What is the Difference Between Data Concentrator & RTU?

I don't think there is a provision for pdf attachment. You can, however, open the pdf and then do a screen capture using "Ctrl-Print Screen" and then pasting that into a drawing editor such as MS-Paint. After editing in Paint (if you like) save the file as a bmp file. Then you can use the little camera icon to insert the bmp file.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_Terminal_Unit

http://www.ewon.biz/en/Applications/scada-applications.html

http://www.atmel.com/applications/smart_energy/data_concentrators/default.aspx

I think SolarEagle's diagram depicts the way most systems will be configured now, because the technically, "Data Concentrators" would be a digital communications device that is speaking serially to multiple data gathering devices, ie RTUs.

But in the description you posted, it sounded as though the data concentrators were BETWEEN the meters and the RTUs? If so, that would sound to me more like an older version wherein you had an RTU at a remote site with limited I/O capacity and if it had to collect information from multiple meters and sensors, you used a "Mux" unit, or "Multiplexer" that polled the individual devices, then uploaded them to the RTU one at a time along with a time and unit stamp. Someone may be calling that Mux a "data concentrator".

The Remote Terminal Unit can only be used to access data/ information within a system. I have never heard of a data concentrator before, but logically, it seems to me to describe a data base of some sort eg Ms Access. Your query implies that it is a system hardware component, which could be a memory bank of sorts I guess, given your system description. Perhaps it is an interpretation issue, and should have been named a data collector ? eg I can believe this to describe banks of registers within a unit of a system, similar to a totaliser.. In such case, the RTU is able to see the totaliser, but is not able to manipulate that information/data. Like 'read only'.

Anyhow the difference as requested = everything = no physical similarities.

Then again, I could be wrong.....

Yes, I see I am wrong....sorry about that ...clearly I don't know from data concentrator! Anyways, I do know something about RTU's.

Thanks for sharing your valuable suggestions.

I am attaching system artitechture drawing for clarity.Client had instructed to use honeywell make Master RTU 6350 for RTU panel.

I am scratching my head as I am unable to figure out about what is data concentrator exacly.Can any body suggest make & model no of the device to be used as data concentrator for RTU Panel as mentioned above.

Thanks in advance.

CR4 Admin - Images removed, subject to copyright violation.

I've heard the word 'data concentrator' used in the late 1980's for what exactly what an RTU does (I/O consolidator on one side, serial digital output on the other side), but without a telephone modem.

An RTU is still an RTU; it has I/O for connection to field devices, with optional control logic.

I believe a data concentrator, as depicted by Solar Eagle, is a serial-to-serial 'gateway' that is enabled with protocol converters to deal with the mix of RTU serial outputs - Modbus, DNP3, 61580, whatever.

The link below is to a 2005 trade journal article, IEC 61850: Where are We Headed with Substation Communications? which summarizes the historical RTU situation in power distribution over a WAN, and the relatively slow adoption in the US of the object oriented architecture of IEC 61850.

http://www.powereng.com/wp-content/uploads/2005/05/Utility-May-June-2005.pdf

The link below is to a 2013 Schneider document which has an excellent table on page 18 on the differences between Process SCADA and remote SCADA:

How can I Utilize telemetry and remote SCADA architecture for distributed infrastructure?

http://www.schneider-electric.com.co/documents/News/Ecuador/Scada.pdf

Thank you Every one for valuable inputs. Data concentrator reffered here is CPU similar to Industrial computer.I had confirmed from Vendor and drawing of existing system.