Overview to Electrical Substation Automation Using SCADA

Abstract

Abstract—“Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system” is universally accepted means of control for electrical substation which involves continual real time monitoring applicable to generation, transmission and distribution systems. The heart of SCADA lies in the functioning of Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) which collects analog and status telemetry data from field devices and also communicates command signals to them. The inclusion of automation in electrical substation has resulted in a string of advantages including visibility of network operation, flexibility of controls, real time accurate and consistent data, statistical data archiving, faster fault identification, isolation and system restoration. Complex design of SCADA systems involve accurate matching of protocols and communication parameters between connecting devices. This paper aims at establishing a basic understanding of SCADA components, communication protocols and architectures, standards employed and the security risks involved in such systems. Keywords—SCADA, Electrical Substation Automation, Communication Protocols, SCADA standards Organisation, SCADA Architecture.