PMS 3 - Episode 2 : Modeling for SCADA/IoT platforms

Supervision platforms

Supervision software platforms get data from devices, visualize and control real-time values through animated views. They also process this data with calculations, alarm management, archiving to study the past behavior of the system, reporting etc. and share the data with others systems.

A supervision software platform is designed to supervise automated systems whose elements are numerous, similar and meeting standards.

For example, a building management system includes dozens of temperature sensors, thermostats, lights, roller shutters, air control system, etc. Each type of element is often identical or very similar. The same is true in an industrial-type process for the valves or pumps used. 

Evidently, the supervision platform must allow the creation of interfaces using similar objects without having to redefine each element one by one. The ability of a supervision platform to create object models is imperative.

Modeling

Modeling consists in defining object models, including various elements specific to an object: real-time data (control, status, alarms, measurements...), graphical representations, calculations, behaviors...

• Using a pump as an example, a model could define the following elements:
• Real-time values related to the pump: pressure, flow, on/off, fault, run time, etc.
• Graphical representation
• Archiving of pump-related values   
• Statistical operating calculations
• etc.

This model can then be used to generate objects of the same type in the project with values specific to each instance based on the model. 

Modeling allows to:

• Create models of more or less complex objects
• Create instances of objects from models and generate similar objects in a project
• Customize each object according to its specificities depending on its model
• Modify instances of objects if necessary and synchronize the project with the modifications.

To go further:

Learn more on Advanced Configuration Environment and all its features here

Watch our videos on Project Modeling Tools 

Stay tuned for episode 3, we will cover the benefits of modeling !