Market Domains

Traditionally, the term distributed control systems (DCS) was applied to larger continuous processes as found in refineries, power plants, and the like. The term DCS also applies to control functions along a fieldbus of various devices, which can also be operated through a personal computer (PC). With the low cost of programmable logic controllers and with the processing variety of DCSs, industrial grade PCs now function as control stations. PCs used as consoles can be used to graphically configure control strategies as well as operator views and can also be used as operator stations. Digital links into the PCs used as control stations receive I/O signals from existing I/O modules made from a variety of other vendors specializing in that technology. Growth is possible through small multiloop versions and fieldbus-type communication links. World market growth and the segments, impact upon each other are inferred from indirect sources.