SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) is a control system architecture used to monitor, supervise, and control industrial processes that are geographically localized or distributed. It typically connects field devices such as sensors, actuators, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and remote terminal units (RTUs) to centralized or distributed supervisory systems.
SCADA systems collect real-time data from field devices, transmit that data over communication networks, display process information to operators, and send control commands back to the field. Core functions usually include data acquisition, process visualization (for example, via human-machine interfaces or graphical screens), alarm and event handling, basic control logic execution, and historical data logging.
In the context of ISA-95 and industrial automation, SCADA is considered part of the operations and control layer that interfaces with equipment on or near the plant floor. It can integrate with manufacturing execution systems (MES) and enterprise systems as part of broader IT/OT architectures.