An experiment in standardizing software for a monitoring and control device for power stations

ITALTEL has developed the microprocessor control and supervision (mCS) device as a part of the overall project to create a monitoring and control system for power plants. This is a microprocessor device which monitors and diagnoses the plant under its control and can also dialogue with a supervision center, exchanging messages relating to measurements, alarm threshold variations, transmission of diagnostic reports, and so on. The advantages offered by the application of such a device can also be made available to other types of power generating systems, such as rectifiers, inverters, generator units, and so on. To achieve this, the device hardware has been organized as three units, two of which are standard, with the third being modifiable to suit the particular application. A more sophisticated program has been implemented, with interactive application modules and an operating system with general functions, so as to simplify future expansion. The modules access a single database which is tailored to the specific application.<>