Unparalleled Reliability in Mission-Critical Applications

When it comes to monitoring and controlling critical infrastructure, reliability is non-negotiable. Motorola SCADA systems have established a reputation for exceptional reliability in the most demanding operational environments, providing consistent performance even under challenging conditions.

Robust Hardware Design

Motorola SCADA hardware is engineered to withstand harsh industrial environments, from extreme temperatures to high electromagnetic interference. The rugged construction of Motorola RTUs ensures long-term reliability in field installations, reducing maintenance requirements and extending operational lifespan.

The quality of Motorola SCADA hardware reflects decades of refinement and R&D, resulting in systems that organizations can depend on for their most critical operations. This commitment to quality is particularly evident in the ACE3600, which builds on the proven reliability of the MOSCAD platform while introducing enhanced capabilities for modern industrial applications.

Fault-Tolerant Architecture

Motorola SCADA systems incorporate fault-tolerant design principles that enable continued operation even when components or communication paths fail. This resilience is essential for critical infrastructure applications where system downtime can have serious operational, financial, or safety implications.

The distributed intelligence of Motorola SCADA systems allows local control to continue even when communication with central systems is interrupted, ensuring that critical processes remain under control regardless of network status. This capability is particularly valuable in applications where continuous operation is essential, such as water distribution, power generation, or industrial process control.

Proven Field Performance

The reliability of Motorola SCADA systems is not just a theoretical advantage but a practical reality demonstrated through thousands of successful implementations worldwide. Organizations across diverse industries have trusted Motorola SCADA solutions for decades, a testament to their consistent performance in real-world applications.

From municipal water systems to oil and gas operations, electric utilities to manufacturing facilities, Motorola SCADA systems have proven their reliability in the field, providing the dependable monitoring and control capabilities that critical infrastructure operators demand.

Advanced Security for Critical Infrastructure Protection

As cyber threats to critical infrastructure continue to increase, the security capabilities of SCADA systems have become a primary consideration for organizations implementing industrial automation solutions. Motorola SCADA systems incorporate comprehensive security features designed to protect critical infrastructure from unauthorized access or manipulation.

Defense-in-Depth Security Architecture

Motorola SCADA systems implement a defense-in-depth security approach that provides multiple layers of protection against cyber threats. From physical security measures to network protection, access control to encryption, these systems incorporate complementary security mechanisms that work together to create a robust defense against diverse threat vectors.

The ACE3600 supports a full range of best-practice security options for a self-contained, autonomously secure system, including security enforcement policy, built-in firewall, access control, intrusion detection, application control software, encryption, unused port deactivation, and time-window commands. These capabilities enable organizations to implement comprehensive security controls tailored to their specific risk profile and operational requirements.

Secure Communication Protocols

Secure communication is essential for protecting SCADA systems from eavesdropping, data manipulation, or unauthorized command injection. Motorola SCADA systems utilize secure communication protocols that protect data integrity and confidentiality across diverse network environments, from wired Ethernet to wireless radio links.

The MC-Edge takes security even further, automatically monitoring for malicious activity or security policy violations and allowing only legitimate traffic while blocking unauthorized access attempts. AES 256-bit encryption protects sensitive data end-to-end, whether at rest or in transit, ensuring that critical industrial information remains secure throughout its lifecycle.

Regulatory Compliance Support

Many industries operating critical infrastructure face increasing regulatory requirements for cybersecurity, from NERC CIP in the electric utility sector to AWWA cybersecurity guidance for water utilities. Motorola SCADA systems provide the security capabilities needed to support compliance with these regulatory frameworks, helping organizations meet their legal and regulatory obligations while protecting critical assets from cyber threats.

The comprehensive security features of Motorola SCADA systems enable organizations to implement the technical controls required by various regulatory frameworks, from access control and authentication to encryption and audit logging. This capability reduces compliance burden while enhancing overall security posture, a significant advantage in heavily regulated industries.

Versatile Communication Capabilities

Effective SCADA implementation requires reliable communication between field devices and central systems, often across challenging environments where traditional networking options may be limited. Motorola SCADA systems excel in this area, offering versatile communication capabilities that enable effective deployment across diverse operational settings.

Multiple Communication Media Support

Motorola SCADA systems support a wide range of communication media, from traditional serial links to modern IP networks, radio systems to cellular connections. This flexibility allows organizations to select the most appropriate communication technology for each application, optimizing performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness.

The ACE3600's versatile communication capabilities enable it to connect with several local devices, analyze data, and send information to various locations simultaneously. Data transmission and processing are supported across multiple communication media and standard industry data protocols, providing unprecedented flexibility for complex industrial applications.

Wireless Expertise

As a global leader in wireless communication technology, Motorola brings unparalleled expertise to the wireless aspects of SCADA implementation. This expertise is particularly valuable in applications where wired communication is impractical or cost-prohibitive, such as remote wellhead monitoring, distributed water infrastructure, or mobile assets.

The MC-Edge builds on this wireless heritage, incorporating built-in support for LoRa sensors and devices for low-power, long-range performance. LTE and multiple two-way radio connectivity options provide a variety of wireless backhaul alternatives to connect to centralized applications, enabling flexible deployment in diverse operational environments.

Network Resilience

Reliable communication is essential for effective SCADA operation, particularly in critical infrastructure applications where loss of visibility or control could have serious consequences. Motorola SCADA systems incorporate network resilience features that maintain communication even when primary paths fail, ensuring continuous operation in challenging conditions.

The MC-Edge utilizes Motorola's MDLC communication protocol to link distant sites for easy scaling and provide alternative communication links for fallback scenarios. This capability ensures that critical communication paths remain available even when individual network components fail, maintaining operational visibility and control under diverse failure scenarios.

Scalable and Flexible Architecture

Industrial automation requirements vary widely across different applications and organizations, from simple monitoring systems with a few dozen data points to complex control systems with thousands of inputs and outputs. Motorola SCADA systems provide a scalable and flexible architecture that can adapt to these diverse requirements, enabling cost-effective implementation across a wide range of applications.

Modular Hardware Design

The modular design of Motorola SCADA hardware allows for easy system configuration optimization according to the specific requirements of each installation site. From the original MOSCAD to the current ACE3600, this modular approach has been a hallmark of Motorola SCADA systems, enabling customized configurations that provide exactly the capabilities needed for each application without unnecessary cost or complexity.

The ACE3600's modular architecture allows for easy expansion and customization to meet specific operational requirements. With support for a wide range of I/O modules, the ACE3600 can be configured to monitor and control diverse industrial processes, from simple monitoring applications to complex automation systems requiring hundreds of input and output points.

Scalable System Architecture

Motorola SCADA systems support scalable system architectures that can grow with an organization's needs, from small installations with a few remote sites to large networks with hundreds or thousands of RTUs. This scalability protects the initial investment in SCADA technology by providing a growth path that accommodates expanding operational requirements without requiring wholesale replacement of existing infrastructure.

The network agnostic design of Motorola SCADA systems further enhances scalability by enabling integration with diverse communication infrastructure, from legacy serial networks to modern IP-based systems. This flexibility ensures that Motorola SCADA solutions can adapt to changing communication requirements as organizations evolve their operational technology infrastructure.

Interoperability with Third-Party Systems

Modern industrial environments often include diverse equipment and systems from multiple vendors, requiring SCADA solutions that can integrate effectively with this heterogeneous landscape. Motorola SCADA systems excel in this area, offering extensive interoperability capabilities that enable seamless integration with third-party equipment and systems.

The MOSCAD family of RTUs established this tradition of interoperability, capable of communications with other vendors' PLCs, IEDs, and RTUs by utilizing MODBUS, Allen Bradley DF/1, and other protocols. This capability allows organizations to integrate new SCADA systems or expand existing ones, utilizing current communication media, Master Control Center (MCC) software, and the most suitable data protocol.

The ACE3600 continues this commitment to interoperability, designed to use a variety of digital and analog interfaces to avoid proprietary solution lock-in. This flexibility ensures that organizations can implement Motorola SCADA solutions within their existing operational technology landscape without being forced into wholesale replacement of functional equipment or systems.

Advanced Processing Capabilities

Modern industrial automation applications increasingly require sophisticated processing capabilities at the edge of the network, enabling real-time analysis and decision-making without relying on central systems. Motorola SCADA systems provide the advanced processing capabilities needed for these demanding applications, from complex control algorithms to edge analytics.

High-Performance Real-Time Processing

The ACE3600's processing power provides accurate data analysis and communication for the most critical and demanding SCADA applications, ensuring optimal operation even in challenging conditions. This processing capability enables sophisticated automation algorithms to be implemented at the edge of the network, improving response times and reducing dependence on central systems for routine control decisions.

Whether caused by storms, theft, or aging infrastructure, performance disruptions and the inability to pinpoint abnormalities can decrease productivity and potentially put personnel at risk. The ACE3600 addresses these challenges through powerful processing that enables precise monitoring and control, helping organizations identify and resolve issues before they impact operations or safety.

Edge Computing for Immediate Response

The MC-Edge takes edge processing even further, functioning as a remote terminal unit (RTU) that handles analytics, filtering, decision-making, and logging at the network edge. This edge computing approach enables immediate response to real-time events and reduces dependence on backhaul networks for data transport, improving system responsiveness and reliability.

By processing data locally and transmitting only relevant information to central systems, the MC-Edge optimizes network bandwidth usage while ensuring that critical events receive immediate attention, regardless of the status of the wider network infrastructure. This capability is particularly valuable in applications where real-time response is essential, such as leak detection in water distribution systems or fault isolation in electric distribution networks.

Dual Functionality as RTU and PLC

From the original MOSCAD to the current ACE3600, Motorola SCADA systems have offered dual functionality as both RTUs and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). This versatility allows a single platform to serve multiple roles in industrial automation architectures, simplifying system design and reducing equipment costs.

If the application loaded into the system is simple, Motorola SCADA systems function as RTUs, collecting data and executing basic control functions. If the application utilizes decision-making code, they function as PLCs, implementing complex control algorithms at the edge of the network. This dual functionality provides unprecedented flexibility for industrial automation applications, allowing organizations to optimize their automation architecture for specific operational requirements.

Comprehensive Support and Expertise

Beyond the technical advantages of Motorola SCADA systems, organizations benefit from the comprehensive support and expertise available through Motorola Solutions and its network of authorized integrators and partners.

Global Support Network

Motorola Solutions maintains a global support network that provides technical assistance, spare parts, and software updates for its SCADA products. This support infrastructure ensures that organizations implementing Motorola SCADA solutions have access to the resources they need to maintain and optimize their systems throughout their operational lifecycle.

The longevity of Motorola's presence in the SCADA market provides confidence that support will remain available for the long term, an important consideration for critical infrastructure applications where systems may remain in operation for decades. This long-term support commitment protects the investment in Motorola SCADA technology, ensuring that organizations can maintain their systems effectively throughout their operational life.

Specialized Integration Partners

Motorola Solutions works with a network of specialized integration partners who bring deep expertise in specific industries and applications. These partners combine knowledge of Motorola SCADA technology with industry-specific expertise, enabling them to design and implement solutions tailored to the unique requirements of each application.

Global Data Specialists exemplifies this specialized expertise as an authorized Motorola SCADA integrator with decades of experience. Having spun out of MSI decades ago, Global Data Specialists maintains close working relationships with Motorola Solutions to deliver cutting-edge SCADA implementations tailored to specific operational requirements across diverse industries.

Continuous Innovation

Motorola Solutions maintains a commitment to continuous innovation in its SCADA product line, ensuring that these systems evolve to meet changing operational requirements and incorporate emerging technologies. From the original MOSCAD to the current ACE3600 and MC-Edge, each generation of Motorola SCADA technology has built upon the successes of its predecessors while introducing new capabilities to address emerging challenges and opportunities.

This commitment to innovation ensures that organizations implementing Motorola SCADA solutions have access to evolving capabilities that keep pace with changing operational requirements and technological advancements. From enhanced security features to advanced edge computing capabilities, Motorola continues to enhance its SCADA offerings to meet the needs of modern industrial automation applications.

The Motorola SCADA Advantage

The combination of unparalleled reliability, advanced security, versatile communication capabilities, scalable architecture, and advanced processing makes Motorola SCADA systems the preferred choice for organizations seeking robust solutions for their most critical operations. These advantages translate into tangible benefits for organizations across diverse industries, from improved operational efficiency to enhanced safety and security.

By choosing Motorola SCADA systems, organizations gain access to a legacy of innovation and reliability that spans decades, with solutions designed to meet the most demanding requirements of modern industrial automation. Whether monitoring critical infrastructure, controlling complex industrial processes, or implementing advanced IoT capabilities, Motorola's SCADA products provide the performance, security, and flexibility needed for success in today's connected industrial environment.