Engineering and TechnicalDistributed Control Systems Operation and Configuration
A distributed control system is the operating environment for the whole plant, and the difference between a well configured system and a poorly configured one shows up during upsets. This course covers architecture, configuration and operation. Delegates work through system and network architecture, controller and input output configuration, graphics and operator interface design, historian and trending, alarm rationalisation, and the redundancy and failover behaviour that determines what happens when part of the system fails. Attention is given to operator interface design as a safety matter, and to the management of change discipline that keeps a configuration trustworthy over the life of the plant.
Course objectives
- Describe distributed control system architecture, networks and redundancy
- Configure controllers, input output and control modules
- Design operator graphics that support decision making during an upset
- Configure historian, trending and reporting
- Rationalise alarms and reduce operator load
- Explain failover behaviour and what happens when a component fails
- Apply management of change to system configuration
Who should attend
- Control and instrumentation engineers and technicians
- Automation and systems engineers
- Panel operators and shift supervisors
- Maintenance staff supporting control systems
- Project engineers on control system upgrades
Course outline
- 01System architecture, networks and redundancy
- 02Controller and input output configuration
- 03Control module configuration and standard blocks
- 04Operator interface design as a safety consideration
- 05Historian, trending and reporting
- 06Alarm rationalisation and operator load
- 07Failover, degraded operation and recovery
- 08Management of change and configuration control
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 5 September 2026 | Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe | Classroom | R11,995 per delegate | Register Now |
| 25 to 29 September 2026 | Lusaka, Zambia | Classroom | R11,995 per delegate | Register Now |
| 24 to 28 October 2026 | Accra, Ghana | Classroom | R11,995 per delegate | Register Now |
| 19 to 23 November 2026 | Kigali, Rwanda | Classroom | R11,995 per delegate | Register Now |
| 6 to 10 December 2026 | Kigali, Rwanda | Classroom | R11,995 per delegate | Register Now |