A Dynamic Distributed Control System

It is a kind of control system associated with theIn the DCS the processors and modules are
manufacturing process or system. In this system theconnected through multiplexes but the electrical
components of the controller elements are notbuses or computer buses.
positioned in the center stage. Rather it is distributedThe distributed controllers in the DCS are also
through the system. And each of its components isconnected through computer buses which are finally
controlled by a separate controller or controllers. Thisconnected to the central controller which is finally
system of controllers is interconnected to eachconnected to the human computer interface. The
others for monitoring and communication. Basicallymain application distributed control system is to
distributed control system is very broad term widelycontrol manufacturing processes in units such as
used in multiple industries. Its main function is topetrochemicals, oil refining, pharmaceutical and power
monitor and control the distributed equipments. Ageneration stations. It also controls the flow of
DCS system is applied for operations such as electricmaterial through the manufacturing unit. A DCS has
generation plants, electrical power grids,the geographically or functionally digital controllers that
environmental control systems, traffic signals, watercan execute from 1 to 256 and even more control
management systems, oil refining plants and chemicalloops in a single control box. The input and output
plants. Some other units like pharmaceuticaldevices are integrated with the controller through a
manufacturing, sensor networks, bulk oil carrier shipsfiled network. Nowadays the controllers in the DCS
and dry cargo also apply distributed control system inhave wide computational capabilities. Apart from
their operations.integral, proportional and derivative control it can
In DCS custom designed processors are used forperform both sequential and logic control.
controlling the operation of the unit. It uses bothThe distributed control system was first introduced in
protocol and proprietary interconnections forthe year 1975. it could be possible through the
communications. The component parts of the DCS isminicomputers. But now there is major breakthrough
the input and output modules. The input modulesin the field of computers and computers of high
provide information to the processor which sends itprecision has become the order of the day. Now the
to the output modules. The input instruments givedigital communication between the work stations,
information to the input modules and outputseveral computing elements and the distributed
instruments give information to the output modules.controllers are the primary advantages of the DCS.