DCS/PLC ProgrammingPLC / HMI / SCADA Design and Programming — Systems Integration on Every Major Platform
PLC / HMI / SCADA design and programming is a systems-integration service in which PiControl engineers design, program, and commission PLC, DCS, HMI, and SCADA systems for new laboratory and industrial automation, or for modernizing and maintaining the systems already running your plant, on platforms including Siemens TIA Portal and SIMATIC PCS 7, Rockwell Automation's Logix Platform, Wonderware, GE, and Inductive Automation's Ignition.
What a PLC / HMI / SCADA Engagement Includes
PLC and DCS Programming
PiControl's engineers deliver the PLC and DCS layers from the same integration team, covering architecture design and hardware engineering, Functional Design (FDS) and Detail Design Documentation (DDS), and simulation with complete offline testing on both layers.
- IEC 61131-3 compliant PLC programming, safety PLC programming, and programming standards development.
- Advanced algorithms and PIDs, plus PLC-based recipes and ISA S88 batch system programming.
- DCS logic development using CFC, SFC, and SCL, with DCS graphics development and operator station configuration.
- Cause & effect matrix design for safety systems.
- Legacy PLC and DCS migration without a rebuild from scratch.
- Third-party interfaces to vision, RFID, and barcode systems, drives, field instruments, and robots.
HMI, SCADA and Batch Systems Design
HMI and SCADA design starts with the same FDS/DDS discipline, then builds operator panel, touch panel, and SCADA graphics on standard objects and templates rather than one-off screens — GAMP-compliant with 21 CFR Part 11 audit trails, which matters directly on the pharmaceutical projects that make up part of our engineering history (see the pharmaceutical industry page). Batch systems design follows ISA S88 standards, so recipe-driven production runs on the same disciplined framework as the continuous logic around it.
- GAMP-compliant configuration with 21 CFR Part 11 audit trails.
- ANSI-C, VB, and Python scripting for dynamic process objects.
- ISA S88-compliant batch engineering, recipe management, and campaign scheduling.
- Batch report generation, plus simulation and testing before go-live.
- Existing SCADA systems migrated or upgraded rather than replaced outright.
- Custom reporting via Crystal Reports, MS SQL Server, SSRS, Excel, and Access.
The Platforms We Use
PiControl designs and programs on Siemens' TIA Portal (small-to-medium manufacturing and laboratory automation) and SIMATIC PCS 7 (large-scale DCS), Rockwell Automation's Logix Platform, Wonderware, GE, and Inductive Automation's Ignition — the platform choice tracks the scale of the plant rather than a vendor we happen to favor.
In pharmaceutical automation projects, GAMP-compliant HMI and SCADA configuration with 21 CFR Part 11 audit trails is a starting requirement rather than an add-on, so our engineers build the electronic record-keeping into the graphics layer from the first design pass rather than retrofitting it after commissioning.
In refining and power plant work, large-scale integration runs through SIMATIC PCS 7 or an equivalent DCS, where cause & effect matrices for the safety system and DCS logic built with CFC, SFC, and SCL have to hold up under continuous, high-consequence operation rather than a single test run.
New Builds, Modernization, and MES Integration
Engagements cover new laboratory and industrial automation systems built from a blank architecture, and modernization or maintenance of existing PLC, DCS, HMI, and SCADA systems — including legacy logic and graphics migration, PLC equipment installation, testing, operator training, and continuous maintenance within and beyond the warranty period. Above the control layer, PiControl's Manufacturing Execution System (MES) services bridge ERP planning systems and shop-floor control with real-time production visibility.
- Performance data, OEE, and plant / machine-level dashboards.
- Downtime reasons and detailed downtime analysis, plus scheduling.
- SPC, track-and-trace, and recipe / product management.
- Integration with barcode, scanner, and camera systems, and data historians.
This knowledge comes from laboratory and industrial automation projects in the pharmaceutical, polymer, refining, and power plant industries, spanning research facilities and full-scale production units.
Pharmaceutical Automation: Compliance Built In From the First Design Pass
In pharmaceutical automation projects, GAMP-compliant HMI and SCADA configuration with 21 CFR Part 11 audit trails is a starting requirement rather than an add-on, so our engineers build the electronic record-keeping into the graphics layer from the first design pass rather than retrofitting it after commissioning.
How an Engagement Delivers a Working System
A four-step protocol every PLC / HMI / SCADA engagement follows — from architecture and documentation through simulation, commissioning, and training, whether the project is a new build or a modernization of an existing system.
Architect and Document the System
PiControl engineers start with PLC, DCS, HMI, and SCADA system architecture design and hardware engineering, then produce Functional Design (FDS) and Detail Design Documentation (DDS) so the build that follows matches an approved, written specification rather than evolving ad hoc on the plant floor.
PLC / HMI / SCADA Design and Programming FAQ
Platforms, new builds vs. modernization, compliance, MES integration, and how to get started.
Design or Modernize Your PLC, DCS, HMI & SCADA System
Ready to scope a new automation system or modernize the one you have? Schedule a consultation and a PiControl engineer will review your platform, your plant, and whether the project is a new build, a migration, or an MES integration, before any design work begins.