SCADA System

COMMUNICATION Technology
Part I: Communication Network

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek

 Introduction:

Communication Networks is used in SCADA systems to pass

data between all the connected components (Field
Devices/Sensors/RTUs/PLCs/HMI/SCADA Software ..etc)

Data is transmitted over a network as a serial communication,

each data words is called bytes, which is consisting of
individual logical zeros and ones (bits) are transmitted in
sequence from one device to another.
The collection of data in a single transmission is called a
packet.

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 2

 Serial Transmission
In serial transmission data is transmitted, on a single channel, one
bit at a time one after another

1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1
Sender transmitted Receiver received

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 3

 Parallel Transmission
In parallel transmission, each bit has it’s own piece of wire along
which it travels Sender transmitted
1
0

Receiver received
0
1
1
0
0
1

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 4

 Why Not use Parallel Instead of serial?
• Due to inconsistencies on channels data arrives at different
times
• Because of the way it is transmitted packet switching cannot
be used
• The above two points makes parallel slower than serial and
requires higher bandwidth.
• Parallel transmissions are rarely used anymore

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 5

The rate at which data can be transmitted over a network is
defined in bits per second or bps or kbps or Mbps.

The data transfer rate (in bits/second) is defined as:

Data transfer rate (bps) =

Number of bits transmitted per operation (bits)
Transfer time per operation (s)

For serial communication, if the time to transmit a single bit is

104.167 µs then the maximum data rate will be

1
Data transfer rate (bps) = = 9600 bps
104.167 x 10-6 s

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 6

 General Communication

Communication System consists of:

PartI: Communication Network

Part II: Communication Ports

Part III: Communication Protocol

Part IV: Communication Topology

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 7

 Part I
Communication Network

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 8

 Communication Network

Communication network fall under either:

hardwire or wireless category.
Hardwire communication options include dedicated
hardwire (i.e. Ethernet cable), fiber optic (i.e. light pipe),
telephone wire (i.e. copper pair), or coaxial cable.
Options for wireless data transmission include but are not
limited to include satellite, radio, cellular, and Wi-Fi.

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 9

 Hard wire communication bus includes two media to
transmit data signal between devices:
A. Electrical Conductors
B. Optical Conductors

Electrical Conductors such as copper wire and

Optical Conductors such as fiber optic cable

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 10

A. Electrical Conductors or Copper Media:
Copper media will support either point-to-point or tapped
network configurations. Three basic types of copper conductors
are used:

1- Shielded Twisted Pair (STP), in which individual pairs of

insulated conductors are twisted together to reduce
inductively coupled interference and covered with a
continuous metallic foil shield to reduce capacitive
coupled interference. Individual pairs or multiple pairs
are then assembled into a cable within an overall jacket
that provides environmental protection.
Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 11
 Shielded Twisted Pair (STP)

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 12

Copper Media:

2- Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP), in which individual pairs

of insulated conductors are twisted together to reduce
inductively coupled interference and covered with a
continuous metallic foil shield to reduce capacitive
coupled interference. Individual pairs or multiple pairs
are then assembled into a cable within an overall jacket
that provides environmental protection.

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 13

 Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 14

Copper Media:

2- Coaxial Cable (COAX),

A type of wire that consists of a center wire surrounded
by insulation and then a grounded shield of braided
wire. The shield minimizes electrical and radio frequency
interference.
Coaxial cabling is the primary type of cabling used by the
cable television industry and is also widely used for
computer networks, such as Ethernet. Although more
expensive than standard telephone wire, it is much less
susceptible to interference and can carry much more
data.

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 15

 Coaxial Cable (COAX)

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 16

 B. Optical Conductors or Fiber-based Network:

In fiber-based networks, optical fibers transmit data in the form

of pulses of light, which produced by a light emitting diode
(LED) or laser transmitter and detected by a photodiode or
phototransistor receiver at the other end of the fiber.
In addition to these photoelectric components, fiber optic
transceivers contain the circuitry required to convert electronic
data into pulses of light and the reverse.

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 17

B. Optical Conductors or Fiber-based Network:

Each optical fiber consists of a glass fiber core with another

layer of glass over the core called cladding.
The core and cladding have different indexes of reflection,
causing light waves that enter the core.
Cable sizes are typically defined by the outside diameters of the
core and cladding in microns.
Optical fiber is available in two types:
Single Mode Fiber and Multi Mode Fiber

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 18

 Fiber-based Network:

1- Single-Mode Fiber, consisting of a single core strand

having a single transmission path, provides very high data
transmission rates over long distances, but it costly.
This type of cable is used for long-distance

2- Multi-Mode Fiber, consisting of multiple core strands,

provides multiple single path, which result in some
distortion of the signal and is therefore restricted to
shorter lengths, but it more economical.

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 19

 Optical Fiber Cables:

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 20

 Wireless for SCADA
Wireless for industry/SCADA. There is no single wireless
technology that satisfies all the needs of industry. As a
result, numerous wireless technologies are being used in a
variety of applications.
Five technologies are used most commonly in industry. They
are:
Phone lines via dial-up modems.
Wireless Ethernet
Bluetooth and
GSM/GPRS (cell phone) technology
Each wireless technology has its advantages and limitations.

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 21

 Wireless Ethernet

Wireless Ethernet or Wi-Fi is based on the IEEE 802.11

standard that defines three sub-standards: 802.11a, b & g.
Each sub-standard defines the ISM band and spread
spectrum technology to be used. Table 2 lists the 802.11
standards and key attributes for each. IEEE established and
maintains the standards that ensure products from different
vendors are compatible. The Wi-Fi Alliance tests adherence
to the standards and certifies that a product meets the
standards. A product that is certified by the Wi-Fi alliance
can display the Wi-Fi logo.

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 22

 Wireless Ethernet is the world-wide standard for local
area network (LAN) technology. It is not surprising that
wireless Ethernet is widely used for wireless local area
network (WLAN) technology.
Ethernet is the most common use for Wi-Fi in industry is
for wireless networking. Ethernet has become an integral
part of industrial control networks and is well suited for
communications between PCs, PLCs, and a variety of other
devices used in control systems.
Wireless Ethernet increasingly is used for high-speed
wireless communications between plant sites, extending
the reach of wired networks beyond the plant.

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 23

 Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a public standard (802.15.1) intended for
short-range, low-power wireless transmissions.
Originally conceived for connecting consumer electronics
such as a wireless keyboard or mouse to a PC, Bluetooth
is being used in industry for machine-to-machine
communications and other short-range wireless
applications. Bluetooth can be used to send data
between a fixed device on a machine and a component
that is moving or rotating. Also, Bluetooth devices
sending serial data can be useful for mobile data
acquisition devices.

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 24

 The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) certifies that
products meet the standard, ensuring interoperability of
products from different manufacturers. Bluetooth uses
FHSS and operates in the 2.4 GHz band. Because Bluetooth
is a public standard, all aspects of its hop sequence must be
known in order for manufacturers to build devices that
work together. Bluetooth shares the same frequency bands
as 802.11b/g. When channels become overloaded,
Bluetooth versions 1.2 or later use “adaptive frequency
hopping” to remove overloaded channels from the hop
sequence. This is one example of how wireless standards
are evolving to minimize interference between unlicensed
technologies.

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 25

 Most people think of Bluetooth as a very short range technology. The
Bluetooth standard identifies three classes of devices based on transmission
power and approximate range. Class 3 devices (1 mW max) have an
approximate range of one meter. Class 2 devices (2.5 mW max) and Class 1
devices (up to 100 mW max) have ranges of 10 to 100 meters, respectively.
Some Bluetooth installations with line-of-sight easily exceed 100 meters.
When two or more Bluetooth devices are connected, they form a piconet.
Bluetooth devices initiate communications and determine if they should “pair”
with one another. Because there are many types of Bluetooth devices, there
must be a way to determine which devices should communicate. Each
Bluetooth device has “profiles” that define what the device is and what it does.
By examining each other’s profiles, devices know when to pair. An example of
a profile is “headset profile” used for headset voice output. A cell phone and
headset can pair and exchange data because each has the headset profile.

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 26

 As with any public standard, security is a concern.
Bluetooth uses a number of techniques to ensure secure
transmission of data. The use of FHSS as its engine adds
an inherent level of security. The Bluetooth hop
sequence switches channels 1,600 times per second.
Capturing a single hop would be extremely difficult.
Additionally, data is encoded before transmitted,
increasing the security of the transmission.
Password protection ensures only devices with identical
passwords can participate in the protected data
communication. Additional security comes from
controlling the pairing process to determine which
products can communicate. Also, devices can be made
“invisible” so they cannot be discovered by other devices.

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 27

 GSM/GPRS cell phone technology
GSM (Global Services for Mobile Communications)
GPRS (General Packet Radio Services)
GSM/GPRS cell phone technology can be useful when sending data over long
distances and the cost and complexity of wireless telemetry systems are
prohibitive.
A GSM/GPRS modem can provide access to remote locations via a cell phone
service provider. These service providers and the technology used are the
same that personal cell phones use.
GMS uses the voice network used by a cell phone. Data from the GSM
modem is sent through the service provider to any device on the PSTN
(public switched telephone network). The data, such as a text message or
fax, can be sent to a phone number on the PSTN. GSM provides point-to-
point connection via a direct dial. As with your cell phone, you are billed for
the airtime used.
A GPRS modem sends data via the service provider to the Internet. Data is
sent to an IP address instead of a phone number. The GPRS link is always
active, but billing is based on the amount of data sent, not airtime. GPRS
offers many options on the type and amount of data transmitted.

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 28

 Experienced users can purchase a GSM/GPRS modem and set up service
with the cell phone service provider of choice. However, users with little
or no experience can find the process of activating a modem challenging.
Certain manufacturers of GSM/GPRS modems may have a partnership with
a third party who will handle all arrangements with the service provider to
activate the modem and manage the call plans. This service is extremely
helpful when data from multiple locations involves several service
providers. Additionally, the third party may offer web services that allow
data collected from remote sites to be displayed on an Internet web page
or sent to a central database. It is easy to access information and monitor
operations from any location with an Internet connection.

There are two issues to consider with GSM/GPRS technology:

First, there are recurring costs. Monthly charges are incurred and vary
depending on the call plan used.
Second, the user does not own the link between sites and has no guarantee
that the link will always be operational.
Depending on the situation for a given application, these issues could
determine the feasibility of using – or not using – GSM/GPRS technology.

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 29

 Conclusion Wireless already has a well established role in industry today.
Its use, however, will grow dramatically in the coming years as wireless
technologies find mainstream acceptance, and standards intended for industrial
applications are developed.
Understanding the advantages and limitations of the various wireless
technologies will allow users to realize the benefits of wireless while avoiding
unnecessary costs and lost time resulting from its misapplication.

References
Bormann, Alexander & Hilgenkamp, Ingo, Industrial Networks: Ethernet
Communications for Automation Applications, Hermann Bosmann GmbH,

Detmold, Germany, 2006. Gralla, Preston, How Wireless Works Second Edition,
Que Publishing, Indianapolis, IN, 2006.

Prof. Alaa Abdel Razek Part i: Communication Network 30