3. Distributed Control System Operations

Typically, industrial Distributed Control Systems are programmable electronic cyber-physical systems that perform a set of operations continuously. Those systems are designed to perform real-time monitoring, continuous recording, and logging of plant status and process parameters. They implement automatic process control and batch/sequence control during start-up, normal operation, shutdown, and disturbance, i.e., control within normal operating limits. When they are deployed in hazardous environments, they should be able to detect hazardous conditions and to terminate or mitigate hazards (i.e., control within safe operating limits). In this chapter we take a closer look at the operations that the DCS implements. It focuses on the software components and functionalities that are implemented in those systems. These include Human–Machine Interfaces, Diagnostics and Maintenance Interfaces, and Controllers. Controllers are fundamental software components through which users and automated logic interact with the whole cyber-physical system. The main operations implemented in a DCS are overviewed.