IT in Manufacturing


Revolutionising traditional DCS architecture

I&C July 2024 IT in Manufacturing

SUPCON has unveiled the world’s first Universal Control System (UCS) at its highly anticipated global product launch conference, marking a groundbreaking innovation in the automation sector. This revolutionises the concept of industrial control systems, pioneering a new era in automatic control technology. Nearly 300 industry experts, including representatives from leading industry enterprises, multinational organisations and academic associations, from nearly 20 countries and regions, gathered to witness this historical moment.

Return to the essence of control

SUPCON has revolutionised the 50-year-old traditional DCS technology architecture by overcoming the limitations of traditional, purpose-built hardware-based control systems with rigid, hierarchical layers and fixed computing power, introducing the next-generation Universal Control System (UCS) architecture, a software-defined, total digitalised and cloud-based control system. By breaking free from traditional physical controllers, I/O modules and cabinets, UCS presents a minimalist new form that integrates a control data centre, optical fibre network, and intelligent field. This innovative approach eliminates the need for numerous cabinets, ushering in a revolutionary transformation in control systems.

The world’s first universal control system

Centered around a control data centre, the Nyx system leverages NyxOS, a cloud-based real-time operating system tailored for industrial control. This results in a robust operating environment for control tasks that is real time, highly reliable and secure. The Nyx system is capable of executing cloud-based real-time applications, autonomously adjusting resource scale and capacity to match demand, and enabling elasticity and scalability. Its redundant and distributed architecture ensures the control system’s high availability and fault tolerance.


Nyx utilises an optic fibre network to transmit intelligent field data directly to the control data centre at 10 Gbp/s speed, with parallel redundancy. This innovative approach leads to a minimalist network architecture, significantly reducing copper cables and footprint.

Harnessing APL-based field connection technology, Nyx supports Zone 2 intrinsically safe explosion-proof field junction boxes and APL modules. It provides each instrument with an IP address, improves the communication performance by at least 100 times, and fully digitalises field transmission and execution, achieving data connectivity in smart plants.

SUPCON, steadfast in its commitment to co-construction, sharing and mutual benefit, is actively building an Ethernet-APL ecosystem. It offers a comprehensive range of APL products, including power switches, field switches, and intelligent instruments. Nyx’s minimalist architecture achieves remarkable cost savings, including a 90% reduction in footprint, 80% in copper cable, and 50% in project time.

Unleash infinite potential in industrial applications

The industrial application of Nyx promises immense value for the process industry. SUPCON’s pilot applications have revealed Nyx’s ability to integrate AI deeply, and leverage the GPU-powered control engine, offering functions like automated configuration generation and AI-PID. This enables data prediction and adaptive control, enhancing operational efficiency and ushering in a new AI era in the control field, thereby unleashing productivity.

In recent years, SUPCON has been actively exploring the integration and application of AI and other advanced technologies in the process industry. The introduction of Nyx not only signifies a significant leap for SUPCON in intelligent control, but also forges a ‘sword’ to catalyst industrial transformation. Amid rapid technological and industrial updates, SUPCON invites more ecosystem partners to join in this groundbreaking revolution. Together, they can lead the industry towards a smarter, more efficient and greener future.

An introductory video can be viewed at https://we.tl/t-mSbMyqWZ3K

For more information contact [email protected]




Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

South Africa’s AI revolution is here – but are we secure?
IT in Manufacturing
South African businesses are sprinting to embrace generative AI, lured by its potential to drive efficiency, productivity and innovation. But here’s the stark reality: without a rock-solid cybersecurity foundation, AI will become a Trojan horse, opening the floodgates to sophisticated cyber threats.

Read more...
Shaping data resilience strategies with AI and hybrid cloud solutions
IT in Manufacturing
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, organisations are under growing pressure to secure their operations against increasingly sophisticated cyberthreats, including those that leverage AI to enhance the success rate of attacks. In this landscape, it has become essential to ‘fight fire with fire’ – harnessing AI as a means to counter these threats.

Read more...
Cloud or on-prem? Decoding the choices for South African enterprises
IT in Manufacturing
The debate between on-premise and cloud computing architectures remains a prominent topic among businesses, particularly in South Africa.

Read more...
Advancements in wire rope testing
IT in Manufacturing
Being able to get instant, real-time and portable detection of wire rope flaws can make a significant difference for operational teams. There have been a number of significant technological advancements and tools entering the market that help wire rope operators detect and resolve problems faster.

Read more...
Quantum computing power: four steps to protecting your business
IT in Manufacturing
Are you ready for Q-day? Post-quantum cryptography isn’t just an IT issue, it’s a business continuity concern. Quantum computing is fast becoming a reality.

Read more...
Schneider Electric relaunches legacy access control systems
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Schneider Electric South Africa has relaunched its comprehensive access control platform to help customers upgrade from ageing and obsolete systems.

Read more...
Digitalisation in mining - the advantage you need now
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Digitalisation offers immense and proven benefits such as streamlining operations, reducing error and accelerating workflows. Mining operators today leverage digital technologies to improve efficiency, sustainability and very importantly, safety.

Read more...
The shape of water – automating hydropower operations
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Hydropower is undoubtedly one of the building blocks of today’s renewable energy industry and its operations need to be efficient, reliable and sustainable. Automation must therefore form part of today’s modern hydropower operations to improve resource management and enhance reliability.

Read more...
What lies beneath – the hidden cost of AI
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
The world is quickly realising that with the rapid advancement in AI there are also caveats. In short, apart from environmental implications, it also has major significant financial ramifications.

Read more...
Trends shaping the future of cloud in South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
The cloud has emerged as a fundamental and transformative component of modern business infrastructure. It has fundamentally changed how organisations operate and innovate. In South Africa, this trend is particularly pronounced, with most businesses adopting multi-cloud strategies to enhance their agility and competitiveness.

Read more...