Automation & Control
DCS
Distributed Control System: a plant-wide control architecture common in continuous process industries.
IN ONE SENTENCE
Control functions are distributed across controllers but engineered and operated as one integrated system.
In normal English
DCS platforms are common in chemical, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, power and other large continuous processes.
Why would I use it?
Use it when a process plant needs highly integrated continuous control, redundancy and operator management.
THINK OF IT LIKE…
Many coordinated control brains behaving like one plant-wide system.
Related terms
SCADA, PLC, process control
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