Modern third generation supervisory control and data acquisition, or SCADA, systems reply on LAN or WAN infrastructure and use common and open IP protocols for communication. While one of the advantages of these SCADA systems is that they are accessible from the Internet, security problems arise as there is no secondary or backup monitoring, recording, and archiving solution.
The human-machine interface, or HMI, lies at the heart of any SCADA system and allows operators to monitor or control integrated components in real time. Archiving all images that are displayed on the HMI is vital for safety, training, quality control, and legal purposes. In order for the system to capture and record all HMI operations yet still maintain security, an external device must be used and the SCADA system itself should not be altered in any way.
The solution to external SCADA monitoring and recording then is to use an external frame grabber that is independent of the SCADA system itself and operates on a different network infrastructure. For video capture of the HMI, an external network frame grabber that is able to grab images directly from the VGA steam should be used.
External grabbers act as a bridge between the SCADA HMI and a computer that is used for recording and archiving the captured images. An external network frame grabber, such as the VGA2Ethernet, is able to grab the DVI or VGA signal originating from the HMI, digitize it, compress it, and send it over a LAN to one or more computers, a safe repository, or an external server.
Using an external VGA frame grabber for video capture means that it is always possible to backup the information flow from the SCADA system into a remote and secure location that is physically separated from the bulk of the SCADA system, adding another layer of security and management.
Using the VGA2Ethernet for video capture also means that it is always possible to backup the information flow from the industrial control system into a remote and secure location that is separate from the bulk of the system.
Author: Sonya Blade
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital TV, HDTV, Satellite TV
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