SCADA

SCADA, short for supervisory control and data acquisition, is a control system architecture combining computers, networked data communications and graphical user interfaces to give operators high-level supervision of machines and industrial processes, including electric power generation, transmission and distribution systems. It also covers the sensors and actuators that are monitored and controlled through programmable logic controllers or a distributed control system, which interface directly with plant and grid equipment. Operators issue commands, such as changes to a controller's setpoint, through the SCADA computer system's interface, while the real-time control logic and calculations run on networked modules connected to the field sensors and actuators. SCADA was developed as a universal means of remote access to local control modules from different manufacturers using standard automation protocols, and large SCADA systems can now control processes across multiple sites over long distances, making it one of the most widely used kinds of industrial control system, including on electric utility grids. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/