Two alleged suicide bombers were responsible for a pair of explosions in the southeastern Iranian city of Zahedan that left at least 20 dead and scores injured, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported.
occurred at 9The first blast :20 p.m. in front of the city's Grand Mosque, and the second explosion followed within minutes, IRNA said.
The news agency reported that at least 20 people were killed and 100 were injured. Iran's state-run Arabic channel, Al-Alam, reported that at least 30 were killed and more than 50 injured.
"It is not yet possible to announce the exact number of those killed and injured in the incident," a police official said, according to IRNA. Zahedan is the capital of Sistan-Baluchestan province, which borders Pakistan.
Iranian Deputy Interior Minister Ali Abdollahi labeled the incident a terrorist act, the semi-official Fars news agency said.
"Terrorist operations in Zahedan have left several dead and injured," Abdollahi said, according to Fars.
"More information will be given when our investigations are completed," he told Fars.
A lawmaker in Zahedan told IRNA that "the two explosions were the result of suicide bombings. First, someone in a woman's clothing tried to enter the Jam-e Mosque in Zahedan but was prevented from entering."
It was not immediately known whether that person was a man or a woman, said Hosseili Shariari, a Zahedan member of parliament.
Three or four people died in the first explosion, and while people were trying to help those victims, the second suicide bomber detonated his explosives, he told IRNA.
Shariari blamed the followers of two extremist groups, the Wahhabis, followers of an extremist Saudi Arabian sect, and the Rigi, followers of a man who was responsible for suicide bombings in the past.
"These explosions were quite predictable," Shariari said, according to Fars. "I have said many times at press conferences that the remaining agents of the Wahhabis and the Rigi group are determined to conduct this kind of operation to prove that they still exist."
In October of last year, in the same province, a suicide bomber blew himself up as participants headed to a conference between Shia and Sunni groups in the city of Sarbaz.
At least 29 were killed in that bombing, including five senior officers of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The terrorist group Jundallah -- also known as the People's Resistance Movement of Iran -- claimed responsibility for that attack. The group was led by Abdolmalek Rigi.
In the past, the predominantly Shiite central government in Tehran has accused Jundallah of fomenting unrest in the province. Iran has alleged that the United States and Saudi Arabia are funding the group. Jundallah says that it is fighting for the rights of Sunni Muslims in the country.
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Thursday, July 15, 2010
Military commanders said that the Iraqis were trained to international standards.
Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. military handed over to Iraq the Camp Cropper detention facility Thursday, calling the moment a milestone in Iraq's history and another step in the drawdown of U.S. forces there.
Established in 2003 as a holding facility for security detainees near Baghdad International Airport, the prison had the capacity to hold up to 4,000 detainees.
With this handover, the U.S. military's oversight on detainee operations significantly diminishes, a cause of concern for Iraqis who largely don't trust their justice system.
The United States will continue to have advisers and special teams inspect facilities if there are reports of torture and abuse.
Military commanders said that the Iraqis were trained to international standards.
"We will also continue to be involved with advisers and in accordance with the security agreement we have every expectation that we will be able to continue to do checks and balances that are presented to us when there is a problem situation," said Maj. Gen. Jerry Cannon, deputy commanding general for detainee operations.
U.S. detainee operations have been undermined by the Abu Ghraib prison scandal and reports of abuse and secret detainment facilities. In the Abu Ghraib case, U.S. soldiers were photographed physically and sexually abusing Iraqi prisoners. Eleven U.S. soldiers were convicted of crimes in the case.
"To be perfectly frank here, we have learned from our experiences here in terms of detainee operations," said Maj. Gen. Steve Lanza, spokesman for U.S. forces in Iraq.
"Some of our inability to be prepared for what we encountered has significantly changed the way we
Established in 2003 as a holding facility for security detainees near Baghdad International Airport, the prison had the capacity to hold up to 4,000 detainees.
With this handover, the U.S. military's oversight on detainee operations significantly diminishes, a cause of concern for Iraqis who largely don't trust their justice system.
The United States will continue to have advisers and special teams inspect facilities if there are reports of torture and abuse.
Military commanders said that the Iraqis were trained to international standards.
"We will also continue to be involved with advisers and in accordance with the security agreement we have every expectation that we will be able to continue to do checks and balances that are presented to us when there is a problem situation," said Maj. Gen. Jerry Cannon, deputy commanding general for detainee operations.
U.S. detainee operations have been undermined by the Abu Ghraib prison scandal and reports of abuse and secret detainment facilities. In the Abu Ghraib case, U.S. soldiers were photographed physically and sexually abusing Iraqi prisoners. Eleven U.S. soldiers were convicted of crimes in the case.
"To be perfectly frank here, we have learned from our experiences here in terms of detainee operations," said Maj. Gen. Steve Lanza, spokesman for U.S. forces in Iraq.
"Some of our inability to be prepared for what we encountered has significantly changed the way we
Goldman Sachs paid $550 million to settle charges of defrauding investors in a sale of securities tied to subprime mortgages, the Securities and Exchange Commission said Thursday.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Goldman Sachs paid $550 million to settle charges of defrauding investors in a sale of securities tied to subprime mortgages, the Securities and Exchange Commission said Thursday.
Goldman (GS, Fortune 500) shares jumped almost 8% in after-hours trading on the announcement, as many predicted the company would be forced to pay $1 billion to settle the case.
2380
diggs
diggEmail Print CommentThe settlement amount represents roughly 4% of the $13.4 billion in profits Goldman earned last year. In its first quarter of this year, the bank logged $3.5 billion in profits.
Still, the $550 million was the largest penalty a Wall Street company has ever paid to the SEC. Regulators said $250 million would be returned to affected investors and $300 million would be paid to the U.S. Treasury.
The settlement is subject to approval by a judge. Within 30 days, Goldman must wire money to three parties: $150 million to Deutsche Bank, $100 million to the Royal Bank of Scotland and $300 million to the SEC.
In a statement, the SEC called the settlement "a stark lesson to Wall Street firms that no product is too complex ... to avoid a heavy price if a firm violates the fundamental principles of honest treatment and fair dealing."
Not looking so 'Fab' now, Tourre
Charges filed in April: The SEC filed the fraud charges in April against New York-based Goldman and one of its vice presidents, Fabrice Tourre, for failing to disclose conflicts in a 2007 sale of a so-called collateralized debt obligation dubbed Abacus.
The SEC said Goldman acknowledged it gave investors "incomplete information," though the company neither admitted nor denied the allegations. Goldman will also "reform its business practices" as part of the settlement.
Investors in Abacus lost $1 billion, the SEC said when filing the fraud charges. The commission's complaint alleged that Goldman allowed hedge fund Paulson & Co. to help choose the securities included in the CDO, which is a financial instrument backed by a pool of assets such as loans or bonds.
But Goldman didn't tell investors that Paulson was shorting the CDO, or betting its value would fall.
Goldman shot back in April, saying the charges were "completely unfounded in law and fact" and that the company lost $90 million on the deal.
What Goldman has to change: As part of the settlement, the SEC required Goldman to comply with certain business practices for three years. The company will be required to certify in writing, each year, that it has followed all of the rules.
Goldman must expand the role of its firmwide capital committee in approving the sale of mortgage-backed securities.
In addition, the company's legal or compliance departments must review all written marketing materials. Goldman will have to keep a list of all materials reviewed, including the person who approved them and the date of review. The firm will have to conduct an internal audit of this process at least once a year.
If Goldman is the lead underwriter of a sale of mortgage-backed securities and hires an outside firm to advise, that adviser also will have to review marketing materials.
Within 60 days of hiring an employee who will be involved in mortgage-backed securities sales, that worker will have to take a training class about the laws involved. All employees involved in mortgage securities will be required to take a class each year, and Goldman will need to keep records of that training.
Goldman under fire: Despite Goldman's protests, the charges brought scrutiny and criticism to the company and its chief executive Lloyd Blankfein, who still managed to hold onto his job as chairman in May.
Blankfein and other Goldman executives faced a blistering ten-hour cross-examination from members of a Senate panel in April following the SEC's allegations. Lawmakers skewered current and former executives about Goldman's role in the downturn of the housing market, which started to unravel in 2007.
The SEC lawsuit also publicized e-mails sent by Tourre, the vice president named in the charges, to a girlfriend. The messages, sent in late 2007, revealed both Tourre's cavalier attitude and his doubts about the CDO business.
Tourre, then a 28-year-old trader, referred to himself in one e-mail as "fabulous Fab." He also described himself as "the only potential survivor" of the collapsing subprime-mortgage-backed securities business.
In a press conference later Thursday, an SEC rep said there was "no settlement with Mr. Tourre and we are still pursuing that case."
Goldman (GS, Fortune 500) shares jumped almost 8% in after-hours trading on the announcement, as many predicted the company would be forced to pay $1 billion to settle the case.
2380
diggs
diggEmail Print CommentThe settlement amount represents roughly 4% of the $13.4 billion in profits Goldman earned last year. In its first quarter of this year, the bank logged $3.5 billion in profits.
Still, the $550 million was the largest penalty a Wall Street company has ever paid to the SEC. Regulators said $250 million would be returned to affected investors and $300 million would be paid to the U.S. Treasury.
The settlement is subject to approval by a judge. Within 30 days, Goldman must wire money to three parties: $150 million to Deutsche Bank, $100 million to the Royal Bank of Scotland and $300 million to the SEC.
In a statement, the SEC called the settlement "a stark lesson to Wall Street firms that no product is too complex ... to avoid a heavy price if a firm violates the fundamental principles of honest treatment and fair dealing."
Not looking so 'Fab' now, Tourre
Charges filed in April: The SEC filed the fraud charges in April against New York-based Goldman and one of its vice presidents, Fabrice Tourre, for failing to disclose conflicts in a 2007 sale of a so-called collateralized debt obligation dubbed Abacus.
The SEC said Goldman acknowledged it gave investors "incomplete information," though the company neither admitted nor denied the allegations. Goldman will also "reform its business practices" as part of the settlement.
Investors in Abacus lost $1 billion, the SEC said when filing the fraud charges. The commission's complaint alleged that Goldman allowed hedge fund Paulson & Co. to help choose the securities included in the CDO, which is a financial instrument backed by a pool of assets such as loans or bonds.
But Goldman didn't tell investors that Paulson was shorting the CDO, or betting its value would fall.
Goldman shot back in April, saying the charges were "completely unfounded in law and fact" and that the company lost $90 million on the deal.
What Goldman has to change: As part of the settlement, the SEC required Goldman to comply with certain business practices for three years. The company will be required to certify in writing, each year, that it has followed all of the rules.
Goldman must expand the role of its firmwide capital committee in approving the sale of mortgage-backed securities.
In addition, the company's legal or compliance departments must review all written marketing materials. Goldman will have to keep a list of all materials reviewed, including the person who approved them and the date of review. The firm will have to conduct an internal audit of this process at least once a year.
If Goldman is the lead underwriter of a sale of mortgage-backed securities and hires an outside firm to advise, that adviser also will have to review marketing materials.
Within 60 days of hiring an employee who will be involved in mortgage-backed securities sales, that worker will have to take a training class about the laws involved. All employees involved in mortgage securities will be required to take a class each year, and Goldman will need to keep records of that training.
Goldman under fire: Despite Goldman's protests, the charges brought scrutiny and criticism to the company and its chief executive Lloyd Blankfein, who still managed to hold onto his job as chairman in May.
Blankfein and other Goldman executives faced a blistering ten-hour cross-examination from members of a Senate panel in April following the SEC's allegations. Lawmakers skewered current and former executives about Goldman's role in the downturn of the housing market, which started to unravel in 2007.
The SEC lawsuit also publicized e-mails sent by Tourre, the vice president named in the charges, to a girlfriend. The messages, sent in late 2007, revealed both Tourre's cavalier attitude and his doubts about the CDO business.
Tourre, then a 28-year-old trader, referred to himself in one e-mail as "fabulous Fab." He also described himself as "the only potential survivor" of the collapsing subprime-mortgage-backed securities business.
In a press conference later Thursday, an SEC rep said there was "no settlement with Mr. Tourre and we are still pursuing that case."
'More than 20 dead' in suicide bomb blasts in Iran
15 July 2010 Last updated at 21:59 GMT
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'More than 20 dead' in suicide bomb blasts in Iran
Map
More than 20 people have been killed and scores injured in a suspected twin suicide bomb attack at a Shia mosque in Iran, officials say.
Iranian state media said at least 100 were hurt in the blasts outside the Jamia mosque in the south-eastern city of Zahedan.
The attacks, in a largely Sunni area, were the work of suicide bombers, the reports said.
Members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard were reportedly among the dead.
The city, capital of Sistan-Baluchistan province, has been targeted before by the Sunni rebel group Jundullah (Soldiers of God), whose leader Abdolmalek Rigi was hanged last month.
Al-Arabiya television station said it had received an e-mail purporting to be from Jundullah, saying the group had carried out Thursday's attacks in response to the execution of Mr Rigi.
'Suicide operation'
The blasts came as worshippers celebrated the anniversary of the birth of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
"The [first] attacker, dressed in women's clothing, was trying to get in the mosque, but was prevented," local member of parliament Hossein Ali Shahriari told Fars news agency.
"When people came to rescue those hit in that blast, another bomber blew himself up. Three to four have been killed at least in the first attack."
Deputy Interior Minister Ali Abdollahi described the attack as a "suicide operation", AFP news agency said.
Share this page
*
'More than 20 dead' in suicide bomb blasts in Iran
Map
More than 20 people have been killed and scores injured in a suspected twin suicide bomb attack at a Shia mosque in Iran, officials say.
Iranian state media said at least 100 were hurt in the blasts outside the Jamia mosque in the south-eastern city of Zahedan.
The attacks, in a largely Sunni area, were the work of suicide bombers, the reports said.
Members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard were reportedly among the dead.
The city, capital of Sistan-Baluchistan province, has been targeted before by the Sunni rebel group Jundullah (Soldiers of God), whose leader Abdolmalek Rigi was hanged last month.
Al-Arabiya television station said it had received an e-mail purporting to be from Jundullah, saying the group had carried out Thursday's attacks in response to the execution of Mr Rigi.
'Suicide operation'
The blasts came as worshippers celebrated the anniversary of the birth of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
"The [first] attacker, dressed in women's clothing, was trying to get in the mosque, but was prevented," local member of parliament Hossein Ali Shahriari told Fars news agency.
"When people came to rescue those hit in that blast, another bomber blew himself up. Three to four have been killed at least in the first attack."
Deputy Interior Minister Ali Abdollahi described the attack as a "suicide operation", AFP news agency said.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
How SCADA Systems Work
Section 2: How SCADA Systems Work
A SCADA system performs four functions:
1. Data acquisition
2. Networked data communication
3. Data presentation
4. Control
These functions are performed by four kinds of SCADA components:
1. Sensors (either digital or analog) and control relays that
directly interface with the managed system.
2. Remote telemetry units (RTUs). These are small computerized
units deployed in the field at specific sites and locations.
RTUs serve as local collection points for gathering reports
from sensors and delivering commands to control relays.
3. SCADAmaster units. These are larger computer consoles that
serve as the central processor for the SCADA system. Master
units provide a human interface to the system and automatically
regulate the managed system in response to sensor inputs.
4. The communications network that connects the SCADA
master unit to the RTUs in the field.
The World’s Simplest SCADA System
The simplest possible SCADA system would be a single circuit
that notifies you of one event. Imagine a fabrication machine that
produces widgets. Every time the machine finishes a widget, it
activates a switch. The switch turns on a light on a panel, which
tells a human operator that a widget has been completed.
Obviously, a real SCADA system does more than this simple
model. But the principle is the same. A full-scale SCADA system
just monitors more stuff over greater distances.
Let’s look at what is added to our simple model to create a fullscale
SCADA system:
SCADA Tutorial • DPS Telecom • 4955 East Yale Avenue, Fresno, CA 93727 • (800) 622-3314 • Fax (559) 454-1688 • www.dpstelecom.com
This RTU Grows with
Your Network
When you’re planning your SCADA
systems, think about the future. You
don’t want to get locked into a system
that’s inadequate for your future needs
— but you don’t want to spend too
much for alarm capacity you won’t
immediately use, either.
The NetGuardian 832A remote
telemetry unit expands its capacity as
your needs change. Install a
NetGuardian at your remote site now,
and get exactly the right coverage for
your current needs.
Then, as your remote site grows, you
can extend your alarm monitoring
capabilities by adding NetGuardian
DX Expansion units. Each
NetGuardian DX adds 48 more alarm
points, and you can daisy-chain up to
three NetGuardian DXs off each
NetGuardian 832A base unit.
Unit Capacity
Base NG 832 32
1 DX 80
2 DX 128
3 DX 176
NetGuardian DX: Expand your alarm monitoring
capacity with NetGuardian DX
Expansion Units.
A SCADA system performs four functions:
1. Data acquisition
2. Networked data communication
3. Data presentation
4. Control
These functions are performed by four kinds of SCADA components:
1. Sensors (either digital or analog) and control relays that
directly interface with the managed system.
2. Remote telemetry units (RTUs). These are small computerized
units deployed in the field at specific sites and locations.
RTUs serve as local collection points for gathering reports
from sensors and delivering commands to control relays.
3. SCADAmaster units. These are larger computer consoles that
serve as the central processor for the SCADA system. Master
units provide a human interface to the system and automatically
regulate the managed system in response to sensor inputs.
4. The communications network that connects the SCADA
master unit to the RTUs in the field.
The World’s Simplest SCADA System
The simplest possible SCADA system would be a single circuit
that notifies you of one event. Imagine a fabrication machine that
produces widgets. Every time the machine finishes a widget, it
activates a switch. The switch turns on a light on a panel, which
tells a human operator that a widget has been completed.
Obviously, a real SCADA system does more than this simple
model. But the principle is the same. A full-scale SCADA system
just monitors more stuff over greater distances.
Let’s look at what is added to our simple model to create a fullscale
SCADA system:
SCADA Tutorial • DPS Telecom • 4955 East Yale Avenue, Fresno, CA 93727 • (800) 622-3314 • Fax (559) 454-1688 • www.dpstelecom.com
This RTU Grows with
Your Network
When you’re planning your SCADA
systems, think about the future. You
don’t want to get locked into a system
that’s inadequate for your future needs
— but you don’t want to spend too
much for alarm capacity you won’t
immediately use, either.
The NetGuardian 832A remote
telemetry unit expands its capacity as
your needs change. Install a
NetGuardian at your remote site now,
and get exactly the right coverage for
your current needs.
Then, as your remote site grows, you
can extend your alarm monitoring
capabilities by adding NetGuardian
DX Expansion units. Each
NetGuardian DX adds 48 more alarm
points, and you can daisy-chain up to
three NetGuardian DXs off each
NetGuardian 832A base unit.
Unit Capacity
Base NG 832 32
1 DX 80
2 DX 128
3 DX 176
NetGuardian DX: Expand your alarm monitoring
capacity with NetGuardian DX
Expansion Units.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Workshop ------New Section of Digital Family
Home Work:
Section 1: What is SCADA, and
what can it do for you?
SCADA is not a specific technology, but a type of
application. SCADA stands for Supervisory Control
and Data Acquisition — any application that gets data
about a system in order to control that system is a
SCADA application.
A SCADA application has two elements:
1. The process/system/machinery you want to monitor
a control — this can be a power plant, a water
system, a network, a system of traffic lights, or
anything else.
2. A network of intelligent devices that interfaces
with the first system through sensors and control
outputs. This network, which is the SCADA system,
gives you the ability to measure and control
specific elements of the first system.
You can build a SCADA system using several different
kinds of technologies and protocols. This white
paper will help you evaluate your options and decide
what kind of SCADA system is best for your needs.
Where is SCADA Used?
You can use SCADA to manage any kind of equipment.
Typically, SCADA systems are used to automate
complex industrial processes where human control
is impractical — systems where there are more
control factors, and more fast-moving control factors,
than human beings can comfortably manage.
Around the world, SCADA systems control:
• Electric power generation, transmission and
distribution: Electric utilities use SCADA sys-
3tems to detect current flow and line voltage, to
monitor the operation of circuit breakers, and to
take sections of the power grid online or offline.
• Water and sewage: State and municipal water
utilities use SCADA to monitor and regulate water
flow, reservoir levels, pipe pressure and other factors.
• Buildings, facilities and environments: Facility
managers use SCADA to control HVAC, refrigeration
units, lighting and entry systems.
• Manufacturing: SCADA systems manage parts
inventories for just-in-time manufacturing, regulate
industrial automation and robots, and monitor
process and quality control.
• Mass transit: Transit authorities use SCADA to
regulate electricity to subways, trams and trolley
buses; to automate traffic signals for rail systems;
to track and locate trains and buses; and to control
railroad crossing gates.
• Traffic signals: SCADA regulates traffic lights,
controls traffic flow and detects out-of-order signals.
As I’m sure you can imagine, this very short list barely
hints at all the potential applications for SCADA
systems. SCADA is used in nearly every industry and
public infrastructure project — anywhere where
automation increases efficiency.
What’s more, these examples don’t show how deep
and complex SCADA data can be. In every industry,
managers need to control multiple factors and the
interactions between those factors. SCADA systems
provide the sensing capabilities and the computational
What’s the Value of SCADA to You?
Maybe you work in one of the fields I listed; maybe you don’t. But
think about your operations and all the parameters that affect your
bottom-line results:
• Does your equipment need an uninterrupted power supply
and/or a controlled temperature and humidity environment?
• Do you need to know — in real time — the status of many different
components and devices in a large complex system?
• Do you need to measure how changing inputs affect the output
of your operations?
• What equipment do you need to control, in real time, from a
distance?
• Where are you lacking accurate, real-time data about key
processes that affect your operations?
Real-Time Monitoring and Control Increases Efficiency
and Maximizes Profitability
Ask yourself enough questions like that, and I’m sure you can see
where you can apply a SCADA system in your operations. But I’m
equally sure you’re asking “So what?” What you really want to
know is what kind of real-world results can you expect from using
SCADA.
Here are few of the things you can do with the information and
control capabilities you get from a SCADA system:
• Access quantitative measurements of important processes,
both immediately and over time
• Detect and correct problems as soon as they begin
• Measure trends over time
• Discover and eliminate bottlenecks and inefficiencies
• Control larger and more complex processes with a smaller, less
SCADA Tutorial • DPS Telecom • 4955 East Yale Avenue, Fresno, CA 93727 • (800) 622-3314 • Fax (559) 454-1688 • www.dpstelecom.com
4
Learn SCADA the Easy Way: Attend DPS Telecom Factory Training
Learn SCADA in-depth in a totally practical hands-on class. The DPS Telecom Factory Training Event will show
you how to make your alarm monitoring easier and more effective. You’ll learn basic SCADA functionality,
Derived Alarms and Controls, and how to configure automatic email and pager notifications. DPS training is the
easiest way to learn SCADA, taught by technicians who have installed hundreds of successful monitoring and
control deployments
For dates and registration information, call 1-800-693-3314 today or go to www.dpstelecom.com/training.
How DPS Telecom Can
Help You
Building the right SCADA system for
your business isn’t simple. It’s easy to
spend more than you need … but there
are also opportunities to save money
and improve operational efficiency that
you don’t want to miss. It’s hard to
learn everything you need to know and
still do your everyday job.
DPS Telecom can help you plan your
SCADA implementation, with expert
consultation, training and information
resources. DPS telemetry equipment is
built with the capabilities you need.
And DPS is committed to helping you
get the best SCADA system for your
specific needs.
DPS Telecom Guarantees
Success — or Your Money Back
You’re never taking any risk when you
work with DPS Telecom. Your DPS
SCADA system is backed by a 30-day,
no-risk, money-back guarantee. Test
your new system at your site for 30
days. If you’re dissatisfied for any reason,
just send it back for a full refund.
We don’t want your money unless
you’re completely satisfied. It’s that
simple.
specialized staff.
A SCADA system gives you the power to fine-tune your knowledge
of your systems. You can place sensors and controls at every
critical point in your managed process (and as SCADA technology
improves, you can put sensors in more and more places). As
you monitor more things, you have a more detailed view of your
operations — and most important, it’s all in real time.
So even for very complex manufacturing processes, large electrical
plants, etc., you can have an eagle-eye view of every event
while it’s happening — and that means you have a knowledge base
from which to correct errors and improve efficiency. With
SCADA, you can do more, at less cost, providing a direct increase
in profitability.
Section 1: What is SCADA, and
what can it do for you?
SCADA is not a specific technology, but a type of
application. SCADA stands for Supervisory Control
and Data Acquisition — any application that gets data
about a system in order to control that system is a
SCADA application.
A SCADA application has two elements:
1. The process/system/machinery you want to monitor
a control — this can be a power plant, a water
system, a network, a system of traffic lights, or
anything else.
2. A network of intelligent devices that interfaces
with the first system through sensors and control
outputs. This network, which is the SCADA system,
gives you the ability to measure and control
specific elements of the first system.
You can build a SCADA system using several different
kinds of technologies and protocols. This white
paper will help you evaluate your options and decide
what kind of SCADA system is best for your needs.
Where is SCADA Used?
You can use SCADA to manage any kind of equipment.
Typically, SCADA systems are used to automate
complex industrial processes where human control
is impractical — systems where there are more
control factors, and more fast-moving control factors,
than human beings can comfortably manage.
Around the world, SCADA systems control:
• Electric power generation, transmission and
distribution: Electric utilities use SCADA sys-
3tems to detect current flow and line voltage, to
monitor the operation of circuit breakers, and to
take sections of the power grid online or offline.
• Water and sewage: State and municipal water
utilities use SCADA to monitor and regulate water
flow, reservoir levels, pipe pressure and other factors.
• Buildings, facilities and environments: Facility
managers use SCADA to control HVAC, refrigeration
units, lighting and entry systems.
• Manufacturing: SCADA systems manage parts
inventories for just-in-time manufacturing, regulate
industrial automation and robots, and monitor
process and quality control.
• Mass transit: Transit authorities use SCADA to
regulate electricity to subways, trams and trolley
buses; to automate traffic signals for rail systems;
to track and locate trains and buses; and to control
railroad crossing gates.
• Traffic signals: SCADA regulates traffic lights,
controls traffic flow and detects out-of-order signals.
As I’m sure you can imagine, this very short list barely
hints at all the potential applications for SCADA
systems. SCADA is used in nearly every industry and
public infrastructure project — anywhere where
automation increases efficiency.
What’s more, these examples don’t show how deep
and complex SCADA data can be. In every industry,
managers need to control multiple factors and the
interactions between those factors. SCADA systems
provide the sensing capabilities and the computational
What’s the Value of SCADA to You?
Maybe you work in one of the fields I listed; maybe you don’t. But
think about your operations and all the parameters that affect your
bottom-line results:
• Does your equipment need an uninterrupted power supply
and/or a controlled temperature and humidity environment?
• Do you need to know — in real time — the status of many different
components and devices in a large complex system?
• Do you need to measure how changing inputs affect the output
of your operations?
• What equipment do you need to control, in real time, from a
distance?
• Where are you lacking accurate, real-time data about key
processes that affect your operations?
Real-Time Monitoring and Control Increases Efficiency
and Maximizes Profitability
Ask yourself enough questions like that, and I’m sure you can see
where you can apply a SCADA system in your operations. But I’m
equally sure you’re asking “So what?” What you really want to
know is what kind of real-world results can you expect from using
SCADA.
Here are few of the things you can do with the information and
control capabilities you get from a SCADA system:
• Access quantitative measurements of important processes,
both immediately and over time
• Detect and correct problems as soon as they begin
• Measure trends over time
• Discover and eliminate bottlenecks and inefficiencies
• Control larger and more complex processes with a smaller, less
SCADA Tutorial • DPS Telecom • 4955 East Yale Avenue, Fresno, CA 93727 • (800) 622-3314 • Fax (559) 454-1688 • www.dpstelecom.com
4
Learn SCADA the Easy Way: Attend DPS Telecom Factory Training
Learn SCADA in-depth in a totally practical hands-on class. The DPS Telecom Factory Training Event will show
you how to make your alarm monitoring easier and more effective. You’ll learn basic SCADA functionality,
Derived Alarms and Controls, and how to configure automatic email and pager notifications. DPS training is the
easiest way to learn SCADA, taught by technicians who have installed hundreds of successful monitoring and
control deployments
For dates and registration information, call 1-800-693-3314 today or go to www.dpstelecom.com/training.
How DPS Telecom Can
Help You
Building the right SCADA system for
your business isn’t simple. It’s easy to
spend more than you need … but there
are also opportunities to save money
and improve operational efficiency that
you don’t want to miss. It’s hard to
learn everything you need to know and
still do your everyday job.
DPS Telecom can help you plan your
SCADA implementation, with expert
consultation, training and information
resources. DPS telemetry equipment is
built with the capabilities you need.
And DPS is committed to helping you
get the best SCADA system for your
specific needs.
DPS Telecom Guarantees
Success — or Your Money Back
You’re never taking any risk when you
work with DPS Telecom. Your DPS
SCADA system is backed by a 30-day,
no-risk, money-back guarantee. Test
your new system at your site for 30
days. If you’re dissatisfied for any reason,
just send it back for a full refund.
We don’t want your money unless
you’re completely satisfied. It’s that
simple.
specialized staff.
A SCADA system gives you the power to fine-tune your knowledge
of your systems. You can place sensors and controls at every
critical point in your managed process (and as SCADA technology
improves, you can put sensors in more and more places). As
you monitor more things, you have a more detailed view of your
operations — and most important, it’s all in real time.
So even for very complex manufacturing processes, large electrical
plants, etc., you can have an eagle-eye view of every event
while it’s happening — and that means you have a knowledge base
from which to correct errors and improve efficiency. With
SCADA, you can do more, at less cost, providing a direct increase
in profitability.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
From Editors : What you need to know for working wirelessly:...
Working wirelessly: What you need to know
Many companies are making the leap to wireless networks in the office for both financial savings in overall equipment and sheer convenience for their employees. They also often provide mobile PCs with wireless capabilities to their employees so that they can be productive anytime anywhere, hence enhancing the company's bottom-line.
In this article, I will explain what WiFi is and how it works. I will also discuss what you need to start working wirelessly as well as what you can expect to gain from doing so. Finally, I'll discuss the precautions you should take when working on the go.
What is WiFi? Learn the lingo
Wireless, or WiFi, technology is another way of connecting your computer to the network using radio frequency and no network cables.
Wireless works similarly to cordless phones; they transmit data from one point to another through radio signals. But wireless technology also requires that you be within the wireless network range area to be able to connect your computer. There are three different types of wireless networks:
•Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN): WLAN are wireless networks that use radio waves. The backbone network usually uses cables, with one or more wireless access points connecting the wireless users to the wired network. The range of a WLAN can be anywhere from a single room to an entire campus.
•Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN): WPANs are short-range networks that use Bluetooth technology. They are commonly used to interconnect compatible devices near a central location, such as a desk. A WPAN has a typical range of about 30 feet.
•Wireless Wide Area Networks (WWAN): WWANs are created through the use of mobile phone signals typically provided and maintained by specific mobile phone (cellular) service providers. WWANs can provide a way to stay connected even when away from other forms of network access. Also, be aware that additional charges are often associated with the usage of WWANs in some locations.
How do I get started?
The only thing you really need to go wireless (in addition to a mobile PC) is a wireless PC Card. Depending on the age of your mobile PC, the card is either built-in or needs to be inserted in the PC Card slot and includes an antenna. In addition, you can also use wireless keyboards and mice, which can provide more freedom and flexibility when you're working in your office.
It's always good to research the available hotspots in the area you're planning on visiting (whether a neighborhood in your city you're not familiar with or a city on the other coast). You can use Bing to find hotspots when you travel.
As you head out in this brave new world of wirelessly connectivity, you can connect to a wireless network (whether at home, at work, or on the go).
Connect to a wireless network
•Windows 7
•Windows Vista
•Windows XP
Working wirelessly: What's in it for me
Working wirelessly can offer you the following benefits.
•Flexibility: The lack of cables that comes with wireless networking enables you to roam with your mobile PC. You can roam from your office to a nearby conference room for a meeting, or from the couch in the living room to a kitchen for a snack. For example, if you're working wirelessly in a meeting you can printout a report for a co-worker without having to leave the meeting.
•Time-saving: If you're waiting for an important response you can use your mobile PC to monitor your e-mail even when you're in meetings or at lunch. As soon as you get the data needed, you can promptly forward it to your customer rather than wondering whether the information has come in while you were away and having to run back to your office between meetings and other commitments.
•Increased productivity: Working wirelessly enables you to turn down times between meetings or while in transit into productive time. For example, you may be attending a conference and just found out that one of the sessions you were planning on attending has been cancelled. Rather than waste the next hour, you can check e-mail, start compiling your trip report, or order your son's birthday present.
•Easier collaboration: Using wireless mobile PCs, you can easily share files and information with others. For example, you can collaborate on a presentation with colleagues during a flight delay in an airport lounge, or you can share the syllabus of a course while attendees so that they can take more digitally during the class.
What should I worry about when working wirelessly?
When working wirelessly from hotspots and public places, you are responsible for ensuring the security of your files and your mobile PC.
To make network access easier for their users, public hotspots typically leave all security turned off. This means that any information you send from a hotspot is most likely unencrypted, and anyone within range of the wireless LAN, whether at a next table or in the parking lot, can access and use your Internet connection, and look at your unprotected information.
For more information, see tips for working securely from hotspots.
WiFi gives you the freedom to go anywhere and still be connected to your office, your family, and other important aspects of your life. Your virtual office can now be an ice cream parlor in a seaside resort. Embrace and enjoy the flexibility that WiFi affords you.
Many companies are making the leap to wireless networks in the office for both financial savings in overall equipment and sheer convenience for their employees. They also often provide mobile PCs with wireless capabilities to their employees so that they can be productive anytime anywhere, hence enhancing the company's bottom-line.
In this article, I will explain what WiFi is and how it works. I will also discuss what you need to start working wirelessly as well as what you can expect to gain from doing so. Finally, I'll discuss the precautions you should take when working on the go.
What is WiFi? Learn the lingo
Wireless, or WiFi, technology is another way of connecting your computer to the network using radio frequency and no network cables.
Wireless works similarly to cordless phones; they transmit data from one point to another through radio signals. But wireless technology also requires that you be within the wireless network range area to be able to connect your computer. There are three different types of wireless networks:
•Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN): WLAN are wireless networks that use radio waves. The backbone network usually uses cables, with one or more wireless access points connecting the wireless users to the wired network. The range of a WLAN can be anywhere from a single room to an entire campus.
•Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN): WPANs are short-range networks that use Bluetooth technology. They are commonly used to interconnect compatible devices near a central location, such as a desk. A WPAN has a typical range of about 30 feet.
•Wireless Wide Area Networks (WWAN): WWANs are created through the use of mobile phone signals typically provided and maintained by specific mobile phone (cellular) service providers. WWANs can provide a way to stay connected even when away from other forms of network access. Also, be aware that additional charges are often associated with the usage of WWANs in some locations.
How do I get started?
The only thing you really need to go wireless (in addition to a mobile PC) is a wireless PC Card. Depending on the age of your mobile PC, the card is either built-in or needs to be inserted in the PC Card slot and includes an antenna. In addition, you can also use wireless keyboards and mice, which can provide more freedom and flexibility when you're working in your office.
It's always good to research the available hotspots in the area you're planning on visiting (whether a neighborhood in your city you're not familiar with or a city on the other coast). You can use Bing to find hotspots when you travel.
As you head out in this brave new world of wirelessly connectivity, you can connect to a wireless network (whether at home, at work, or on the go).
Connect to a wireless network
•Windows 7
•Windows Vista
•Windows XP
Working wirelessly: What's in it for me
Working wirelessly can offer you the following benefits.
•Flexibility: The lack of cables that comes with wireless networking enables you to roam with your mobile PC. You can roam from your office to a nearby conference room for a meeting, or from the couch in the living room to a kitchen for a snack. For example, if you're working wirelessly in a meeting you can printout a report for a co-worker without having to leave the meeting.
•Time-saving: If you're waiting for an important response you can use your mobile PC to monitor your e-mail even when you're in meetings or at lunch. As soon as you get the data needed, you can promptly forward it to your customer rather than wondering whether the information has come in while you were away and having to run back to your office between meetings and other commitments.
•Increased productivity: Working wirelessly enables you to turn down times between meetings or while in transit into productive time. For example, you may be attending a conference and just found out that one of the sessions you were planning on attending has been cancelled. Rather than waste the next hour, you can check e-mail, start compiling your trip report, or order your son's birthday present.
•Easier collaboration: Using wireless mobile PCs, you can easily share files and information with others. For example, you can collaborate on a presentation with colleagues during a flight delay in an airport lounge, or you can share the syllabus of a course while attendees so that they can take more digitally during the class.
What should I worry about when working wirelessly?
When working wirelessly from hotspots and public places, you are responsible for ensuring the security of your files and your mobile PC.
To make network access easier for their users, public hotspots typically leave all security turned off. This means that any information you send from a hotspot is most likely unencrypted, and anyone within range of the wireless LAN, whether at a next table or in the parking lot, can access and use your Internet connection, and look at your unprotected information.
For more information, see tips for working securely from hotspots.
WiFi gives you the freedom to go anywhere and still be connected to your office, your family, and other important aspects of your life. Your virtual office can now be an ice cream parlor in a seaside resort. Embrace and enjoy the flexibility that WiFi affords you.
From >>Editor
Carmakers navigate a winding road
Latest auto tech must dazzle drivers but not distract them
Ford CEO Alan Mulally demonstrates the automaker’s MyFord all-touchscreen navigation and media system Thursday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
View related photos
Mario Anzuoni / Reuters
By Alex Johnson
Reporter
msnbc.com
updated 6:53 p.m. ET Jan. 7, 2010
LAS VEGAS - The exhibit halls of the International Consumer Electronics Show are filled with every kind of technology you can imagine — computers; audio and video systems; the biggest, thinnest television sets; gadgets; peripherals; you name it.
And cars. Lots and lots of cars.
The Consumer Electronics Association, the trade association that runs CES, underscored the importance of automotive technology Thursday by giving its show-opening main keynote address, usually the province of Microsoft Corp., to the chairman and chief executive of Ford Motor Co., Alan Mulally. It was only two years ago that Mulally’s predecessor, Rick Wagoner, became the first auto executive to deliver any of the half-dozen marquee addresses in the more than 30 years the association has put on the show.
Latest auto tech must dazzle drivers but not distract them
Ford CEO Alan Mulally demonstrates the automaker’s MyFord all-touchscreen navigation and media system Thursday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
View related photos
Mario Anzuoni / Reuters
By Alex Johnson
Reporter
msnbc.com
updated 6:53 p.m. ET Jan. 7, 2010
LAS VEGAS - The exhibit halls of the International Consumer Electronics Show are filled with every kind of technology you can imagine — computers; audio and video systems; the biggest, thinnest television sets; gadgets; peripherals; you name it.
And cars. Lots and lots of cars.
The Consumer Electronics Association, the trade association that runs CES, underscored the importance of automotive technology Thursday by giving its show-opening main keynote address, usually the province of Microsoft Corp., to the chairman and chief executive of Ford Motor Co., Alan Mulally. It was only two years ago that Mulally’s predecessor, Rick Wagoner, became the first auto executive to deliver any of the half-dozen marquee addresses in the more than 30 years the association has put on the show.
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