Composition of DCS
A distributed control system or DCS is a control system in which the controller components are not local, but dispersed throughout the system, and each component subsystem is controlled by one or more controllers. The entire arrangement of the controller is associated with the corresponding and observed system. DCS is a very broad term used in various enterprises to monitor and control hardware. The following is a list of places where distributed control systems are used.
Radio signal
Dry cargo and bulk carriers
Power grid and power plant
Traffic signal
Water management system
Oil refinery
Chemical plant
Sensor Networks
Environmental Control System
History of DCS
The first distributed control system was manufactured by Honeywell (1969). This new design relies on extensive distributed control of computer modules. Each of these modules controls several different processors, in most cases one to four. They are associated with a high-speed data communication link (called a data highway), which enables communication between each computer module and the central operator console. The plan allows administrators to monitor the activity of each local process.
Looking to the future, microprocessor-based modules replaced hard-wired computer modules in the 1970s. However, due to advances in microprocessors and other electronic circuits, today's distributed control systems are more powerful and faster than earlier systems. The next part of this blog explains how the existing DCS works and is shown in the figure below.
The "Three Qualities" of DCS Operation
DCS has three main characteristics. The first quality is to deliver different control capabilities to the rarely-arranged subsystems of the subsystems, which are semi-autonomous and connected to each other through fast corresponding transmissions. Some of these functions include protection of information, information introduction, process control, process supervision, display data, and data storage and recovery.
The second feature of DCS is to computerize the assembly process through coordinated advancement control technology. In addition, the third quality of DCS is to organize the entire process into a system. DCS classifies the entire control structure as a single computerized system in which different sub-systems are grouped together through appropriate sequence and data flow.
Several aspects must be considered when finding the right DCS, such as:
Process size
Integration needs
Feature
High availability
Expansion or modification plan
Return on investment of equipment service life
