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A programmable logic controller (PLC) or programmable controller is an industrial computer that has been ruggedized and adapted for the control of manufacturing processes, such as assembly lines, machines, robotic devices, or any activity that requires high reliability, ease of programming, and process fault diagnosis.
Data may also be fed to a historian, often built on a commodity database management system, to allow trending and other analytical auditing. SCADA systems typically use a tag database, which contains data elements called tags or points, which relate to specific instrumentation or actuators within the process system. Data is accumulated against ...
A programmable logic controller (PLC, for smaller, less complex processes) or a distributed control system (DCS, for large-scale or geographically dispersed processes) analyzes this sensor data transmitted to it, compares it to predefined setpoints using a set of instructions or a mathematical model called the control algorithm and then, in ...
Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) is a control system architecture that uses computers, networked data communications and graphical user interfaces for high-level process supervisory management. The operator interfaces which enable monitoring and the issuing of process commands, such as controller setpoint changes, are handled ...
Instrumentation and control engineering is a vital field of study offered at many universities worldwide at both the graduate and postgraduate levels. This discipline integrates principles from various branches of engineering, providing a comprehensive understanding of the design, analysis, and management of automated systems.
Process controls (basic as well as advanced) are implemented within the process control system, which may mean a distributed control system (DCS), programmable logic controller (PLC), and/or a supervisory control computer. DCSs and PLCs are typically industrially hardened and fault-tolerant.
PLC technicians consult technical documentation, drawings, schematics, and manuals. They may assist engineering in plant design, modification and hazard analysis, and work with plant operators to optimize plant controls. PLC technicians use hand, power, and electronic tools, test equipment, and material handling equipment.
A control loop is the fundamental building block of control systems in general and industrial control systems in particular. It consists of the process sensor, the controller function, and the final control element (FCE) which controls the process necessary to automatically adjust the value of a measured process variable (PV) to equal the value of a desired set-point (SP).