Formal techniques improve connectivity in supervisory systems

The need to provide communication among the various computers that make up supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems is encountered more and more frequently. This equipment is usually from various generations, technologies, and manufacturers. Much effort has been made to define a set of standard protocols for both center-remote communications and to center-to-center links of similar or different levels. Nevertheless, the future role of these standards is not clear, and the problem still remains of how to ensure communication among the systems working presently. The authors describe CUP, a protocol conversion tool that enables communication among the multiple components of SCADA systems. CUP is the Spanish equivalent of universal protocol conversion.<>