Choosing a SCADA System with the Operator in Mind

Scan and data acquisition (SCADA) hardware and software are constantly changing. Because of these changes the SCADA keyboards, displays, and response time of today differ from the equipment performance of yesterday, and the equipment of the future will differ from the equipment of today. A review of pipeline control changes over the past 35 years is used to demonstrate how the equipment has served the operator. A brief discussion of new hardware developments shows how past experience might be applicable when designing SCADA systems in the future.