Short discussion of a topic we found interesting
Originally published [2023]; Heavily revised in Feb 2026 to reflect current shifts in OT Cybersecurity and 64-bit OS compatibility. In the landscape of industrial automation, “solved” problems have a habit of reinventing themselves. For decades, the primary hurdles for SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) were simple connectivity and basic uptime. However, as we navigate…
Upgrading a rail network’s Traction Power SCADA is one of the most high-stakes tasks an OT manager faces. Many legacy systems are reaching end-of-life, cybersecurity threats are evolving, and the margin for error is zero. You need a partner who understands that “The Trains Must Keep Running.” “Brownfield” Dilemma: Upgrading While Live Solving the Legacy Hardware “Translation” Gap Beyond…
A case study involving Queensland Rail (QR) upgrading their Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) CPUs illustrates the complexity of this process, revealing that even seemingly simple “plug and play” replacements require extensive validation of all software configurations due to subtle compatibility issues and the zero margin for error when managing high-voltage traction power. Furthermore, the discussion…
The Melbourne Underground Rail Loop (MURL) Fire and Life Safety System Upgrade project involved the design, installation and commissioning of a Smoke Management System at each of the three MURL underground stations. Fire and Life Safety System Criticality Siemens S7-1518HF CPU Type Approval CMS Development Environment Station Periphery Design Management Testing and Commissioning Challenges Customer…
An OT data solution is much more than technology; it’s a delivered solution to the whole organisation. Digital Solution Certainty Key insights Gained from Data-Driven Solution Lessons Learned about OT data engineering Solving the OT to Business data challenge with OT DataBridge
Our Top 5 Problems with Process Historians points out a number of product limitations and common implementation issues. The news is not all bad but the Top 5 does illustrate common problems. Like all technologies, getting it to do something more than it was intended to do may be cool, but there will be strings…
Queensland Rail operates and maintains 6,600 km of track in South East Queensland and Regional areas. It operates over 8,000 services each week and relies on Electric Power to operate Electric Trains (Rolling Stock). The Traction Power SCADA System is used by Operators to manage the grid safely and in turn, indirectly maintain the safety…
Aurelia Metal’s Peak Mine has several polymetallic underground mines plus an 800ktpa gold and base metals processing plant. It is located in the Cobar Basin in New South Wales Australia. Like all mines and processing plants, Peak Mine has Industrial Control System technologies to monitor and manage processing and moving materials. These technologies also provide…
Are Historians Old or New Tech? In this article, Process Historian is used synonymously as Enterprise Historian. As a rule, we have vintage and modern Historians used in a myriad of applications. We even have historians used in systems where alternative technologies (including relational databases) are more suited. Modern historians have added benefits as developers…
During the last three decades a lot has happened in the tech space, although comparatively much less has changed in SCADA due to the industrial automation industry as a whole being very conservative. Is SCADA an outdated technology? What does next generation SCADA look like? What are the advantages of upgrading outdated SCADA systems? Why…