Overview of PLC, DCS, and SCADA Careers
In this video, we explore the career options in PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), DCS (Distributed Control System), and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems. We discuss the skills required for each domain, the pros and cons associated with them, and provide guidance on which field may be the best fit for you.
PLC Career
- Definition: PLCs are industrial computers used to control processes and machinery in manufacturing, such as conveyor belts and robotics.
- Skills Required:
- Degree in electronics or basic knowledge of electronics
- Understanding of process instrumentation
- Familiarity with ladder logic and programming (L logic, FPD, STL)
- Knowledge of major brands (Siemens, Allen Bradley, ABB)
- Troubleshooting and maintenance skills
- Industrial networking knowledge
- Pros:
- High demand in manufacturing and automotive industries
- Easy to learn with abundant resources available online
- Quick project turnaround and job opportunities
- Cost-effective hardware for self-learning
- Cons: Limited complexity compared to DCS and SCADA.
DCS Career
- Definition: DCS is used in large industries like petrochemical, fertilizer, and power plants, featuring redundancy and visualization capabilities.
- Skills Required:
- Strong understanding of process and instrumentation
- Knowledge of DCS systems (Delta V, Yokogawa, ABB)
- Networking skills for configuring distributed networks
- Pros:
- High-paying jobs in specialized industries
- Easier programming with built-in function blocks
- Cons:
- Complexity and limited job availability
- High cost of training and lack of accessible resources
SCADA Career
- Definition: SCADA systems connect multiple sites to a central control room for monitoring and control.
- Skills Required:
- Proficiency in SCADA software (Ignition, Wonderware)
- Knowledge of IT and OT networking, industrial protocols (DNP3, Modbus)
- Cybersecurity awareness due to remote connectivity
- Pros:
- Opportunities in large-scale infrastructure projects
- Involvement in system integration and remote monitoring
- Cons:
- Requires extensive knowledge across multiple domains
- Frequent travel to different sites for maintenance
Conclusion
- Choosing the Right Path:
- PLC: Ideal for beginners seeking hands-on experience and quick job entry.
- DCS: Best for those interested in complex processes and high-paying roles in specific industries.
- SCADA: Suitable for individuals passionate about IT networking and large-scale projects.
For a deeper understanding of how these systems fit into the broader context of business, check out our summary on Understanding Product Life Cycle (PLC) and Its Impact on Business. Additionally, if you're interested in the technical skills required for data-related careers, you might find The Ultimate Guide to a Career in Data Analytics: Roles, Responsibilities, and Skills helpful. Let us know in the comments which field you are considering and why!
are you confused which field is right for you is it PLC dcsr SK in this video I will try to make it easy for you to
understand which field can be right for you and why we would start with what are the skills required for each domain like
plcs DCS and skater and then we would also discuss what are the pros and cons related to PLC DCS and ska at the end of
the video based on my experience I would guide you field can be right for you and why before we talk further about today's
video if you're new to the channel consider hitting the like button subscribe if you haven't yet turns your
notification on if you don't want to miss our future content related to PLC DCS kada industrial iot industry 4.0
industry 5.0 and cyber security let's talk about plc carrier first before we talk further about PLC carrier pros and
cons skills required it is important to understand what is PLC PLC is a industrial computer that is used as a
brain in in process industry to control small processes and machineries in a manufacturing flow you talk about
conveyor belts you talk about robotics PLC can be used to control all of these let's talk about what are the skills
that are required if you wanted to become a PLC engineer it's good to have a degree in electronics otherwise the
basic knowledge about Electronics is essential if you know about process and process
instrumentation it is going to be very helpful you need to have a understanding of a Basics about letter logic you need
to have a programming basic you need to understand L logic fpd and STL in a PLC programming you need to have
understanding about major and important Brands like seens alen Bradley and ABB it's important for you to have a
troubleshooting and maintenance skills if you know how to fix problems in a PLC it is a
important it is one of the important skills required for a PLC role if you have industrial networking it is going
to be good how you communicate different systems how you integrate your instruments to the PLC now let's talk
about if you have selected the PLC carrier what would be the benefits what would be the pros about a PLC field
number one is high demand in a manufacturing and automative field PLC is widely used in different Industries
if you think of our robotics PLC is used if you think of our big Conveyor Systems PLC is used so PLC is used in different
process Industries for a smaller for controlling small processes and it is also used in a manufacturing floor to
automate different tasks so if you have a right skill set you would definitely going to get a very good job sooner now
let's talk about second and important point that is PLC is easy to learn why let's talk about that PLC
information is easily available on internet different platforms like YouTube and other websites like udemy
you can easily grab the information you have a required softwares available simulators available and you can easily
grab the required skills if you are targeting a PLC job compared to other scada and DCS PLC is easy to understand
information is easily available and can be easily mastered let's talk about third and important point which would be
one of the biggest consideration if you are thinking to choose PLC as your carrier quick project turnaround that
means you're going to get a lot of project easily and you will and you would be able to work in different
Industries and will be able to complete the task sooner and then you would get the next project
easily another point which is very important to understand that plc that PLC
is cheaper you can buy the hardware you can learn it by yourself when you think of a scada and DCS you don't have a
softwares available you don't have an access to get a DCS systems because they are very costly it's the time to talk
about DCS system as the name suggest dcsr distributed control system is used in Industries like prochemical
ferti fertilizer power plant and oil and gas big production plants the role of a DCS is it is distributed you have a
redundancy mechanism and you have a customized built-in controllers they are redundant in each areas and you have a
complete system that have a visualization available in your control room so DCS have or screens or a
Graphics that can help you to see what's going on in the process now let's talk about if you are aiming to get a job as
a DCS engineer what are the skills required for that you need to have a strong understanding about process and
process instrumentation like plc's it is vital that you should have a process information like how different processes
like oil and gas fertilizer power plant Works how things are connected with each other to produce a certain product which
Drive these industries you need to have understanding and knowledge about different DCS systems like Delta V from
Ameron hanal DCS and yukawa DCS and ABB DCS systems which are famous and they are widely available but the tricky
point right now here to note you don't have a simulators available you don't you cannot buy these system easily to
practice and that is the core reason getting that information is trickier good news for you who are watching this
video right now I have put an link somewhere here for you those who are interested to know about DCS system you
can click on that link and you are going to find an interesting playlist if you are aiming for a DCS job it is vital and
important for you to have a knowledge about industrial protocols experience and experience in configuring and
maintaining distributed networks that involve networking skills because in a DCS Network you have switches and they
are connected so if you have information about networking it is going to be a big plus every field have positive and
negatives like other fields DCS have some pain points let's talk about the cons of a DCS carrier gentlemen DCS is
way more complex than PLC it is not because the DCS system is difficult to understand it is because the information
is not easily available and the companies like hyal ABB and big guns they are selling these
courses in very big cost and that's why it is not easily accessible for everyone to get a training in a DCS that's why
understanding DCS system compared to PLC where information is easily available is very difficult when we talk about the
DCS system compared to PLC and scada DCS jobs are not easily available because when we talk about the DCS jobs
they are limited because DCs are only in a big process Industries like oil and gas fertilizer prochemical and you got a
one DCS engineer in entire plant and that's the reason the DCS jobs are not easily available but the good thing is
when you get that DCS job your life is sorted out because DCS is easily because DCS is easy to program compared
to plc's in a DCS you got customized function blocks and different programs already built for different process
needs you have a graphics templates for different face plates and different other Graphics which are important for
you to design a good screen they are readily available it's just like drag and drop so don't give up if you are
interested to learn DCS system we have an online training available details somewhere here contact us for further
details last but not least that is kada supervisory control and data acquisition system plays a great role when you have
a different process Industries and they want it when you have a different process plans and you want to see all of
them into a c Cal location using a scada you can achieve that scada plays a great role when you want to connect different
sites from a remote locations to one central control room and visualize each and every process aspects which are
critical for you to take a right step in a right direction let's talk about what are the skills that are very important
if you're aiming to get a job as a ska engineer first and foremost it's very important for you to understand
different SCA softwares like ignition wonderwear V VCC and wonderware in touch how you
would be able to learn that obviously we got a one playlist which is somewhere here if you are a beginner I highly
recommend watching the videos it is very important for you to understand one important consideration that is if you
want to get a job in a as a SCA engineer it is very important that you have it and OT networking knowledge dnp3
protocol modbus can modbus and different other industrial protocols should be your first choice if you want to learn
industrial protocols good news for you we have different videos I'm going to put some links here for you to watch and
get required knowledge when we connect different sites to the cloud that involves telecommunication that involve
networking and remote connectivity that's the reason it is important for you to have a cyber
security knowledge due to remote nature of a scada system now let's talk about cons pain points related to a ska
engineer you need to have a lot of information you need to know about along with automation you are it is important
that you know it networking and OD networking and that is a lot of information so you need to be a master
of a PLC systems industrial protocols it systems cyber security because it is because it's vital ska engineer normally
required a lot of travel because sker systems are geographically dis first you got multiple sites and for a maintenance
and work related task you you have to travel a lot to different sites now let's talk about very important point
which carrier you should choose choose PLC if you are just starting out because information is easily available you if
you enjoy hands-on experience with machine PLC could be a right feeli for you if you want quick entry into a job
market compared to DCS and SCA PLC is quicker it is quicker if you talk about finding a right job let's talk about DCS
if you like working in a complex big processes DCS should be your first choice if you wanted to specialize
specially in oil and gas or power sector or F power sector or fertilizer Tech or fertilizer sector DCS is all right feel
for you DCS is high highly paid job because oil and gas Industries and big process Industries normally pay more
let's talk about ska choose skada as your carrier if you're interested in it and OT networking and you want to work
on large scale project large scale infrastructure projects are common in skada field if you enjoy system
integration and remote monitoring and you have kind of a love associated with communication systems then skada should
be your first choice as a carrier based on these points let me know what you have decided if you haven't yet which
field is right for you and why in the comments that's all for today if you like this video consider hitting the
like button subscribe if you haven't yet until next time take care and bye-bye
PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), DCS (Distributed Control System), and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) are industrial control systems used to manage and automate processes in various industries. PLCs are used for controlling machinery in manufacturing, DCS is utilized in large industries like petrochemical and power plants for process control, and SCADA connects multiple sites to a central control room for monitoring and control.
A career in PLC requires a degree in electronics or a basic understanding of electronics, knowledge of process instrumentation, familiarity with ladder logic programming, troubleshooting skills, and industrial networking knowledge. Familiarity with major PLC brands like Siemens and Allen Bradley is also beneficial.
The pros of a DCS career include high-paying job opportunities in specialized industries and easier programming due to built-in function blocks. However, the cons include the complexity of the systems, limited job availability, and high training costs.
A career in SCADA focuses on connecting multiple sites for centralized monitoring and control, requiring proficiency in SCADA software and knowledge of IT and OT networking. Unlike PLC and DCS, SCADA roles often involve extensive travel for maintenance and require a broader knowledge base across multiple domains.
For beginners, a career in PLC is ideal as it offers hands-on experience, quick job entry, and abundant learning resources. It is less complex compared to DCS and SCADA, making it more accessible for those new to the field.
DCS careers are primarily associated with large industries such as petrochemical, fertilizer, and power plants, where complex processes and high reliability are critical.
To decide which career path to pursue, consider your interests and strengths. If you prefer hands-on work and quick entry into the job market, PLC may be the best fit. If you are interested in high-paying roles and complex processes, consider DCS. If you are passionate about IT networking and large-scale projects, SCADA could be the right choice.
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