Getting my foot in the SCADA door, how?

Question

I keep hearing that I should learn SCADA and its PLC language to upgrade my career. While I enjoy currently being a web and mobile development privateer, the prospects of working for a municipality or industrial entity has its appeals (since I am trying to grow a family).

Over the years, I've tought myself to skillfully use php, javascript, java, perl, awk, bash. Surely, these language skills can tranfer somewhat to SCADA's logic controller language. Without any formal training in CS (music major!) other than at the workplace, I wouldn't have been able to pick up those languages and run with them had it not been for their open documentation and free-to-install or already-installed interpreters/compilers.

I can't see that this is true with SCADA, and I'm hoping that I'm wrong.

Ideally, I'd like to be able to apply for a job that requires [A,B,C] and suggest that they hire me because I already know [A & B]; that they wouldn't have to do a ground-up training with someone that's never programmed before.

So, finally, the question; How do I "learn" SCADA? Are there sites and docs? What's going to help me get my foot in the door?

Any insight is appreciated. Thanks!

Answer 1

There are control nerds on line at control.com

You may be able to get a demo SCADA tool from Citect or AdAstrA

There is also an open source Process Visualization Browser that has SCADA features.

Answer 2

If you are currently working on mobile and web development projects, moving to an industrial control will be very challenging. I moved the other way, having an electronics background having PLC programming experience.

A PLC is basically a small computer where all the programming is related to its input and outputs, digital or analogue. These are usually connected to various mechanical and electronic systems, including 3rd party or customised electronics, pneumatics, Hydrolics and other disciplines. Getting into this industry usually starts with knowledge in those areas. A SCADA system usually refers to a system including all these aspects at the lower level and integration with a a more visual interface for monitoring, logging data, configuring and calibrating etc.

SCADA systems also consist of specific hardware/software architecture where off-the-shelf controllers and components are put together to create a system.

Getting your foot in the door would require some effort and possibly starting at the bottom, it's not a matter of downloading an IDE and learning the language.

If this kind of thing is something you keep hearing and you have contacts in the industry, that will certianly help.

I have just recently looked at getting my head back into elecronics to see what I can do with regards connecting PC's specifiecally, to hardware and found this piece of open source hardware: http://www.arduino.cc/ used for basic automation/robotics etc That could give you a taste?