Reviewer details
Name : Dean Gibson
Position/designation: Scada engineer
Company: Masterguard
Telephone: +27 (0)11 792 7230
E-mail: [email protected]
Product details
Vendor: Adroit Technologies
Product name and version: Adroit 6.0.2
Telephone: +27 (0)11 658 8100
E-mail: [email protected]
URL: www.adroit.co.za
General
Q: In what industry is the scada application being applied?
A: Power distribution and generation. Mobile energy cells.
Q: Briefly describe the application including information on any pre-existing control system or scada system that was in place.
A: The Adroit scada is used for monitoring the supply quality and system diagnosis of a 2n+1 power solution.
Q: Who performed the scada configuration?
A: Masterguard.
Q: Approximately how many man-hours did the scada configuration take?
A: As each site has a unique solution, this would be site specific. On average scada design for a unit would take no longer than a week.
Q: What sort of licensing agreement is used on this particular system?
A: One licence covers all eventualities.
Q: What upgrade agreements are in place? Are patches and version upgrades free, covered under annual maintenance or managed in some other way?
A: Patches and version upgrades are free.
Q: Describe how the after-sales support is handled?
A: Support is handled either telephonically; email or through site visits.
System architecture
Q: How many tag points/I/O does the installation have? Analog, digital, other?
A: A standard I/O count is 750 using a single master PLC. Larger sites contain 2500 I/O with master PLC and multiple devices.
Q: On what operating system is the scada running?
A: Windows XP Professional.
Q: What impresses you most about the architecture?
A: Easy and quick configuration of scada with the ability to bulk edit. Due to the open architecture of the software, flexibility of the Adroit package allows for a wide range of solutions. Using the driver library that come with the scada package we are able to interface with a wide range of devices and systems. Using the tools that come with the package, system diagnosis is quick and easy allowing for minimised downtime.
Q: What are the key physical communication layers and communication protocols employed in the system?
A: Modbus RTU, Modbus Ethernet, Aritech proprietary protocol, SNMP and GSM modem communication.
Q: Is the scada system integrated onto an intranet or the Internet?
A: As yet this design function is not in use however product was used with this function in mind. Full remote control of distributed system is currently in development.
Q: Does the application utilise web services?
A: N/A
Q: What sort of redundancy is incorporated in this scada application?
A: Hot standby is a function that is utilised on the larger systems.
Graphics
Q: Describe the graphics development process.
A: An in house library was developed for use.
Q: How would you describe the library of graphic images?
A: Adequate
Q: Did you use any 'special' images?
A: Bit maps are utilised for logo and banners.
Compatibility
Q: Do you run the scada in conjunction with any third-party application software?
A: A database application (SQL) is used for long term storage of data.
Q: Describe any specific scada scripts or custom code that were written for this project.
A: Scripts are used for on-screen animation and bulk SMSing of plant data.
Management reporting and integration
Q: Is a trending and historical data reporting system included?
A: The proprietary trending and historical data sub system of Adroit is used extensively for plant diagnosis.
Q: Is a management reporting system included in the package?
A: No
Q: Is the system integrated with an MES/ ERP or other management reporting or control system? If so then please describe the integration process and methodology.
A: N/A
Q: Was any additional software development needed?
A: No
Q: Describe any production benchmarking tools which have been configured as part of the scada system.
A: N/A
System safety, security and data protection
Q: Describe any alarm management standards or best practices that have been adopted in configuring the scada system.
A: A segmented three-tier alarming strategy has been implemented. With each segment allocated to different sections of the site. Eg, Electrical, HVAC, fire and janitorial. Each alarm has been allocated a priority which routes the appropriate information to the corresponding tier.
Q: What steps have been taken to firewall the plant network(s) on which this scada system exists?
A: Complete physical isolation of network.
Q: What intrusion detection has been incorporated on the plant network(s) on which this scada system exists?
A: N/A
Q: Describe any configuration back-up and archive backup methodologies that have been adopted.
A: N/A
Conclusion
Q: What impresses you the most about the system?
A: Ease of configuration as well as the open architecture, allowing for flexibility of design.
Q: What was the predominant feature (or features) that made you decide to employ this scada, rather than another?
A: Support from vendor is first class. Their extensive driver library which is shipped with the product. Data log features.
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