JSCADA

EUROICC JSCADA

is a Web-enabled Client - Server SCADA application. It is being developed on JavaTM 2 platform by using Java, Web XML and HTML technologies, making it modular, flexible and universal solution (control equipment-independent). This application can therefore work on every WindowsTM 32 operating system (98 /98 /Me /NT4 /2000 /XP), every LinuxTM OS distribution, as well as some less frequent platforms (MacOSTM, SolarisTM). JSCADA is the new concept located at the user level of CIM pyramid, which sublimes into itself elements of classic SCADA system and Web application. Since this system is Client - Server it is therefore possible for one client to be connected to multiple servers, with single or multiple client applications working simultaneously on the Client PC.

SCADA elements

EUROICC JSCADA incorporates common SCADA elements: User evidence, Monitor screens, Commands, Alarms, Graphs, Reports, direct database input, system data overview and On-Line Help.

Web elements

Client - Server communication is maintained through standard Internet protocols - TCP/IP and UDP/IP. This allows this system to be installed on practically every existing network: bysiness /industrial LAN /WAN, Intranet, Internet... It also means that production facility can be monitored over the JSCADA system in any time of the day, from any place on the Web.

SCADA features of this system include:

Main Menu

• Main Menu is tree-formed, with groups shown as tree knots and items as leaves. This is also main application window, closing it ends the application.
• This kind of visualisation allows desired item to be accessed with a single mouse click or key press.

Monitor Windows

• Clean, orderly schematic visualisation of process parameters in Real-Time, fully adjusted to the individual process. Parameters can be displayed in:
  • digital form - small-size window with numerical value and measurement unit,
  • analogue form - bar-graph, slider, dial-meter etc,
  • on/off - for discrete parameters, with 2, 3 or 4 states (state indicated by colour). These are, typically, various indicators (motor operation, temperature /pressure level indicators, scale overload, various alarms etc.).

Graphs

• Graphical representation of history of chosen process parameters. Time axis adjustment, time-base search.
• Graph printing through the underlying OS Print service - the OS takes care about the resolution, printer, paper format... No OS-dependant software is required.

Reports

• Process parameters history in numerical form. Possibility of preview, save, printing and erasing of the reports.
• Each report is being saved locally to the Client PC disk, its erasing not effecting the acquired data (that are being kept at the Server Database)
• Reports are saved in ASCII Delimited format, so they can easily be loaded into any spreadsheet application for further analysis (MS Excel, Lotus 1-2-3, OpenOffice Calc...).

Alarms

• Possibility of defining various alarms and their on-line display in separate window. The preview of currently active alarms as well as alarm history is available. Alarms can be sorted by various parameters (creation date, confirmation date, priority...)

Commands

• Various system commands. From PID parameters adjustment, to the direct actuators manuipulation (motors, cyllinders).
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System

• Display and adjustment of various system parameters: User profile creation /editing, user interface setup, communication parameters adjustment, System Log view, etc.
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Help

• Online Help system, "pure" HTML, using the OS default Web browser for its display (MS IE, NS Navigator, Opera...). Cross-Application and Cross-Platform, easy extendable, with search capabilities.

User

• User login /logout, resource access control etc.
• Web features of this system include:
• Fully Web-compatible Client-Server communication, maintained through the TCP/IP and UDP/IP protocols. This means that the same SCADA client can be used both in the Local network (company Intranet) and the Internet.
• JSCADA can (optionally) also be delivered in Applet form, with somewhat different user interface and options. In that case all the user needs to access the system is a Web browser with applet support.

Benefits and Savings

• System Flexibility - thanks to its concept and components being chosen, the system can be implemented on practically every PC platform being in use today. Client and Server can therefore be on Windows /Linux (basic configuration), Windows /Windows or Linux /Linux. MySQL is being used as the database server. Communication with PLC network(s) is maintained through the VPLC application which operates as a Daemon (on Linux) or a Service (on Windows).
• Distributed System Features - The Client - Server concept means that the responsibility in the system is being distributed over many PCs. If any of the Clients halts, the system suffers no consequences. In case of a Server breakdown, the rest of the network and its functionalities are not interrupted, and the PLC /regulator field network of the broken Server continues working on its own operating programmes. In that case the system remains controllable from the field (facility) level.
• Reliability - Many other user interface development platforms also allow the Web access, doing it faster, more visually attractive and with less programming knowledge than with Java2 (e.g. Macromedia Flash). The basic benefit of Java platform is its reliability, being achieved through:
  • Possibility of implementation of various protection standards and protocols - VPN (Virtual Private Network) communication, SSL (Secure Socket Layer) communication, digital signing and certificates check for the application and its modules.
  • Data encryption ability - Java CE supports 64-bit, and Java EE 128-bit encryption.
  • Possibility of imposing various security limits for Application operation (especially Applets) - the Sandbox concept.
  • Full implementation of the object-oriented concepts - use of private and protected class members, and fully-featured class inheritance and polymorphism.
  • No explicit pointers allowed in code - making the user unable to manipulate them.
  • Application execution through the Virtual Machine engine - making it tough to bugs and breakdowns, allowing the application to continue operating even with some severe errors ('index out-of-bounds' or 'null pointer')

• Connecting Features - There's a huge number of classes and packages available for Java 2 platform today. To mention a few - SQL database connection, ODBC and database- specific database connection, CORBA application creation & connection, connection with SAP system (through the RMI package), connection with native-code applications (through JNDI)...
• Time savings - Due to multitude of sensors and measurements usually available on the equipment today, and being acquired by this system, the undesireable trends can be noticed before the equipment breakdown occurs, resulting in easier preventive maintenance scheduling. This system can also be enabled to alarm the duty services (security, firefighters...) the moment the facility enters the unwanted behaviour, doing this through the SMS messages, direct phonecalls or urgent Email messages.
• Money savings - When such system is implemented it also gives direct money savings, through the reduced raw-materials and energy consumption, reduced waste etc., which is a direct consequence of improved facility control. These savings are usually in the range from 2 - 20%
• Better resource planning - Better production control means better planning of production resources, i.e. improved reliability of the production facility.