Distributed Computer Control

Dr. Manjula Sutagundar

Dept. of E&IE
BEC, Bagalkot
 Distributed Computer Control
• 1960’s - Application of minicomputers was
fairly expensive solution – for realising logic
sequence control
• Hydramatic division of General Motors –
Working on idea of programmable controller
– Computer based
– Programmable and reprogrammable
– Easily maintainable and repairable
• Programmable Logic Controller – Solved the
problem of sequential control
 Distributed Computer Control
• Earlier PLCs – Just relay replacer –
Simple Boolean logic
• Functional extension of PLCs – timers,
counters, registers etc
• First PLC – 1969 – CPU with 1k memory,
178 I/O
• PLCs in 1970’s – CPU with 12k memory
and 1024 I/O
 Distributed Computer Control
• Application of PLCs – facilitated due to
– appearance of advanced software support
features for program development, testing
and documentation
– Remote I/O features enabled one to place the
controllers into the central control room,
leaving only the process I/O interfaces in
instrumentation field
 Distributed Computer Control
• Next decade
– Developments in data communication
technology
– Data transfer within industrial control systems
• Revolutionary progress in data
communication technology led finally to
distributed computer control structures
 Distributed Computer Control
• The DCS is a system of sensors, controllers, and
associated computers that are distributed
throughout a plant.
• Each of these elements serves a unique purpose
such as data acquisition, process control, as well
as data storage and graphical display.
• These individual elements communicate with a
centralized computer through the plant’s local
area network – often referred to as a control
network.
 Distributed Computer Control
• 1980’s
– International hardware and software standards were
worked out
– Provided compatibility of hardware and portability of
software
– Essential outcome – interfacing of computer
• Standardization of application software for plant
control and signal processing – software packages
– Input signal conditioning, validity check, engineering
unit conversion, digital filtering and smoothing,
averaging and extrapolation, peak value search and
tracing, pulse and digital signal evaluation and
processing, limit value check and alarming, trend check
and monitoring, open and cloosed loop control,
datalogging
 System Architecture
• How the system is organized, how its
elements and the communication links are
related to each other
 System Architecture
• In the beginning – Computers were used for
data acquisition and processing of plant,
laboratory and test field data
– Off-line open-loop
– Operator had to read the indicating process
instruments and input the readings into computer
or store them on punched tapes, cards etc.
– Offline computer application for acquisition and
processing of data
– Used for plant monitoring, material and energy
balance, production statistics
System Architecture
 System Architecture
• Second stage –
– Off-line closed-loop
– Calculation of set point values for analog
controllers and positioning values of plant actuators
– Calculated values were still manually set by the
operator
– Off line closed loop control
– Loop closed by plant operator
– Time delay in collecting the process data and in
distributing calculated set point
– Acceptable only when timing conditions are not
severe
System Architecture
 System Architecture
• Third stage
– On-line open-loop
– Computers were provided with process
interface – facilities for direct connection to the
process instrumentation for data acquisition
and process control
– No intervention of plant operators for
transfering data from process to computer0
– Computers were still not applied for influencing
of the set point values of the controllers
System Architecture
 System Architecture
• Fourth stage
– On-line closed-loop
– No need for plant operator to transfer the data
in either direction
– Plant operator- supervise the process
performance, monitor the plant disturbances
and optimally manage them via the computer
System Architecture
 System Architecture
• Distributed dedicated computers
– Process control computers, when applied to solve
a special, clearly defined problem (data
acquisition, data processing, process monitoring,
supervisory or direct digital control) are usually
called dedicated computers
– 1960’s – Dedicated computers were widely
applied for partial plant and laboratory
automation
– Computers distributed within the plant but with
no interconnection between them
– Data interexchange was only possible via
transportable data medium
System Architecture
 System Architecture
• Requirement of building central data files
was realized - Distributed dedicated
computers were directly connected to the
central computer of the enterprise
• Data exchange between the individual
computers, via the central computer
System Architecture
 System Architecture
• Appearance of larger, faster and less
expensive process computer control
computers in the mid 60s encouraged the
design engineers to implement in a single
computer a relatively great number of
plant automation functions, replacing the
small dedicated computers used for such
purposes
System Architecture
 System Architecture
• Centralized computer application – Due to
existence of central control room
• All sensors, actuators and other plant
instrumentation elements were directly
connected
• The connection only had to be transferred
to the computer
• Automation of the existing conventionally
equipped plants
 System Architecture
• Functions implemented in central control room
– Process monitoring
– Data acquisition
– Alarming and logging
– Data processing
– Process control
– (Sometime) Production planning and plant
management functions
• Typical application of computer oriented
automation system up to mid 70s
 System Architecture
• Two serious objections for centralized computer
system
– Computational speed and the reliability of the
computer itself
– Complete existing plant instrumentation had to be
connected to the computer. Hundreds of connection
between the plant instrumentation and the
computer needs to be installed
• Concentration of all automation function within
single computer – Danger that the computer
failure means failure of all the functions
 System Architecture
• Two ways to make computer based
system more reliable:
– To make the computer more reliable
– To improve the system reliability by
introducing an efficient back up concept
 System Architecture
• With the development of low cost integrated
circuit technology computers became more
powerful – Reliability problem was solved
• Soon it was accepted – central computer
should be in charge of solving central
automation problems only leaving the
peripheral computers to cope with the local
problems in their close surrounding
• Hierarchical automation system structure was
introduced (Decentralized computer system)
System Architecture
 System Architecture
• The decentralized computer system
configuration was planned by the user by
optimally selecting the computers for given
automation problem
• Hierarchical decentralized multi-computer
system was built step by step, integrating the
existing process control computers and the
new ones
• Peripheral computers – real-time, front end,
foreground
• Central computer – background computer
 System Architecture
• Multi-computer system is appropriate for
automation of small industrial plants
• For automation of large plants –
inadequate structure
• For hierarchical computer based
automation system of large plants, it is
impossible to attach all peripheral
computers to single central computer
• Concentration of computers belonging to
separable plant complexes to some
intermediate computers is advisable (Three
stage hierarchical system)
System Architecture
 System Architecture
• The hierarchical multi-computer system
structure is usually integrated into a larger
information processing system via the
computer center of the company
System Architecture
 System Architecture
• Generally accepted hierarchical structure
– Consists of number of vertically arranged
automation levels known as functional levels
– Lowest level is the level closest to the plant,
the highest level being the level of computer
center of the company
System Architecture
 Functional Levels
• Characteristics of decentralized
hierarchically organized computer system
– decomposability into a series of
individual functional levels.
• At each level some automation function
are implemented to operate on the next
lower level
 Functional Levels
• Direct process control
– Acquisition of process data: Collection of
instantaneous values of individual process
variables and status messages of plant control
facilities
– Plant monitoring and system check and
diagnosis: Processing of collected data,
checking of their acceptance and allowability,
decision making
– Closed and open loop control: Based on
directions from next higher level
 Functional Levels
• Supervisory control level: Determination of
optimal plant work conditions and generation
of relevant instructions for next lower level
– Optimal process control, based on mathematical
model of the process, to guarantee optimal
performance conditions of plant
– Optimal plant co-ordination, based on plant
production, raw material, inventory, and energy
usage data
– Plant performance monitoring, failure-detection
logging, status reporting
 Functional Levels
• Production scheduling and control level:
Functions belonging to operation research
and resource logistics
– Production scheduling for individual plant
units according to status of customer orders,
inventory levels energy constraints and energy
demands
– Optimal rescheduling and flexible production
change
 Functional Levels
• Plant management level : In charge of wide
spectrum of engineering, economic, commercial,
personnel functions
– Interconnection with company management, sales,
accounting and purchasing departments as well as
with plant personnel is coordinated for optimal
production planning
– Market analysis, acquisition of customer information,
order statistics, sales and production planning, order
acceptance and terms checking, production plant co-
ordination, price calculation, capacity and order
balancing, order dispatching, , production nand
delivery terms supervision, productivity, turnover,
profit/loss, and other financial reports
 Functional Levels
• Functional leveling is not identical with
computer layering
• Packing of tasks of two or more
hierarchical level into the same computer
• Computer layering dependent on size of
plant
• Minor structural differences when applying
the hierarchical automation to power plants
and manufacturing industry
Functional Levels
Functional Levels
 Database Organization
• Each functional level implemented in the
hierarchical system requires some entry data
and generate some data relevant to the
neighboring level
• Each level also has some relevant initial data
• Functions and data required for local control
and supervision of plant should be allocated in
the field i.e. next to the plant instrumentation
• Functions and data required for higher purpose
should be allocated near to the plant operator
Database Organization
 Database Organization
• In DCS data is organized in the same way
as its automation function
• Intensity of the data flow “upwards” the
system decreases and in opposite
direction increases
• Communication frequency between the
lower hierarchical levels is higher than the
upper hierarchical level
 Database Organization
• Database of process control level
– Data necessary to carry out the functions like
data acquisition, pre processing, check,
monitoring and alarming, open and closed loop
control, reporting and logging
– Long term data: the specifications concerning
the loop configurations
– Short term data: Actual values of process
variables, set point values calculated output
values and the received plant status messages
Database Organization
 Database Organization
• Must meet real time data access
conditions
• Semiconductor memory is preferable as
database storage medium
• Temporary data is stored on RAM and
permanent data on ROM
 Database Organization
• Database of supervisory control level
– Data concerning the plant status, based on
which the monitoring, supervision and
operation of plant is carried out
Database Organization
 Database Organization
• Long term data: specifications concerning
the available standard and user made
displays and data concerning the
mathematical model of the plant
• Short term data: actual status and alarm
messages, calculated values of process
variables, process parameters and optimal
set point values for controllers
 Database Organization
• Database of production scheduling and
control level
– Data concerning the products and raw
material stocks, production schedules,
production goals and priorities, quality control,
store and transport facilities
Database Organization
 Database Organization
• Long term data : statistical and alarm
reports
 Database Organization
• Management Database
– Data concerning customer orders, sales
planning, product stocks and production
status, raw material and energy resources and
demands, status of store and transport
facilities
Database Organization
 Database Organization
• Long term data: Stored on magnetic tapes
 System Implementation Concepts
• Two issues associated with implementation of
hierarchical system
– Hardware interfacing
– Software compatibility
– Mutual compatibility between subsystems from
various vendors
• 70’s – Various long distance and short
distance buses including LAN were
standardized and accepted by the design
engineers for implementation of multicomputer
systems for industrial automation
 System Implementation Concepts

• For four level hierarchical system instead

of point to point interconnections of
computers bus or LAN interconnections
are used
System Implementation Concepts
System Implementation Concepts
 System Implementation Concepts
• In a LAN network based system, the higher
automation levels can be implemented by
simply attaching additional higher level
computers to the LAN
• The complete system is integrated via the
central communication path
• The system can also be implemented using
distributed multi-bus computer system
System Implementation Concepts
 System Implementation Concepts

• Ferranti prefers implementation of

hierarchical automation sytem using
process management system
– Corporate management functions are
implemented in a main frame computer
– Plant management functions are
implemented in personal computers
System Implementation Concepts
 System Implementation Concepts
• Progress in data communication system has
created a new concept – Integrated plant
information system
• Plant information and plant control system
are integrated
• Possible hierarchical structure, implemented
using the different data communication
networks and the relevant computers
System Implementation Concepts
 Human Interface
• Interaction between computer systems
and experts preparing, testing, integrating,
operating and maintaining its software
and hardware
• Man-machine interface/Human-macgine
interface
 Human Interface
• At least following interfaces must be available for
proper implementation
– Computer operator interface: for generation, test,
documentation and maintenance of system software
– Plant operator interface: for monitoring and operating
the plant at different hierarchical levels
– Production monitoring interface: for plant
management personnel
– External planning interface: for enterprise
management personnel
– External interfaces: for sales and acquisition offices
 Human Interface
• Quick communication between the operator
and the computer system, operator interfaces
usually combine
– Operator console
– Display monitor
• The elements are designed from ergonomic
and safety point of view, with regard to both
hardware as well as software
 Human Interface
• A single display screen should replace the
conventional indicating instruments, recorders
and remote control facilities installed for
continuous display or for record of actual values
of important process varuables
• Design philosophy: Unlike conventionally
equipped central control room, where all the
process variables are to be continuously displayed
or recorded – only those process variables
selected by the operator should be displayed
• Relieves operator from visual overload
 Human Interface
• The conventional concept of central plant
monitoring is increasingly abandoned in the new
plants
– Hard to please aims of plant automation (High product
quality, high production efficiency)
– Require monitoring and analysis of more and more
process variables and parameters including a series of
calculated indices(plant efficiency, optimality
conditions, energy expenses etc)
– The arrangement of instruments in conventional
control room makes it difficult for the operator to
simultaneously monitor and interrelate the indicated
and alarmed values
 Human Interface
• The problem can be overcome using display
oriented monitoring stations
– Any number of variables in any combination can
simultaneously be displayed
– Operator can automatically select according to the
disturbances present within the plant
• The collaboration between the designers and the
users of the plant monitoring instrumentation has
created a thoroughly sophisticated, adapted to the
needs of plant operator, and extremely flexible
display oriented plant monitoring facilities
 Human Interface
• DCS – Hierarchical organization of
monitoring and command hardware and
software
• Integrated monitoring and command
system are distributed within the plant and
attached to different automation levels
• The facilities at each level enables the
operator to operate and monitor at that
level and lower lvels
Human Interface
 Human Interface
• At field control levels, operator can
influence the individual set point values
• At group control level operator can call
some local logs and data files
• At plant management levels some
statistical data and production surveys will
be displayed and some production planning
and scheduling data entered into computer
 System Elements
• Characteristics of the systems used at
each level
– Field stations
– Intermediate stations
– Central computer station
 System Elements
• Field Stations
– Lowest hierarchical level
– Placed in the field – vicinity of the plant
– Strongly autonomous automation subsystems
– Domain of influence is limited to few
measuring points or control loops
– Implemented as system modules with
process interface on plant side, and with bus
interface on plant side
 System Elements
• Primary functions of field stations
– Collect and pre-process analog and digital
signals
– Monitor and log the alarming messages
– Perform open loop and closed loop control
functions
• Stations are modularly structured and
usually local bus oriented
System Elements
System Elements
 System Elements
• The field stations must be intelligent, CPU-
based autonomous system units
• Series of process interface modules and
number of RAM and PROM blocks
• The internal structure of field station
– For process interface a separate serial bus is
provided
– Increases I/O capacity of station
– Second bus of field station can, again, be used
for interconnection between neighboring
stations
 System Elements
• Several analog and digital process
interfaces
• Typical input and output signal ranges
available are
– Analog inputs: 0-20mA, 4-20mA, 0-5V, 1-5V,
0-10V, 0-25mV, 0-50mV, -10 - +10mV
– Analog outputs: : 0-20mA, 4-20mA, 0-5V
– Binary inputs: 0/10mA, 0/100mA, 0/200mA,
0/24V
– Binary outputs: 0/100mA, 0/200mA, 0/24V
 System Elements
• Typical total number of analog inputs and
outputs per field station is 4, 8, 16, 48 or
64. Some can even have up to 128, 256 or
1024 analog I/Os
• Typical total number of binary inputs and
outputs per field station is 4, 8, 16, 64, 256.
Some can even have up to 512 or 1024
binary I/Os
 System Elements
• Communication Interfaces to higher levels
– RS 232
– RS 422
– RS 485
– IEE 488
– BITBUS
– MODBUS
– MAP/Ethernet
 System Elements
• The first DCS available in the market – TDC 2000
system of Honeywell
– Basic controller was implemented as a card file
assembly made of PCBs
– Bus oriented field station, provided by eight
functional blocks called slots
– Each block being able to function as a single loop
controller
– The controller can be connected with each other for
implementing desired multi-loop control
configuration
– Each of the 8 individual controller can make use of
any of the available 28 computational algorithms.
System Elements
 System Elements
• Some more popular field stations are
– Micon P-200
– Micon MDC-200
– Contronic P
– Extended controller of TDC 3000
– MAX 1
– TELEPERM M
 System Elements
• Intermediate Stations
– Between lowest and highest hierarchical level
– Also known as group or supervisory stations
– Autonomous system elements with the
restricted domain of influence to a group of
field stations, pertaining to a closed, well
defined, and relatively autonomous part of
plant
 System Elements
• Common functions of intermediate stations
– State observation of process variables
– Calculation of reference value for control loops
at lower level
– Tracking of order processing and material and
energy balances
– Efficiency analysis
– Reporting
– Data exchange with higher level stations
 System Elements
• In majority of available systems, there is no
special unit exclusively designed as agroup
or supervisory station
• Universal unit which depending on
integrated hardware and software, can be
adapted to serve as a field or a supervisory
station
• LOGISTAT CP 80 – Equipped as field,
supervisory or even as central station
System Elements
 System Elements
• At intermediate level – Used as batch
process control station, with capability of
text and plant data processing, process
coordination
• LOGISTAT 500 – As supervisory station
will be provided with the display, storage
and printer facility, data logging and
alarming facility
 System Elements
• Some more popular intermediate stations
– TELEPERM M
– CONTRONIC P
– TDC 3000
– MICROMAX
– PROCONTROL I
 System Elements
• Central Computer Station
– Enables centralized plant monitoring
– Important program generation and system
diagnostic services
– The main part of station is central operating
console (Operator station, process
management center, command center),
containing the central monitoring and
command facilities
System Elements
System Elements
 System Elements
• Basic services offered by central computer
station
– Process display and control
– Plant data collection and retrieval
– Inter-level communication
– System diagnosis
– System configuration and parameterization
– Program generation and test
– Scientific and commercial calculations
– System simulation
 System Elements
• Functions require a collection of
programming tools to be available with
central computer station
– Operating system
– System utility software
– Communication software
– Application software
 System Elements
• Operating system
– Real time system capable of managing priority
interrupts and I/O activities of attached
peripheral devices
– Manages some hardware functions like real
time clock, power failure, internal computer
failure
• System utility software
– Editor, debugger, linker, loader, higher level
languages for easy generation of system or
application programs
 System Elements
• Communication Software
– Data exchange within the distributed
computer control system
– Collection of communication protocols
according to the ISO/OSI reference model,
whereby the protocols of the physical, data
link and application layer are most important
ones
 System Elements
• Application software
– Necessary for plant data collection and
processing, including the software necessary
for process monitoring and control
– Software necessary for system configuration
and reconfiguration, parameterization, mimic
diagram design and generation
 System Elements
• Monitoring and Command Facilities
• Two main characteristics of DCS
– A large variety of control and other auxiliary
algorithms, through which desired control loop and
other data handling programs can be freely
configured and parameterized
– Series of versatile, intelligent, plant monitoring and
command facilities, by the use of which plant state
can be supervised and the process within the plant
state can be supervised and the process within the
plant directly influenced by the plant operator
 System Elements
• Screen partition
– Divide the total display area into up to four sub
areas with display functions
• Message area
• Overview area
• Main display area
• Operators instruction area
System Elements
 System Elements
• Message area
– Displaying messages, alarms, faults and
functional errors of the plant
– Color display and blinking is used to warn the
operator
– Messages are time tagged
• Overview area
– Necessary information concerning the status of
individual plant units
– Continuosly displayed or displayed on demand
 System Elements
• Main display area
– Central part of display unit
– Detailed representation of any plant unit.
Controller group, control loop, process variable
selected by operator
• Operator’s instruction area
– Provides operator with the possibility of
interactive communication
– Some standard and user defined symbols and
some system keywords are displayed
– These can be selected using cursors or light pens
 System Elements
• Display organization
– For each hierarchical level of the system the
plant operator should be given the necessary
display support in selection of process flow
charts and plant mimic diagrams, alarm reports,
instantaneous value, trends and records of
individual control variables as well as report on
present and past plant variables
– Urgent reports concerning the critical situations
within the plant should even automatically be
displayed on the screen
 System Elements
– At least the following items must be
selectable on the screen
• Mimic diagrams and overview reports
• Process flow charts and process status reports
• Special data reports
• Trend recording
• Statistical surveys
• Historical data reports
• Production status reports
 System Elements
• Two main types of displays
– Standard displays
– User defined displays
• Standard displays – Pre-confectioned
presentation forms of individual measuring and
alarm points of control loops and controller
groups of plant areas carrying graphic,
symbolic and alphanumeric information
structured in a more or less standardized form
• User defined displays – Non standardized and
not pre confectioned visual presentation forms,
to be finally developed by the user itself for
specific plant considered
 System Elements
• Standard displays
– Standard displays menu: The total collection of
available display features within a monitoring and
command facility of a distributed computer control
system
– Contains series of standard pre structured displays
• Plant overview display
• Unit or area overview display
• Group display
• Loop display
• Detailed display
• Alarm survey
• Trend display
 System Elements
• Plant overview display:
– Highest hierarchical level of plant display at
which the structural and the status information
concerning all plant groups or units is
summarized
– Operator can directly access any particular
group or unit
– The display area is usually divided into a
number of fields, each one reserved for a
particular group within the plant
 System Elements
• Unit or Area overview display
– In large plants , it is not always possible to give
an entire overview of all groups within the plant,
in a single display
– It is necessary to divide the total plant overview
display into a series of smaller, partial overview
displays, known as unit overview displays or
area overview displays
– Each display corresponds to a specific part of
plant
 System Elements
• Group display
– Individual analog and binary measuring points,
closed loop controllers, process variables are
simultaneously represented in analog, binary or
alpha numeric form
– Purpose of group display is to provide the
operator with detailed information about the
status of selected part of process and to enable
him to control that part of process
– Based on group display plant operator can
manipulate the set point values, controller output
signals and mode of operation of individual
control loops displayed within the group
 System Elements
• Loop display
– Lowest level of display hierarchy
– Provides operator with the most detailed
information concerning the selected loop
– Plant operator can manipulate set point values
of displayed variable
– Control engineer can change the values of
displayed controller parameters
 System Elements
• Detailed display
– Any item represented in a group display can
also individually be displayed by its selection
– Along with standard data concerning the item
selected, the values of all relevant parameters
with some short term records are displayed
 System Elements
• Alarm survey
– Important requirement of DCS – Capability to
promptly react to any alarm condition within the
plant
– Alarm survey – important in process monitoring
facility
– Alarm state of each process variable is represented
in the same area of a group or individual display
– In the message area of the screen the most recent
alarms are automatically displaced
– The alarm events are stored in computer memory
and displayed when selected by operator – Gives
operator detailed view of alarm situation
 System Elements
• Trend display
– Trend recordings are needed by the operator
for predictive monitoring and control mission
– Helps in discovery of possible future alarm
situations and their management
– Two types
• Real time trends
• Historical trends
 System Elements
• User Defined Displays
• Plant specific displays
• Two major features built by user
– Plant mimic diagrams
– Batch control diagrams
 System Elements
• Mimic diagram
– Represent the most appropriate means for a
detailed survey of an instantaneous situation
within the plant
– Classification
• Plant mimic diagram
• Area mimic diagram
• Group mimic diagrams
 System Elements
• Batch control diagrams
– Diagrams needed for planning, monitoring and
carrying out of batch processes
– Represent detailed control situation
 System Elements
• Operating keyboards and control panels