified of dates when their controllers will become obsolete, with comparable product recommendations and a path to upgrade. Obsolescence is quite common, with many control products continuing to operate far beyond their obsolescence date. The Allen Bradley SLC 5/05 family of programmable controllers are no longer manufactured as of August 2018, and could pose upgrade problems and more complexities doing an upgrade if left running too long without an upgrade and migration path.

Technologies and software continue to arrive faster and faster…….just as personal computers and the Windows operating system took over the SCADA realm in 1990, “maybe” the next 15-30 year cycle of SCADA systems will see utilities procuring more real estate in the Cloud. Cloud based SCADA systems are not new, and are being installed across the country in water/wastewater systems. SCADA software and the management of it, are located “off-site”, for a monthly recurring fee. Time will tell if “cloud based” architecture becomes a standard for water and wastewater SCADA networks. In any event, as a professional SCADA system integrator, Energenecs recommends leaving the often overlooked hard work and “heavy lifting” software programming of the hard wired control logic, system monitoring and overall security to your “on premises” PLC/controllers.