Actions

Industrial Control System (ICS)

Revision as of 17:53, 22 May 2020 by User (talk | contribs) (Created page with "'''Industrial Control System (ICS)''' is a general term that encompasses several types of control systems and associated instrumentation used for industrial process control. S...")
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)

Industrial Control System (ICS) is a general term that encompasses several types of control systems and associated instrumentation used for industrial process control. Such systems can range in size from a few modular panel-mounted controllers to large interconnected and interactive distributed control systems with many thousands of field connections. Systems receive data received from remote sensors measuring process variables (PVs), compare the collected data with desired setpoints (SPs), and derive command functions which are used to control a process through the final control elements (FCEs), such as control valves. Larger systems are usually implemented by supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, or distributed control systems (DCS), and programmable logic controllers (PLCs), though SCADA and PLC systems are scalable down to small systems with few control loops. Such systems are extensively used in industries such as chemical processing, pulp and paper manufacture, power generation, oil and gas processing, and telecommunications.[1]


Industrial Control System (ICS) source: Trendmicro


Components of an Industrial Control System (ICS) Environment[2]
IT and OT: Operational Technology (OT) variables include the hardware and software systems that monitors and controls physical devices in the field. OT tasks vary with every industry. Devices that monitor temperature in industrial environments are examples of OT devices The convergence of IT and OT provides enterprises greater integration and visibility of the supply chain– which include their critical assets, logistics, plans, and operation processes. Having a good view of the supply chain helps organizations remain competitive. On the flip side, however, the convergence of OT and IT allows easier access to these two components that are targets of cybercriminals. In many organizations OT infrastructure is at best poorly protected against cyber attacks.

  • Programmable Logic Controller (PLC): This is a type of hardware that is used in both DCS and SCADA systems as a control component of an overall system. It also provides local management of processes being run through feedback control devices such as sensors and actuators. In SCADA, a PLC provides the same functionality as Remote Terminal Units (RTU). In DCS, PLCs are used as local controllers within a supervisory control scheme. PLCs are also implemented as primary components in smaller control system configurations.
  • Remote Terminal Unit (RTU): An RTU is a microprocessor-controlled field device that receives commands and sends information back to the MTU.
  • Control Loop: Every control loop consists of hardware such as PLCs and actuators. The control loop interprets signals from sensors, control valves, breakers, switches, motors, and other similar devices. The variables measured by these sensors are then transmitted to the controller to carry out a task and/or complete a process.
  • Human Machine Interface (HMI): A graphical user interface (GUI) application that allows interaction between the human operator and the controller hardware. It can also display status information and historical data gathered by the devices in the ICS environment. It is also used to monitor and configure setpoints, control algorithms, and adjust and establish parameters in the controllers.
  • Remote Diagnostics and Maintenance: This is a term used to identify, prevent, and recover from abnormal operations or failures.
  • Control Server: A control server hosts the DCS or PLC supervisory control software and communicates with lower-level control devices.
  • SCADA Server or Master Terminal Unit (MTU): This is a device that issues commands to RTUs in the field.
  • Intelligent Electronic Device (IED): A smart device capable of acquiring data, communicating with other devices, and performing local processing and control. The use of IEDs in control systems like SCADA and DCS allows for controls at the local level to be done automatically.
  • Data Historian: A data historian is a centralized database for logging all process information within an ICS environment and then exporting data to the corporate IS. The data gathered is then used for process analysis, statistical process control, and enterprise level planning.
  1. Defining Industrial Control System (ICS) Wikipedia
  2. Components of an Industrial Control System (ICS) Environment Trendmicro