Many of you have read or heard about edge controllers – a relatively new technology that combines deterministic and non-deterministic real-time control in one hypervised platform, providing the capabilities of a programmable logic controller (PLC) and an edge computer system in one device, saving costs, space and integration time and complexity. In existing projects where PLCs are already well in place, industrial professionals may choose not to use edge controllers but rather opt for edge computing devices added to the existing machine-level control in order to bring analytic capability to the plant floor. On the other hand, in greenfield projects, those where the PLC technology is out-of-date or where space or integration complexity is an issue, the choice of an edge controller is optimum.
A truly dramatic example of the use of edge controller technology along with advanced SCADA-based software and other innovations can be seen in this article about the water distribution system in the world’s largest new city, NEOM in Saudi Arabia. An exceptional challenge, the NEOM system extends over approximately 65 km (40.4 miles) of coastal terrain and 75 km (46.6 miles) of mountains, providing a wide range of environmental stresses. A water desalination plant is the freshwater source, and the system includes pipelines, pumping stations and storage tanks. With the city under construction, the water system delivers more than 50,600 m3/day (1.787 million ft2) of bulk desalinated water to the core development area for construction and human consumption.
Read this interesting article. And learn more about how PACSystems edge technology can help in a wide range of applications by visiting Emerson.com/PACSystems.