Dr. Anil Kakodkar to launch ECIL's Programmable Logic Controller ...

Electronics Corporation of India Ltd, HyderabadDate: 16 th May 2012ECIL’s Power Series Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC)ECIL’s new, indigenously developed MPROGICON 5000 Power SeriesPLC System is a definitive solution to automation problems wherereliability, safety and security are key concerns. Programmable LogicControllers (PLC) are central components in automations which todaycontrol all national vital infrastructure in Energy, Transport andManufacturing sectors. PLC provides a rugged generic platform foreconomic and reliable realization of control logics and loops. Their easeof use, modularity and proven reliability has resulted in their wide use.ECIL leverages its decades of experience in development anddeployment of PLCs in nuclear and other industries to offer aneconomical, low power, high performance, scalable, industrial strengthPLC series. These highly flexible, modular PLC systems can bedeployed as single stand-alone units with few dozens of I/O or largegeographically distributed network of PLCs with thousands of I/O.Built-in redundancy of vital subsystems provide assured reliability.Fail-safe design features with advanced diagnostics exploit advance intechnology to bring about a safe and maintainable automation. Themix of IO modules cater to all standard plant IO required for discreteand continuous plant control. Use of industry standard programminglanguages ensure zero learning time for developers. The contemporaryhardware using modern high performance processors, memory andglue logic promote high performance with enhanced reliability due tolow power dissipation leading in turn to lower temperature rise andlonger life. While complying with applicable standards for climatic,environmental, EMI/ EMC specifications, the PLC hardware isengineered for tough and rough use of a factory floor. The IO modulesprovide front mounted screw-terminals promoting ease of field wiringand maintainability.The I/O sub-system is connected to the CPU sub-system either asLocal I/O sharing the same backplane or Remote I/O via dedicateddual redundant Ethernet TCP/IP network. The network configuredusing COTS switches and routers can extend up to hundreds ofmeters in case of copper cable and up to two kilometers for fiber optic.MPROGICON PLC systems are programmed using IDE styleProgramming Software that provides a graphical user interface toprogram and monitor the PLC system. Currently the system provides

MODBUS® Server Interface via MODBUS® / TCP, MODBUS® serialprotocol and OPC server so that third party HMI packages can beseamlessly interfaced to the MPROGICON PLC system.For applications that require highavailability, MPROGICON PLCsystem is offered with redundantpower supply modules and CPUsub-systems. The redundant CPUsub-systems support hot standbyredundancy. A switch over fromthe primary CPU to backup CPUwill occur upon failure of theprimary CPU, communication link,power supply, Remote I/O etc.Fig.: MPROGICON PLCECIL’s new PLC promises tomitigate the security concernsarising out of potential presence of malware or trap doors in thesevital equipment which often form the nervous system of all modernindustrial plants. Every component that make up the ecosystem of amodern PLC – the semiconductors which power its computationengines, the application development tools which generate run-timecode for the PLC, the desk top computers / work stations which hostthe development tools, the network components which carry bits andbytes around - is vulnerable to malware-either maliciously introduced(pre-built) or introduced subsequently through the knownvulnerabilities in hardware/software. These vulnerabilities areextremely difficult to detect. From a security stand-point, it is prudentto assume that these vulnerabilities will be discovered and exploitedand hence pose a potential security risk.Hence ECIL will be targeting these PLCs at Strategic sectors of atomicenergy, defence, aerospace and Homeland security where safety andsecurity can not be compromised. Currently Indian market isdominated by foreign brands which due to commercial reasons do notexpose their designs and software for full verification. There havebeen problems of denials and end-user restrictions in the past. Theseindigenously designed 3 rd generation of PLCs of ECIL are amenable tofull verification validation by third party and form an importantcomponent in achieving national self-reliance in automation.------------------------------------