Advantages of the KASKAD software complex over foreign SCADA systems

Modern systems for process dispatching and automation are an integral part of industrial production. They provide centralized data collection, visualization of technological processes, archiving of information, processing of alarm events, and remote control of equipment. The global market for SCADA systems is dominated by solutions from manufacturers such as Siemens (WinCC), AVEVA (System Platform and Citect SCADA), GE Digital (iFIX), Inductive Automation (Ignition), Schneider Electric (EcoStruxure), and others. These products are widely used in various industries and offer extensive functionality.

In recent years, special attention has been paid to the development of domestic software that can ensure the technological independence of industrial enterprises. One of the most modern Russian solutions is the KASKAD 4.0 software package. The platform combines modern architectural principles, an object-oriented data model, support for common industrial protocols, and a focus on the requirements of Russian enterprises.

The advantages of KASKAD are not only in compliance with the import substitution policy, but also in the features of its internal architecture, which ensures high performance, scalability, and ease of development of complex dispatch systems.

Modern microservice architecture

Most classic foreign SCADA systems have historically developed as monolithic applications. Despite continuous improvements, many of them retain a close relationship between individual functional modules.

Cascade 4.0 was originally designed with a microservice architecture. The main functions of the platform are divided between specialized managers:

  • Gateway;
  • Handler;
  • HDB;
  • UI;
  • Data Point Configurator;
  • Management console.

Each manager is an independent service. This architecture provides several important benefits:

  • independent component launch;
  • the ability to distribute the load between servers;
  • fault tolerance;
  • simplify the updating of individual modules;
  • improve system performance.

For example, when the user interface is temporarily disabled, the data exchange process with the controllers continues, the information is archived, and when the operator reconnects, they receive the current status of the process facility.

Object-oriented data model

One of the most significant differences in Cascade is the use of the DataPoint object model.

In many traditional SCADA systems, the main element is the process tag. Each equipment parameter exists separately.

In Cascade, all parameters are combined into a single DataPoint object.

This approach is much closer to the actual structure of technological equipment. Instead of working with thousands of scattered tags, the engineer works with enterprise objects. This greatly simplifies the design of large automation systems.

Using Para instead of traditional tags

Each DataPoint contains a set of Para parameters.

Para is a significantly more complex structure than a regular tag. Each parameter contains:

  • meaning;
  • data type;
  • information quality;
  • the timestamp;
  • archiving settings;
  • belonging to alarms;
  • access rights;
  • custom properties.

In fact, Para is a full-fledged information object. This architecture allows for a unified data processing mechanism in all subsystems of the complex.

After changing, the Para values are automatically updated.:

  • mnemonic schemes;
  • archives;
  • event logs;
  • alarms;
  • reports.

The engineer does not need to separately configure the interaction between different system components.

Convenience of designing large facilities

When developing projects that contain tens of thousands of process signals, the object model significantly reduces the amount of manual work.

For example, when creating a DataPoint for an electric motor, an engineer defines the structure of the object once, after which similar instances can be used repeatedly.

This principle is similar to object-oriented programming.

Reuse of standard objects allows you to:

  • reduce the number of errors;
  • accelerate development;
  • simplify maintenance;
  • to ensure a uniform style of project construction.

For large enterprises, this advantage becomes particularly noticeable.

GEDI is an integrated graphical development environment

Cascade uses the specialized GEDI editor to build operator interfaces.

The main feature of GEDI is the direct work with the system object model. Graphical elements do not contain their own variables. They display the values of the corresponding Para.

For example, the image of a pump automatically changes color, caption, and animation depending on the change in the corresponding object parameters.

This organization makes it much easier to create standard screens.

Project scalability

One of the most important advantages of Cascade is its ability to scale the system gradually.

A small facility can function on a single computer. As the number of equipment increases, individual managers can be moved to different servers.

For example:

  • exchange server with controllers;
  • archive server;
  • visualization server;
  • backup server.

At the same time, the project structure does not change. This approach is especially convenient for distributed enterprises.

Data processing performance

By dividing functions among specialized managers, the mutual influence of individual subsystems is reduced.

Gateway is exclusively engaged in equipment exchange.

The handler is responsible for processing the information.

HDB performs archiving.

GEDI provides visualization.

Each component performs its own task. As a result, the likelihood of bottlenecks is significantly reduced as the number of process parameters increases.

Integration with industrial equipment

Cascade supports most modern industrial data exchange protocols:

  • Modbus RTU;
  • Modbus TCP;
  • OPC UA;
  • MQTT;
  • IEC 60870-5-104;
  • BACnet;
  • SNMP and others.

This allows the system to be used with equipment from various manufacturers.

This allows you to upgrade existing facilities without completely replacing the controller fleet.

Compliance with import substitution requirements

One of the most important advantages of the domestic platform is its independence from foreign software suppliers.

The use of the Russian software package ensures:

  • no risk of termination of technical support;
  • independence from foreign licensing policy;
  • the ability to receive technical support in Russian;
  • compliance with import substitution requirements;
  • the possibility of further developing the product to meet the needs of Russian enterprises.

This factor is particularly important for critical infrastructure enterprises.

Economic efficiency

The use of the DataPoint and Para object model significantly reduces the development time.

Reusing standard objects reduces the time it takes to create projects. It also reduces the cost of maintaining the system.

When changing the hardware structure, it is enough to make changes to the corresponding object template. All instances automatically maintain a single architecture.

This is especially important for large enterprises, where the number of technological facilities can be in the thousands.

Conclusion

The KASKAD 4.0 software package is a modern domestic platform for creating SCADA and HMI systems, developed with the current requirements of industrial automation in mind. Its key advantages are a microservice architecture, an object-oriented data model based on DataPoint and Para, an integrated graphical environment GEDI, advanced scaling tools and support for a wide range of industrial protocols.

Unlike the traditional approach based on working with individual tags, Cascade provides an engineer with the ability to model real technological objects, which simplifies the development, maintenance, and expansion of projects. The separation of functionality between specialized Gateway, Handler, HDB, and UI managers ensures high system performance and fault tolerance.

It should be noted that foreign SCADA platforms also have extensive functionality and many years of experience. The advantage of KASKAD is not its universal superiority over them, but rather its combination of modern architecture, object model, focus on the Russian market, support for domestic enterprises, and compliance with the requirements of technological independence. These features make KASKAD a promising platform for creating modern dispatching and information and control systems of various scales.