Remote status unit

Automation equipment at the metering sites generate production volume information, indicate alarm and other equipment status, and provide some control capability. This equipment is connected to remote terminal units (RTU) at optimum points within the field by individual wire pairs of buried cable. The RTU s store the information generated and, on request from the computer, transmit it to the computer center by means of microwave or wireline. RTU s also receive messages from the computer for transmittal to appropriate equipment for execution. 

The Motors Control Center (MCC), is electrically connected to a Field Unit (FU).Auto/manual and local/remote selectors are available in front of the Motor Control Center panel. The Auto/manual and local/remote status is sent to the Supervision and Control System through the Field Units. 

The unit is equipped with devices such as remote switches to alleviate problems such as missing the pickup of a test tube or pipette tip. In a sequence of events, the robot would pick up a test tube and move to a location that has a remote switch. It would then press down the switch which would send a response to the controller. The Zymate program and the response from the switch location would indicate whether the robot had picked up the test tube. If the response was positive it would continue with the assay. If negative, it would take other actions that might be programmed into the system. These actions might include another attempt at picking up the test tube or a system shutdown. These actions thus allow safety checks on system operation or status. 

A system like the one described has been deployed successfully by United Parcel Service using two different platforms. The data preparation is implemented on local computers available at all company locations. The optimization dgorithms are solved remotely on large computers at another location using the company s intranet. The fact that two different platforms are used is hidden from the users, who are informed by e-mail about the status of a submitted job at various stages and get all the reports on the intranet. This kind of application is now possible because of the increase in computer power that permits the solution of difficult optimization problems in reasonable time emd because of the evolution of the Internet that provides the tools supporting a remote implementation. 

The ventilation control system is based on distributed acquisition and control units, which are all connected to a ventilation central unit. This central unit concentrates all ventilation system parameters, process alarm status, logic interlocks and sequential controls related with automatic functioning. The ventilation central unit communicates with the Reactor s Supervision and Control System, which receives all supervision information and may execute remote commands on the ventilation system. 

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