SCADA engineering, from first design to a running plant
For electrical contractors, EPC and systems integrators, and plant owners who need substations and electrical networks brought into SCADA properly the first time.
New SCADA projects
The full engineering scope for substation and RTU / SCADA panel projects:
- Detailed design and engineering documentation
- System and IED configuration, signal lists and databases
- HMI and mimic design
- Factory acceptance testing (FAT)
- Site commissioning and commissioning support
Connections between systems
Plants rarely run one control system. We connect MicroSCADA to DCS and other systems, such as Emerson DeltaV, Honeywell and Citect, so electrical and process data meet where operators need them.
Past work includes SQL energy logging from MicroSCADA and SMS alarm notification.
Upgrades and migrations
Extending running systems with new substations and power stations, upgrading MicroSCADA versions and hardware, and migrating older systems with as little plant downtime as possible.
Legacy ABB LON networks
Support for older ABB LON bus substation networks: fault finding, changes and keeping them integrated with SCADA. Support only; we don't supply LON hardware.
Support and maintenance
Planned site visits, health checks, fault finding and changes on live systems.
Training
MicroSCADA courses for engineers, technicians and operators. Derek Ward is certified by ABB Finland to present MicroSCADA training courses and has presented them many times.
Training on a virtual substation
MicroSCADA courses can run on a virtual substation built with Limelight SCT, so nobody needs a panel full of relays. Every relay in the course project runs as a simulated IEC 61850 device, and MicroSCADA connects to it exactly as it would on site.
Students open and close breakers and disconnectors on a live single-line diagram in their browser, with the bay interlocking in force, and see the same events arrive in MicroSCADA.
Platforms, protocols and devices
SCADA platforms
Protocols
IED vendors integrated
Devices from several vendors have been brought into single SCADA systems, as well as into separate systems per vendor where the plant required it.
Supporting skills
- Substation networking, gateways and protocol converters
- Time synchronisation and GPS clocks
- HMI and mimic design
- SCADA cyber security
- Engineering documentation and as-built records
- Software development: custom tools and integrations
Custom-developed tools
On one project, the analogue signals from GE 8-Series relays would not start reporting to MicroSCADA on their own. Rather than leave operators with missing values, we wrote a small watchdog service that detects the problem and initialises the relays' reports automatically.
When a standard product can't solve a site problem, we can build the tool that does.
How we work
Directly with the engineer
Derek Ward does the engineering himself, and additional engineers are subcontracted when a project's size or schedule needs them.
Nationwide
Based in Gauteng and working on site anywhere in South Africa.
Safe on site
Work is done under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 and each site's own safety rules.
Need SCADA engineering on your next project?
Send the scope, drawings or signal list you have, and we'll respond with how we can help.