computer science

Process control network

Process control network is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Process control network rather than just read about it. In short: A Process Control Network (PCN) is a communications network layer that is a part of the Industrial Automation networks in Process Industries. This network is used to transmit instructions and data between control and measurement units and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) equipment.

Key takeaways

Process control network belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Process control network to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Process control network from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A Process Control Network (PCN) is a communications network layer that is a part of the Industrial Automation networks in Process Industries. This network is used to transmit instructions and data between control and measurement units and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) equipment.

Industry requirements These networks have, over the years, used many of the technologies and topologies utilised in other network applications. However, Process Control Networks (PCNs) have several special requirements that must be met in order for the solution to be acceptable to the industry. These requirements are, in no particular order: Robustness, Determinacy, Compatibility. Robustness includes requirements such as connection redundancy, reduced sensitivity to Electromagnetic Interference (EMI), and good error checking and correction. Determinacy involves assuring that each device is guaranteed access to the network, and in many cases mechanisms to allow priority information (such as alarms) through the system. Compatibility allows SCADA and Distributed Control Systems (DCS) from various manufacturers to communicate with control and measurement equipment from others.

Development of standards Many early PCNs were serial based, using low level standards such as EIA RS-422 and EIA RS-485 with proprietary protocols on top. One of the de facto standards (which is now becoming an open standard) is Modbus, originally from Modicon. Many PCNs used token passing based protocols because they are essentially deterministic. Both Allen Bradley and Eurotherm utilised such mechanisms. Many of the measurement and control unit manufacturers signed up to the Fieldbus consortium but rather than one standard emerging each manufacturer promoted their own 'standard' leading to a myriad, and confusing, range of physical and logical systems. Modern process control networks rely on Ethernet, TCP/IP, and Microsoft Windows technology.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Process control network

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Process control network claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Process control network before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Process control network ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Process control network

In research: Process control network appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Process control network in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Process control network is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Networks, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Process control network outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Process control network in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Process control network means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Process control network out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Process control network in simple terms?

Why does Process control network matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Process control network?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Process control network.