The control room, also known as the supervision room, monitoring room or command centre, is a place where a lot of information technology is concentrated. What could be more normal for a space whose raison d’être is to process large amounts of data?
Without being exhaustive about all the technologies that equip all the control rooms in the world, we can nevertheless mention the main ones by only mentioning the basic foundation common to all sectors. Of course, many other technologies (visual recognition, access control, ….) will be added to this base.
First must-see: the video wall
The different technologies of specialised displays for control rooms are described in our Control Room White Paper: DLP cubes, LCD LED displays, etc.
In addition to this first basic element, there are four main technologies for data acquisition on a video wall:
- The server, also known as the video controller, which manages the inputs/outputs of your sources. This server is itself controlled by software made available to the operators in the room.
- The network, with two configurations: passive when content is only pushed to the video wall, or interactive when operators can take control of this content (VNC, RDP, etc.).
- Direct connectivity: HDMI, DVI, …
- And finally the wireless connection (mainly wifi) by machines present in the immediate environment of the control room. Here also the content can only be displayed or controlled from another machine.
SCADA
SCADA is not a defined technology per se but rather the system that defines how the process under control in the room will be monitored and operated.
KVM technology: Keyboard Video Mouse
In short, this technology allows an operator to control multiple machines from a single keyboard/mouse. With the ever-increasing number of applications in a control room, KVM will undoubtedly become a standard for the industry.
CAD technology
CAD technologies are also booming (sales are expected to double in the next five years). CAD stands for Computer Aided Dispatch; like SCADA, this acronym does not refer to a standard software package but rather to a software suite that will increase the efficiency of the control room.
The aim is to industrialise the processing of requests directed to a control room: according to the rules defined in this tool, the dispatch of requests will be carried out automatically to the most relevant participants. Let’s take the example of a police surveillance room: when citizens make distress calls, CAD technology will automatically suggest the nearest corresponding units: the command centre is only there to validate the operation, monitor the smooth running of the process and compensate for the hazards/exceptions that the machine cannot handle.
Other technologies are at an emerging stage: 3D imaging, voice recognition, touch screens … but they are still confidential in the control room.
In conclusion, the display of these different technologies should not make you lose sight of your main role in a control room project: defining your expectations and your functional specifications. For the rest, you can trust a professional like MOTILDE 😉
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