Mini SCADA System using

Microcontroller

System Requirement Specifications

Submitted by:
Muhammad Waqas

M. Faisal Sajjad

Outline

Abstract
Initiative
What is SCADA?
Brief History
Objective
Basic Spec Overview
Main Parts
Work Plan
Micro Controller Ports Used
Block Diagram
FAQs
Summary

Abstract
The goal of the project is to design a SCADA system usable
in industry with a low price by using microcontroller instead
of using PLC and serial port communication with computer.

Initiative
The reason to take this particular project was its need in the
todays automated industry where everything works with the
pre-defined protocols along with a supervisory control and a
data record in for later analysis.

What is SCADA?
The acronym SCADA stands for Supervisory Control And Data
Acquisition. In reality, the primary purpose of SCADA is to
monitor, control and alarm plant or regional operating
systems from a central location. While override control is
possible, it is infrequently utilized; however control set points
are quite regularly changed by SCADA.
In a municipal context, "plant" systems are typically water
and wastewater treatment facilities, while "regional" systems
include intake and/or effluent structures, pumping stations,
chlorination stations, control valve stations and the like.

What makes up a SCADA system?

The major attraction of SCADA to a municipality is the ability
to significantly reduce operating labor costs, while at the
same time actually improve plant or regional system
performance and reliability. Information gathering within a
plant no longer requires personnel to spend time wandering
all over the site, and correspondingly the frequency of field
site inspections required in a regional system can be
minimized.
Costly after-hours alarm call-outs can often be avoided since
a SCADA system will indicate the nature and degree of a
problem, while the ability to remotely control site equipment
may permit an operator at home to postpone a site visit till
working hours. SCADA based alarming is also very reliable
since it is in-house and tied directly to process control.
A significant feature of a SCADA system, often not fully
appreciated, is the trending of data and nothing comes close
for speed and ease of operation. When graphically displayed,
accumulated operating data often will indicate a developing
problem, or an area for process improvement. Reports can
easily be generated from this data utilizing other common
software programs.
It should be appreciated that while a SCADA system is often
complex to configure - it is extremely easy to operate!
There are five phases to creating a functional SCADA
system:
Phase 1
The DESIGN of the system architecture. This includes the allimportant communication system, and with a regional
system utilizing radio communication often involves a radio
path survey. Also involved will be any site instrumentation
that is not presently in existence, but will be required to
monitor desired parameters.

Phase 2
The SUPPLY of RTU, communication and HMI equipment, the
latter consisting of a PC system and the necessary powerful
graphic and alarm software programs.

Phase 3
The PROGRAMMING of the communication equipment and
the powerful HMI graphic and alarm software programs.
Phase 4
The INSTALLATION of the communication equipment and the
PC system. The former task is typically much more involved.
Phase 5
The COMMISSIONING of the system, during which
communication and HMI programming problems are solved,
the system is proven to the client, operator training and
system documentation is provided

Brief History
SCADA systems became popular in the 1960s as the need to
monitor and control remote equipment grew. Early SCADA
systems used mainframe technology and required human
operators to make action decisions and maintain the
information systems. Because this increased the human
labor cost, early SCADA systems were very expensive to
maintain. Today, SCADA is generally much more automated,
and consequently more cost-efficient.

Objective
The objective is to make a system which is cost efficient and
small industry can afford is as the existing SCADA systems
are available from National Instruments which have a
minimum starting price of 2500$.

Basic Spec Overview

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Main Parts
Micro Controller (PIC 18F458)
Temperature Sensor (LM35)

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Relays
Serial Port
Optocouplers
Voltage Regulator
Water Pumps
Boiler
Power Supplies (12v DC, 9v DC, 220 AC )

Work Plan
Stage 1:

Get data from sensors in the controller in the

digital form.

Stage 2:

Deliver data to computer for GUI mode

Monitoring and record.

Stage 3:

Supervisory control and Process control

parameters.

Stage 4:

Activate the required instrument accordingly.

Micro Controller Ports

Used

Block Diagram

FAQs
How will the cost reduce?

Use of microcontroller instead of PLC.

System Makes decisions automatically by pre-defined
conditions.

Advantages/Disadvantages?
PLCs are easy to program and can work in intense
industrial environment but high on cost while we can make
controller able to work in that intense environment by
packing it properly and providing of GUI interface will still
keep the product user friendly, speed is more than PLC
SCADAS.

Number of sensors?
No restriction as controllers can inter-communicate.

Summary
This project will help our small industry of Pakistan to
achieve a new level of automation with a less price and help
get better supervisory controls hence reducing losses and
increasing the efficiency.