The thermostat that runs a factory
At home, a thermostat reads the room temperature. If it is cold, it switches the heating on.
Now picture the same idea in a power station, a hospital ward or a car. It is a control system, and an attack on it can cause real harm.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Control system | a system that reads values, decides, and controls a process or a machine |
| Sensor | a device that measures something, such as heat or pressure |
| Controller | the part that reads the sensor and decides what to do |
| Actuator | a part that moves or switches something, such as a valve or a lock |
| Remote | in another place, far from the person in charge |
| Industrial control system | a control system for factories, power and water |
| Critical national infrastructure | the services a country cannot do without |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can say what a control system is for and name four types with an example of each.
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3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
The three jobs of a control system
First, it receives data from remote sensors, in places people cannot watch all day. Second, it measures values, such as temperature. Third, it controls a process or an asset, where needed, across different places.
A person can watch and step in, but the system does the steady work.
Four types of control system
| Type | What it supports | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial control system | Critical national infrastructure and industry | Valves and pumps at a water works |
| Medical control system | Life-sustaining equipment and patient data | A pump that gives medicine at a set rate |
| Facility-related control system | Securing buildings and sites | Door locks and alarms |
| Automotive control system | Everything in a vehicle | Engine and fuel systems |
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4 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.