The DF1 SCADA system consists of three main components of the system. Combined, they ensure that data is transmitted from the equipment to be monitored and controlled (sensors, motors, etc.) to an interface where the data can be analyzed and used for reporting.

The connection link in the SCADA architecture is Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) or Remote Terminal Units (RTUs). These are microcomputers that interact with equipment (also called field devices) on the one hand, and HMIs, which are the interfaces of the human machine, on the other. HMIs are also referred to as graphical user interfaces.

Human operators access data through an HMI, which can be cloud-based or on their own servers. The software interprets and displays data in an easy-to-understand matter, so operators can quickly and easily analyze and respond to alarms.

Some SCADA systems also include options for automatic control actions and an automatic reporting mechanism for easy-to-create reports.

The ability to respond quickly to alarms and events can be vital to the operation of industrial plants. A typical scenario would be that the SCADA system notifies the plant operator in the HMI if something is not working properly. As a notification on the phone, the plant operator receives a message that he needs to react and assess the situation. If he judges that the equipment needs to stop, he can do so directly to the HMI, which sends commands to the PLC or RTU, which also sends a series of commands and stops the equipment on the spot. Thanks to the notification from the SCADA system, the operator can react quickly to problems that arise and prevent possible maintenance costs.

The SCADA DF1 system is an operational software level that communicates directly with the machine's PLC controller (control level) and directly imports data from the PLC into the MES, which is the Upper Interface Leyer (process control level). After MES processes the data, it can place it in ERP software, which is a planning level. All levels have mutual integration and data exchange.

MES uses the OPC UA protocol, which is an open-source standard, to download data and process it.

A SCADA system can collect any type of data from plant equipment, such as temperature, pressure and velocity data, vibration, as long as there is a connection to the equipment. Equipment data is raw data that PLCs or RTUs then convert into understandable information that humans can respond to.

What is very useful is that a SCADA system usually collects both live and historical data. Live data is often used for maintenance purposes as well as for real-time monitoring. On the other hand, historical data is often used to report and improve plant performance.

The monitored equipment does not have to be from the same manufacturer for a SCADA system to transform data into understandable information. The equipment only needs to have an accessible communication protocol that the PLC or RTU can use. This opens up a uniform exchange of information between plants.

Automated monitoring of realized production, i.e. the number of pieces produced, MES receives from the SCADA System, which takes the data from the sensor or from the digital counter on the machine.