The upper computer is a term widely used in the field of industrial automation control, referring to a computer system in a local automation control system that is used to monitor and control lower-level machines (such as PLCs, microcontrollers, frequency converters, or embedded systems).

 The upper computer can communicate with lower-level machines through various communication protocols (such as RS485, RS232, Ethernet, etc.), obtaining operational statuses or process parameters of the lower-level machines and sending control instructions to achieve convenient operations.

For example, in the automation system of a wastewater treatment plant, the upper computer can realize the SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) monitoring of the wastewater treatment process, enabling visual monitoring and management of various equipment and parameters in the process flow.

 Simultaneously, the upper computer can also monitor the operational status of the entire factory's automated production line, display production data, and interact with MES (Manufacturing Execution System) systems.

Wutong Bolian provides a PLC data acquisition system based on PLC intelligent gateways, enabling data collection from PLC lower-level machines from manufacturers such as Siemens, Mitsubishi, Omron, Schneider, Delta, HuiChuan, and Beckhoff.

 The collected data is then uploaded to the local SCADA upper computer via WIFI/Ethernet, facilitating visual display, alarm monitoring, real-time control, and management analysis of various data, with good scalability and convenience.

System Functions

1. Data Communication
   The upper computer and lower-level machines typically communicate in real-time through various communication protocols.

    The Wutong Bolian PLC intelligent gateway supports interfaces such as RS232, RS485, and Ethernet, connecting to the upper computer through protocols like TCP and MQTT to ensure accurate and error-free data transmission between the upper and lower computers.

2. Edge Computing
   The gateway can perform edge computing on the collected data at the network edge, including intelligent collection, data filtering, alarm calculation, jump triggering, formula calculation, and grouping strategies.

    After establishing device models and standardizing data, it significantly reduces the computational pressure on the local system, enhancing system robustness and high concurrency.

3. Control Distribution
   The gateway features bidirectional communication capabilities.

    Users can send control commands from the upper computer interface, such as starting/stopping equipment, opening/closing valves, and modifying parameters, to quickly manage and control devices in case of alarms, ensuring safe and stable on-site operations.

4. User Interface
   Through private deployment on the local upper computer, users can view device operational statuses, process parameters, alarm information, maintenance work orders, etc. They can also access SCADA screens, monitoring screens, and query multi-dimensional data reports for management control and data analysis.

5. System Interaction
   In addition to deploying SCADA systems, the upper computer may also host local software, MES systems, ERP systems, etc. The PLC intelligent gateway provides easily integrable API interfaces, allowing users to quickly build advanced and professional industrial application systems for sharing and managing production data.