UK designed Simplicon system significantly reduces the overall project costs of centralised control systems

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Keyword Control systems

British company, IDC, has designed and manufactured Simplicon(TM), a unique modular control system that significantly reduces both the complexity and the overall project cost of modern centralised control systems (Plate 8). Simplicon(TM), standing for "simple to integrate and control", offers a distributed architecture based on intelligent networked controllers. The system is inherently flexible and scaleable, uses standardised Windows multi-processor software and provides flexible open network connectivity for ease of integration with the technology that best suits an application, including the latest 10 Mbit Ethernet TCP/IP protocol.

"What makes Simplicon both different to and superior to existing technology is not the obvious advantages of reduced cabling costs, or quicker installation time, but the hidden benefits that extend throughout the whole lifecycle of a project," says Kevin Buckley, founder and Managing Director of IDC. These fall in eight basic categories.

* Project tendering and estimating can be much more accurately defined.

* Bid interpretation, defining an offer and presenting a control solution can be much more easily quantified and qualified.

* Software complexity and program size are both greatly reduced. Software design is naturally structured into smaller elements of code simplifying programming and creating standard reusable modules.

* Hardware, mechanical, electrical and control elements can be built and tested independently before shipment.

* Documentation is standard for each element and definable.

* Existing installations can be easily upgraded or extended where cabinet space would otherwise prohibit.

* With Simplicon commissioning is a tuning...