Network scalability is a vital aspect across industries as it leaves huge scope for future expansion in terms of geographical distances, adding devices, and more. This has become an important consideration when businesses are witnessing consistent growth and entering new geographic locations. This expansion demands a precise system for monitoring data and equipment both locally and remotely. There are many options available, and supervisory control and data acquisition or SCADA systems have gained immense traction over the last few years. It is a computer-aided system used for gathering and analyzing real-time data to control various equipment used in critical or time-sensitive events. However, these systems once integrated with the network need huge bandwidth as they comprise IoT devices, a huge amount of data gathered by different sensors, and subsequently enhanced security. All of these aspects may not be possible in legacy copper cable networks, and this is the reason most businesses consider switching to fiber optics or blend fiber optics into their existing network to support SCADA systems. Fiber optics meet all the requirements of the SCADA system by offering secure data transmission, increased signal capacity, immunity to ground faults and electromagnetic interference, and much more. This post discusses details of SCADA, its fundamental components, and its integration with fiber optic networks. So, stay tuned.
An Overview of SCADA with Fiber Optics
SCADA is an important system of the facility that can locally monitor the systems and devices in remote areas. Hence, it must be reliable and highly protected. The system comprises a communication system, a master work station, and a remote station. These devices are connected using a combination of fiber optic and copper cables. The central monitoring system analyzes the gathered information from remote locations and initiates the required actions. SCADA network helps maintain efficiency, as it gathers and monitors, and processes real-time data and communicates system issues to mitigate downtime. The next section discusses SCADA components in detail.
Hardware Components in a SCADA Network
The fiber optic SCADA network is made of the following components. So, let’s have a look at them.
- Network Switches: They direct and trigger the transmission of a signal to particular devices in a SCADA network. Network switches collect data from the source devices and send it to the destination devices by selecting the right IP addresses. There are two types of network switches – managed and unmanaged switches. They are small form factor pluggable (SFP) devices that offer easy installation, boost network speed, and improve connectivity too. Equipped with multiple SFP as well as RJ45 ports, these devices help expand the network even in remote locations through copper as well as fiber cables as well as a central device.
- Routers: Routers interpret, manipulate, and direct or route data depending on their IP addresses. A router acts as an interface between the local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN) and calculates the fastest route to the destination. It inspects the IP address once it receives a data packet and determines if it is meant for the network or not.
- Firewall: These devices are crucial for keeping internal traffic safe and secure. The firewall repeals external traffic and protects all the devices connected within the network. Nowadays, the firewall is integrated into the router for preventing unauthorized access. This helps protect the SCADA network for meeting regulatory requirements.
- Media Converters: They are effective devices in network expansion and signal conversion. Media converters are used to connect two different networks or devices that aren’t compatible in terms of speeds, operation types, and other parameters. They are widely preferred for huge and complex blended networks such as copper and fiber as they help convert the optical signals from fiber to electric ones and vice versa.
What Are the Common Network Topologies Used in SCADA?
Although fiber optics benefits in many ways, it is vital to choose the right network diagrams or topology that can provide the required manageability and reliability. The network can be built using various topologies. However, a fiber-optic SCADA network mostly has these two main topologies:
- Mesh: In a full mesh network, each node is interconnected with one another, and hence data can be routed to any node which reduces the delay in searching the right node. This topology offers high reliability. You can add additional nodes if required; however, it involves requires additional cabling and subsequently increases the costs. Due to this reason, a full mesh can be used for distribution sections that require redundancy. Compared to a full mesh, a half mesh network is common.
- Ring: As the name suggests, two adjacent nodes are connected to form a ring shape, hence the name. The data travels through rings until it reaches its destination. Compared to other topologies, the ring network is easy to build and handle. Cable redundancy in a ring network protects cable breaks or node failures.
If you are a business owner looking to implement fiber optics SCADA network, then you must consult a reliable, trustworthy industry player like VERISTRON. With years of market presence, the company specializes in manufacturing and supplying a variety of networking components, including fiber optic network switches, media converters, and connectors. The fiber optic switches are designed in varied specifications to fulfil the applications needs and are compatible with copper networks too.
