Components of an Industrial Control System

An Information System (IS) is an organized set of resources for acquiring, processing and storing information within and between organizations. An industrial IS, or an industrial control system (ICS), is a system composed of an IS plus specific equipment for control and measurement. This chapter shows architecture of a traditional industrial IS, which is called supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) or distributed control system. A remote telemetry unit (RTU) is a microprocessor‐controlled electronic device that connects a physical system to a master system, typically a programmable logic controller, master terminal unit or SCADA. The programmable automation controller has more connectivity and can manage remote modules similar to RTU. Human‐machine interfaces are an essential part of ICS which allows the user to visualize how the system works and take the necessary actions.