How Did IoT Replace SCADA and PLC?

Long-term Data Retention is required for IoT to Analyze the Data Further to Predict Maintenance Schedules, Reduce Overall Downtime, and Extend Equipment Life.

FREMONT, CA: The supervisory control and data acquisition system enable industries to control processing from local and remote locations in the SCADA system. SCADA systems are used in many industries, including water and wastewater systems, power, oil and gas, manufacturing, and food production, to collect, monitor, and real-time process data. Furthermore, with the introduction of SCADA, it became much easier to manage industrial processes and interact directly with devices such as valves, pumps, and motors. As a result, SCADA assisted industries in monitoring and controlling industrial equipment in all segments such as development, manufacturing, production, and fabrication.

How did IoT replace SCADA and PLC?

Over the last few decades, PLC has been a close companion to SCADA. However, due to technological advancement, it has become obsolete.

Even PLCs receive data from sensors, which they process and send out according to the programmed parameters. Real-time data, such as operating temperature, can be recorded and monitored by PLCs. It can start and stop processes automatically and generate alarms if a problem is encountered.

However, the Industrial IoT (Internet of Things) entered the market and evolved as a superior technology to the traditional SCADA and PLC. Its intelligent capabilities are undeniably adaptable to today's modern industries. Most statistics from various industries concluded that the strength of SCADA systems was relevant in the Industry 4.0 revolution, but where it became limited was in having a fully connected ecosystem to process it to the rest of the business.

The Industrial IoT emerged as a technology built on top of SCADA. With disruptive technology, IoT, scalability, and data analytics parameters appeared.

SCADA system data is still used as a data source for the Industrial IoT. Industrial IoT is concerned with analyzing granular machine data to improve productivity, whereas SCADA is concerned with monitoring and controlling. IoT has ushered in a slew of new businesses reshaping the SCADA landscape.

What is the future like after a comparative analysis?

Finally, both SCADA and IoT use sensors and data acquisition. SCADA is not a complete control system, whereas the Industrial Internet of Things comprises a network of interconnected devices. It enables remote control of objects across different networks and architectures. However, combining IoT with a SCADA system provides a simplified understanding of the entire industrial premises. For example, in SCADA, one must manually generate analytics reports, and an IoT-powered solution can automate this process to save time and produce high-quality results.