CENTUM-History

Nobuaki Konishi
Vice President, Industrial Automation Systems
Business Headquarters, Yokogawa Electric Corp.

DCSs d ramatically spread i n process automat ion

INTRODUCTION
throughout Japan in the context of plant modernization in the
O ne of Yokogawa’s cor por ate ph ilosoph ies is to late 1980s and the early 1990s.
contribute to society through broad-ranging activities in the
ENHANCING DCS FUNCTIONS
areas of measurement, control, and information. To achieve
this philosophy in the control industry, Yokogawa launched W h i le t he D CS a rch it e ct u re c on sist i ng of t h re e
CENTUM, the world’s first distributed control system (DCS), components remains unchanged, the functions have been
in 1975. While Yokogawa’s corporate philosophy remains significantly enhanced. This section introduces several of
u nchanged, CENT U M has been mak ing prog ress and those enhancements.
expanding its functions along with advances in technology, „„ Data communication function
environmental changes, and changing demands since its DCSs improved in performance and had spread by the
release 36 years ago. Yokogawa released CENTUM VP R5, early 1990s, but it was difficult to use process data in a DCS
the newest version of CENTUM, in September 2011. from outside (the problem of “isolated island of information”).
I have been engaged in the development of CENTUM To enable a manufacturing execution system to extract data
since 1981, so I would like to look back over the evolution of from DCSs and give instructions to DCSs, DCS manufacturers
the DCS and give my frank impressions. defined their own communication media (such as RS232C and
GP-IB) and communication protocols to address the problem.
BASIC ARCHITECTURE
However, there was no standard means of communication.
Before 1975, the mainstream of controllers for process In 1990s, Ethernet became the de facto standard for local
control was a one-loop pneumatic controller. Plant operation area networks (LAN). In 1996, the OPC Foundation (OPC: OLE
was performed by what is called board operation; many for Process Control) standardized communication interfaces as
controllers with indicators, recorders, and annunciator lamps the industry standard to enable real-time data communication
were mounted on large instrument panels. among control equipment of different manufacturers.
Yokogawa focused on microprocessors from their early As the introduction of OPC provided an environment for
stages, which were the cutting-edge technology in those days, using DCS data in real-time, various functions made rapid
and applied them to control systems. Yokogawa divided the progress including advanced control, such as multivariate
control system functionally into three basic components: predictive control, and a historical function that enables long-
human-machine interfaces (HMI, such as CRTs with a term storage of raw process data and derived data.
keyboard), controllers and control bus, and then named the The concepts of the functions required for respective
system “distributed control system” (DCS). The functions layers including Enter prise Resource Planning (ER P),
of the instrument panel were reproduced on the HMI, and Manufacturing Execution System (MES) and Process Control
board operation evolved to CRT operation. Building the logic System are generalized according to the ISA-95 functional
that used to be configured by relays was achieved within the hierarchy model, vertically integrating from a management or
controller, and it offered greater flexibility. At the same time, business level to a DCS process level.
the signals for sensors and valves were unified to 4-20 mA „„ Operator assisting function
electric signals. In many plants, efficient operation is actually achieved by
From 1975 through the early 1990s, Yokogawa built faster experienced operators. Therefore, some solutions are required
and larger-capacity controllers as well as faster HMIs by using to maintain the operational know-how of such operators even
microprocessors and memory chips, the performance of which after they retire. Yokogawa has worked on this problem from
improved year by year. an early stage and offers the Exapilot operation efficiency

1 Yokogawa Technical Report English Edition Vol. 54 No. 2 (2011) 75

improvement software package that formalizes the operation world, cyber attacks have come to threaten process control
procedure of experienced workers as a standard operation facilities. A nuclear plant in a certain country was recently
procedure (SOP) and guides ordinary operators based on the attacked by the Stuxnet malware, and a cyber attack against
SOP. a leading Japanese general machinery manufacturer, which
„„ Asset management function plays a key role in the nuclear and defense industries, is still
Not only the DCS but also sensors and valves are making vivid in our memory. The Duqu, a Stuxnet-like malware, was
progress. These intelligent devices enable predictive diagnosis found in November 2011. Both the Stuxnet and Duqu target
of devices themselves and diagnosis of the process that industrial control systems.
they are interfacing with. Yokogawa offers a plant resource If the control system of a critical social infrastructure
manager (PRM), which gathers data from such devices via such as a power station or oil refinery suffers a cyber attack,
FOUNDATION fieldbus TM and HART for the DCS and informs it will cause unpredictable effects. Besides such intentional
operators of the diagnosis data. cyber attacks, there are many serious incidents, such as
ordinary computer viruses sometimes infecting PCs at process
OPEN TECHNOLOGY AND STANDARD
control sites via USB memory devices and interfering with
INTERFACE
communication.
DCSs have evolved as DCS manufacturers competed in Cooperative cyber security measures must be taken
developing their own functions until the early 1990s. In the immediately by manufacturers and users, and Yokogawa
late 1990s, with the spread of the Internet and the accelerating also is seriously tackling this emerging problem. Yokogawa
progress of information technology along with Microsoft will strengthen the protection of control systems through
Windows, DCS manufacturers enhanced the links with continuous enhancement of the security functions of the DCS,
information technology and introduced the latest functions by consultation and support for system reconfiguration to ensure
using general-purpose technologies. Like other manufacturers, the security of users’ systems.
Yokogawa adopted PCs with the Windows operating system „„ Expanding the coverage of the DCS
as the standard HMI station for CENTUM CS 3000, which One of the less-recognized features of the DCS is that
was released in 1998. The enhanced display capabilities such it offers information to operators 24 hours a day. Not only
as resolution and number of colors and fonts, faster LAN Yokogawa but also other companies have been providing
communication, larger-capacity auxiliary storage devices various solutions running on PCs since 2000. Vibration
and the like were easily achieved, thus immensely improving analysis is one such solution. If a sign of an abnormality in a
the convenience of the DCS. Yokogawa also utilizes tools rotary machine is detected through vibration analysis, it should
including Microsoft Office software to offer an environment be reported to operators via the HMI of the DCS. CENTUM
where users can easily improve their plant operation through and PRM already offer such a function. Yokogawa will look
DCS data analysis and others. over the whole plant floor and enhance the role of CENTUM
Just like the OPC for process data communication, to report information to operators not only from Yokogawa’s
standardization is being promoted in various areas. The systems but also from other manufacturers’ systems.
communication between field devices such as sensors, valves,
CONCLUSION
and DCSs has changed from 4-20 mA analog communication
to digital communication using FOUNDATION fieldbus, HART, DCS systems installed from the late 1980s to the early
or the like. Device configuration has been standardized to 1990s are approaching the time for replacement or migration
use the Field Device Tool (FDT)/ Device Type Manager after 20 years of use. The functions of the DCS and its
(DTM) or Device Description (DD). Yokogawa has adopted peripheral devices have made considerable progress during
ISA100, which is secure and advantageous for long-distance this period. Yokogawa strongly recommends that, during the
communication, for wireless sensor networks. Yokogawa’s migration, users not simply replace the DCS but also adopt the
DCS also conforms to standards including ISA-88 for batch latest advanced functions that will bring them many benefits.
control and ISA-18 for alarm management. The last issue of Yokogawa Technical Report (Vol. 54, No. 1,
2011) features “VigilantPlant Services to be a Customers’
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
Lifetime Partner for Operational Improvements,” which is
There is no end of the evolution of the DCS; it will one of Yokogawa’s new challenges. Yokogawa promises all
continue to evolve. This section looks at the future of the DCS. customers that it will continue to develop the DCS and other
„„ Security control systems as the basis for realizing customers’ ideal plant
Starting from an isolated island of information, the operation as well as the platform for creating solutions as a
DCS has adopted open technologies such as Windows and partner for operational improvements.
LAN to achieve a wider variety of functions and improve the
information connectivity with external devices or systems, * CENTUM, Exapilot, and PRM are registered trademarks of Yokogawa
and has provided users with a variety of effective functions. Electric Corporation.
* Other product and company names in this article are trademarks or
Meanwhile, as the Internet has spread throughout the registered trademarks of their respective holders.

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