22 Jul 2021, Q&A's, SFC Academy

SFC Q&A with SCADA experts Mark Phillips and Paul Cook

SFC Q&A with SCADA experts Mark Phillips and Paul Cook

If you’ve attended any of our SFC Academy courses, your session just might have been led by Mark Phillips or Paul Cook. Each instructor has a distinct teaching style, but Mark and Paul share a passion for their subject matter. They’re instrumentation experts in SCADA and telemetry with a robust knowledge of Schneider Electric’s products.

Early this year, Schneider released their new SCADAPack x70 RTU series and RemoteConnect™ configuration software. We asked Mark and Paul to highlight a bit about these updated products and solutions before they hit the classroom for SCADA School this fall.

Here’s what they had to say:

What makes the partnership between Schneider Electric and SFC Energy successful?

Mark: We’ve been fortunate to maintain a great partnership for years! SFC has developed applications and packages around the Schneider SCADAPack RTU. Not only do we stock completed SCADAPack panels, we also have turnkey application solutions for the SCADAPack RTU. 

Schneider’s acquisition of Foxboro Process Instruments has created another synergy with SFC. We’ve been a distributor of Foxboro instruments for years and are experts on packaging Foxboro instruments with Schneider Electric RTUs.

What problems do the new SCADAPack x70 series RTU’s and RemoteConnect configuration software solve?

Paul: The Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) and software combine to solve the challenge of providing a secure and robust solution that handles the roles of RTU and Flow Computer very well.

Mark: With remote assets having more and more sensors, the need for a more powerful RTU has become essential. The x70 series RTU has an upgraded processor, RAM and storage but keeps the power consumption to a minimum.

How has the technology advanced since the previous model?

Paul: The Central Processing Units (CPUs) are faster and provide the best multitasking and network performance ever, while still allowing the RTU to consume only a few watts of power. In addition, the programming tools have advanced considerably and make configuring and troubleshooting much easier.

What’s the most common question you receive about the new software and what’s the answer to that question?

Paul: We’re often asked if RemoteConnect is free to download and use. With the great value it provides to users, they may be surprised by the answer — yes, it’s free!

Learn more:

Learn more about SCADA & Telemetry solutions by SFC Energy
Get in touch with a SCADA expert
Check out upcoming SFC Academy SCADA School courses
Learn more about Schneider Electric