SCADA
also: supervisory control and data acquisition · SCADA system · ISA/IEC 62443
Software and networks that supervise and control distributed industrial equipment, collecting data from PLCs and remote units and presenting it to operators.
SCADA systems sit above field controllers (PLCs and remote terminal units) and give operators a central view: live values, alarms, trends, history and the ability to send commands. They are used in utilities, water treatment, energy, manufacturing and large facilities, communicating over industrial protocols such as Modbus, DNP3 and OPC UA.
SCADA differs from cloud IoT platforms mainly in its focus on real-time supervisory control, deterministic behavior and long-lived on-site deployments, though the two increasingly overlap.
Where it bites: cybersecurity. Many SCADA networks were designed for isolated environments and are now connected; the ISA/IEC 62443 series is the main reference for securing industrial automation and control systems.
Founder takeaway
If your product feeds a SCADA system, support standard industrial protocols and design security to ISA/IEC 62443 expectations.
sources
engineer review pending