About FreeSCADA

Background

FreeSCADA is a system based on opensource-components. The system is designed for controlling and/or collecting data for various processes. The technology used in achieving this is normal modern PC-hardware in combination with various sensors and actuators connected to the PC.

From what we know, no such system previously existed in the opensource-community, and this approach to implementing SCADA systems is a bit different from most traditional systems that aren't based on general purpose computers and networking. FreeSCADA is created by computer practitioners and therefore use technologies common in the computer industry, such as SQL-databases, TCP/IP, HTTP and general purpose programming languages. This gives the developer a much more advanced and flexible environment compared to systems not based on general purpose computers and operating systems. We think it gives the developer the chance to create much more elaborate systems which perform better than their competition.

Powerful and reliable

Since FreeSCADA uses high-performance modern PC hardware, we're able to use advanced systems for data storage and network communications. FreeSCADA use a SQL database server to store current and historical system states. This makes FreeSCADA a very reliable and fault tolerant system, since all FreeSCADA clients are state-less. It also mean that FreeSCADA has superior storage capacity and can store serveral years of high precision measurements and alarm events etc.

Communication within the FreeSCADA system uses the TCP/IP and UDP/IP Internet Protocols, which enables FreeSCADA to utilize the performance of high-speed Ehernet network as well as the existing and well-proven security mechanismS of the Internet, including VPN, strong encrypted communication via SSH (Secure Shells), fire walls etc. As a consquence remote access to a FreeSCADA system is natural part of the system design, and FreeSCADA may be accessed either form the Internet of from a dialed up ISDN/modem connection, or even from a cell phone.

Easy to use and Flexible

With the FreeSCADA user interface can a FreeSCADA system easily be maually controlled and supervised, even by person with very limited experience with control applications. The process viewer gives an overview of the system state.

And the statistics utilities makes it easy to compare measurements/states of the devices connected to the FreeSCADA system. This is an invaluable tool when analysing control rules and making decisions on adjustment control parameters.

The FreeSCADA graphical user interface also provides advanced features such as configuration and adjustments of the control rules and control parameters in a FreeSCADA system. It also allows the system administator to set up and configure the contents of the automatic reports produced and delivered by the FreeSCADA system, and a lot more.