Types of ICS

Introduction

Industrial control systems (ICS) are mainstays in the worlds of manufacturing, automation, utilities facilities and more. They make many processes easier, streamline systems and are continually evolving to new heights. An interesting fact about ICS is that it was first born when IT concepts were introduced to currently existing physical controls and it has not let up yet. 

This article will detail the different types of ICS, including Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), Distributed Control Systems (DCS), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Industrial Automation and Control Systems (IACS). We will provide a brief summary of each type of ICS along with a rundown of important information about each type. If this is your first foray into ICS, this article will serve as a great introductory walkthrough. 

What is ICS?

ICS controls much of the world around you. ICS is the computers that control much of critical infrastructure, manufacturing, processing and other automated industries. These systems are essentially the joining of the IT world and the automated world where IT concepts were seeded into the world of physical processing. This has led to a faster, smarter, and safer industrial workplace. 

ICS is a general term that describes a diverse group of control systems and instrumentation. That group includes networks, systems and devices that are used to automate or operation industrial processes. 

Different types of ICS

There are four main types of ICS:

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• PLC
• DCS
• SCADA
• IACS

PLC

PLCs are solid-state ICSes with programmable memory for storage of instructions that monitor inputs and make decisions based on their internal program or logic for automation. An ICS can be PLC-based, where multiple PLCs are networked together in order to share information. Using PLCs in this way also allows for control capability and centralized monitoring. 

While some (Read more...)