Failure of Communication

Case Study for Principles of Communication

Joanna Jane M. Dulay

Luie Crispol G. Celeste

College of Engineering and Architecture

IIEE
Angeles City, Philippines
joannajanemdulay@gmail.com

College of Engineering and Architecture

IIEE
Angeles City, Philippines
dmc_luie@yahoo.com.ph

Edmond H. Gonzales

Renniel M. Diaz

College of Engineering and Architecture

IIEE
Angeles City, Philippines
hernandezpogi01@gmail.com

College of Engineering and Architecture

IIEE
Angeles City, Philippines
rennieldiaz@ymail.com

Angelica Noquiao

John Gilbert B. Dizon

College of Engineering and Architecture

IIEE
Angeles City, Philippines
noquiaoangelica26@gmail.com

College of Engineering and Architecture

IIEE
Angeles City, Philippines
johngilbertdizon@gmail.com
AbstractThis case study entitled Failure of Communication
sought to find the major problem in communication specially using
supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA) for
remote monitoring and control that operates with coded signals
over communication channels.

I. INTRODUCTION
San Fernando Electric Light and Power Company
Incorporated, an electric utility, distributes electric power to
residential, commercial, and industrial customers in San Fernando.
The company was founded in 1927 and it is based in Barangay
Lourdes Teopaco San Fernando, Philippines. San Fernando Electric
Light and Power Company Incorporated, a franchise in the City of
San Fernando, Pampanga covers an area of 78,514 square kilometers.
There are 35 municipalities in the City of San Fernando.
The franchise area also covers the municipalities of San Isidro and
Cabalantian in Bacolor, Pampanga. Served connection of 87,487 with
88 employees. Having four (4) substations in San Fernando Electric
Light and Power Company Incorporated namely Magdalena, Baliti,
Avida and Florida Blanca.
Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems
have traditionally played a vital role by providing utilities with
valuable knowledge and capabilities that are key to a primary
business function - delivering power in a reliable and safe manner. A
quality Supervisory control and data acquisition solution is central to
effective operation of a utility's most critical and costly distribution,
transmission, and generation assets. Supervisory control and data
acquisition applied at San Fernando Electric and Power Company in
2009.
Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)
systems, in response to changing business needs, have added new

functionalities and are aids for strategic advancements towards

interactive, self-healing smart grids of the future. A modern
Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system is also a
strategic investment which is a must-have for utilities of all sizes
facing the challenges of the competitive market and increased levels
of real time data exchange that comes with it (independent market
operator, regional transmission operator, major C and I
establishments, etc.). A well planned and implemented modern
Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system not only
helps utilities deliver power reliably and safely to their customers but
also helps to lower costs and achieve higher customer satisfaction and
retention.
Modern Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)
systems are already contributing and playing a key role at many
utilities towards achieving:

New levels in electric grid reliability increased revenue

Proactive problem detection and resolution higher

reliability

Meeting the mandated power quality requirements

increased customer satisfaction

Real time strategic decision making cost reductions and

increased revenue

Internet-enabling existing Supervisory control and data

acquisition (SCADA) systems or building new applications from
scratch. Internet Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)
champions have sold their managers on the cost benefits of using the
public Internet
Instead of expensive, dedicated lines. They have also won
support by explaining how the use of open Internet standards makes
it easier to integrate Supervisory control and data acquisition
(SCADA) with other corporate systems and avoids technology
obsolescence by allowing the use of technology from multiple
vendors.
Industry experts agree that IP networks and the public
Internet will soon play a in virtually all Supervisory control and data
acquisition (SCADA) systems. The economics are overwhelming,
considering that every organization has already a link to the Web and
an IP-based internal network and it can leverage at relatively low-cost
for its Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)
applications. Still, many of the companies are fearful of using
Internet.
Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), having
heard countless stories of projects that failed to meet the required
high levels of reliability, performance and security. The work
required to customize and configure a generic Supervisory control
and data acquisition (SCADA) application for a specific industry can
destroy all the benefits promised by Internet Supervisory control and
data acquisition (SCADA). For example, one rural electric
cooperative took months of extra time, and the help of expensive
specialized staff, to configure and customize an Internet Supervisory
control and data acquisition (SCADA) system for low voltage
distribution automation. In addition to exceeding their schedule and
budget, the coop was then tied to a custom, proprietary application.
Savvy project managers avoid such problems by choosing an Internet
SCADA solution that includes modules already customized for their
vertical market.
Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and Remote
Telemetry Units (RTUs) used to be distinctly different devices but
over time they are now almost the same. This has been a convergence
of the technology as manufacturers of these devices expanded their
capabilities to meet market demands.
San Fernando Electric Light and Power Company
(SFELAPCO) Uses Supervisory control and data acquisition
(SCADA) since 2009 by then a lot of trouble encounters as of now
and the main problem of SCADA is the Failure of Communication
but San Fernando Electric Light and Power Company (SFELACO)
used simple SCADA system would be a single circuit that notifies of
one event. Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) need to
communicate with all your on-site equipment and survive under the
harsh conditions of an industrial environment.

II. GOALS AND PROBLEMS

This case study made use of the qualitative research. It
provides natural occurring information to have a better understanding
of the certain phenomena and data related to these studies which were
gathered through interview.

A. Goals
To be more efficient when it comes in communication,
having high-speed communication ports and to improve broadband
wireless and wired Internet Protocol (IP) communication through this

there will be innovation in Internet Protocol (IP) devices demands

reliable connectivity to local intelligent Electronic Devices as well as
emerging communication network standards. Communication
flexibility, redundant communication links between remote systems
and the central Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)
application from the basis of reliable, secure, and safe enterprise.
Robust protocols for support of mixed communication
environment. Having high performance Remote telemetry unit (RTU)
includes additional hardware features and power supplies with the
multiple alternating current/direct current (AC/DC) voltage rails and
diagnostic displays. Having protection in Optic fiber for thunders and
wind they developed a disaster recovery plans to ensure safety and to
continue the operation of the Supervisory Control and Data
Acquisition (SCADA).

B. Problems
San Fernando Electric Light and Power Company
Incorporated a low-bandwidth slow speed of Internet connection
through this they having miscommunication in the substations.
Physical Phenomena that cause Cable Failures, indirectly wired
typically in a shorter distance. Wildlife damage to fiber optic cablesmany birds reinforcing material of fiber cable jackets particularly
appealing as nesting material, so they peck at the fiber cable jackets
to utilize bits of that material. Susceptibility to physical damage
Fiber is a small and compact cable, and it is highly susceptible to cut
or damaged during installation or construction activities. Power shut
down due to failure in communication. System emergency shut down
due to computer failures and Electric Failure due to power
interruption. This are all in line with the failure in communication.
A system failure can occur at the supply-end during
extreme weather changes, such as a thunder and lightning that causes
cuts in the cables from the system. An equipment failure can occur at
the station, transmission line, or transformer level. Any number of
factors can be the cause of an equipment failure, such as an error in
the digital processing system or physical damage due to an accident,
construction.

III. DECISION CRITERIA

There is a lot of problem when it comes in Supervisory
control and data acquisition (SCADA) but one of the most problem
that they have encountered at San Fernando Electric Light and Power
Company (SFELAPCO) is having a failure in communication where
in the whole Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)
system is affected, due to the rapid development in automation
system, the remote operation, control and monitoring are necessary
for any modern system. The Supervisory Control and Data
Acquisition (SCADA) facilitates this remote operation, control and
monitoring for industrial automation.
The Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)
system comprises Remote Telemetry Unit (RTU) microwave
communication network and RCS (Remote Control Server). The
spider software, which is an open platform for horizontal and vertical
integration of power control center.
The increase reliability through automation eliminates the
need for manual data collection may help to improve the failure in
communication and also alarms and system-wide monitoring enable
operators to quickly spot, address problems and protects workers by
enabling problem areas to be detected and addressed automatically.
The operators can use powerful trending capabilities to detect future

problems, provide better routine maintenance of equipment and spot

areas for improvement.
Vulnerability and threat assessments should be performed
regularly on current and newly implement systems. Risk assessments
should be conducted on each interconnection between the
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and corporate
enterprise network.
Develop disaster recovery plans to ensure the safety and to
continue operation of the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
(SCADA) network caused by unexpected and undesirable
occurrences or contingencies that interrupt the normal SCADA
operations.
It is easy to observe that SCADA technology holds a lot of
promise for the future. The economic and performance advantages of
this type of system are definitely attractive. However, since the
vulnerabilities of the current implementations are in proportion to the
advantages, it is essential that measures should be taken to mitigate
the risk to current systems and to ensure that the future systems are
designed with sound policies and design.

IV. ALTERNATIVE COURSE OF ACTION

The main aim of this research project is to investigate and
analyze the failure in communication and to know the common cause
of failure.
By providing consistent support in an emergency failing in
the system may help to control the situation in failing the
communication in the company.
The control shall transfer to the backup control processor
and if the backup Control Processor is not available, the outputs shall
fail to a predefined and repeatable safe status and shall enable any
manual shutdown facilities which are appropriate to provide orderly
shutdown of equipment.
Having discrete control function and update rate and
response time of all control processors and spare system capacity will
be used to accommodate any control and data acquisition functions
that may be added to the system. Total dependency on a remote
facility that can be easily access to remote sites and by reducing
transmission solar equinox will lower the error rates.
Maintained circuit quality however circuits may not be
available at some sites links and require protection against ground
potential rise.

V. ANALYSIS
This chapter presents the analysis interprets the findings of
the researches along the following problems: (1) How to control the
speed of internet; (2) How to control the Physical Phenomena that
cause cable failures; (3) How it may affect the wildlife in damaging
to fiber optic cables. (4) What are the effects of power shut down in
failure in communication ; (5) How does the System emergency shut
down due to communication failures; (6) how may have
communication Failure due to power interruption; (7) Transmission
time delay that may cause failure in communication; (8) Equipment
Failure that leads to communication Failure; (9) Failure in
Communication can also be the result of malicious or criminal
behavior, such as cyber terrorist.

A. Strength
The main strength of Supervisory Control and Data
Acquisition (SCADA) is the advantages and the communications
network is intended to provide the means by which data can be
transferred between the central host computer servers and the fieldbased Remote Telemetry unit (RTUs). Modern Remote telemetry unit
(RTUs) are usually capable of executing simple programs
autonomously without involving the host computers of the distributed
control system (DCS) or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
(SCADA) system to simplify deployment and to provide redundancy
for safety reasons because Maintenance personnel should have any
equipment they are working on disconnected from power and locked
to prevent damage and or injury.
The Communication Network refers to the equipment
needed to transfer data to and from different sites. The medium used
can either be a cable, telephone or radio. Sometimes the root cause in
failure in communication are having damaged in hardware, faulted
processor and failed radio or modem. Failure of remote site
equipment by having system and data backup plan and secondary
Operation interface. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
(SCADA) system needs a maintenance in communication equipment
capability, age, condition and supportability. We need to consider the
enhancing control capabilities and building security. One of the
personnel in San Fernando Electric Light and Power Company
(SFELAPCO) said that the system needs to expand more but due to
lack of company budget they cannot improve it. Communication
issues can be some of the hardest cases to solve. By their very nature,
they are hard to reproduce and happen so infrequently that observing
the event to gather additional data is difficult. While many industries
attempt to use standardized protocols for device communications,
there are many scenarios where a non-standard or home-grown
application protocol must be used.
These protocols may use TCP to transport the data between
the devices, but without a dissector, the data payload will just be the
bytes of hex values with no context as to what the data represents.
San Fernando Electric Light and Power Company (SFELAPCO)
need a quality Remote Telemetry Unit (RTU) key things you should
expect from a quality Remote Telemetry Unit (RTU) that would have
a sufficient capacity to support the equipment at the site, but not more
capacity than the actual will be use. At every site, it needs a RTU
(Remote Telemetry Unit) that can support the expected growth over a
reasonable period of time, but its simply wasteful to spend your
budget on excess capacity that you won't use. You should also look
for rugged construction and ability to with stand extremes of
temperature and humidity.

B. Weaknesses
The frequency assignments available has a low channel
capacity and the propagation possible over non-line of sight paths.
Low digital data bit rate because in a communication system, the
receiver side bit error rate (BER) may be affected by transmission
channel noise, interference, distortion, bit synchronization problems,
attenuation, wireless multipath fading. San Fernando Electric Light
and Power Company (SFELAPCO) have a limited transmission
techniques available for using wireless technology, it has also been
made for transmission of electric power wirelessly. It can reduce
heavy line losses and increase the portability of power systems. It is
also integrates the communication technologies and electric power to
the same platform. The less stringent waveguide and antenna, the
more it can cause failure in communication.

C. Opportunities
By having a high channel capacity, the failure in
communication may be lessen and transports high data rates in
specialized test equipment and training required. San Fernando
Electric Light and Power Company(SFELAPCO) needs new skills
that must be learned in accordance in the line of duty and in order to
overcome this problem in failure of communication approach for a
new functional specification will be proposed that focuses on a
complete requirement engineering, considering the Supervisory
Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) solution for existing
locations and potential equipment or wiring but the more expensive
site development the greater positive feeding in communication will
be and the near future standardized high-speed networks would be a
great help in the company and even a completely isolated
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system thus
needs protection against attacks from insiders.
Due to the flexibility and connectivity needed in enterprise
networks more insiders may become active, more different software
packages and computer equipment are interconnected and usually
there are connections to the internet.

D. Threats
Lack of communication in the workplace can occur on a
large scale, such as between management and employees, as well as
on a smaller scale between individual employees. Failure to
communicate effectively often leads to conflict, which can harm an
organization. Poor communication can create conflict in a number of
ways. The inputs/outputs used for control functions shall be
connected directly to the individual control processors such that the
failure of the communication network will not affect the availability
of the inputs/outputs necessary for execution of the functions of the
system.
Detect failure by the use of continuously running diagnostic
routines and bring failure to the operator attention. Provide hardware
and software designs that react to failure in a predictable, repeatable,
and configurable manner. Provide clear and meaningful alarms that
provide the user with the correct information to safely and efficiently
respond to and repair the associated specific abnormal condition.

VI. PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE

One of the key points in this research is to draw a clear
understanding and identification of failures in communication.
Depending on the types of failures that can be categorized in different
orders and magnitudes of impact. For instance a computer server
failure in a power station will have different impacts than the failure
of a sensor that triggers when an electric fuse in an electric box fails
within the same power station The server failure might shut down the
station where as fuse failure can only impact a small area but
somehow the main reasons of failure is in the communication were in
those failure stated is just a part of failing in communication.
In order to improve their communication system all of the
substations of San Fernando namely Magdalena, Baliti, Avida and
Florida Blanca must change the whole communication system by
upgrading the Remote Telemetry unit (RTUs). Failure occurs when
the delivered service deviates from the correct service.

Develop disaster recovery plans to ensure the safety and to continue

the operation of the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
(SCADA) network caused by unexpected and undesirable
occurrences or contingencies that interrupt the normal Supervisory
Control and Data Acquisition SCADA operations.
Maintained circuit quality however circuits may not be
available at some sites links and continuous monitoring of equipment
and communication links to avoid failure in communication and
providing hardware and software designs that react to failure in a
predictable.

VII. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

This Chapter presents the conclusion drafted along the
results of the study and the recommendations complementing the
problems perceiving by the researchers.

A. Conclusion
Based on the findings, the following are the conclusion of this
case study:
1. It is concluded that the low bandwidth will slow the internet which
leads to failure in communication. The most common issue that
people tend to have with their routers is port forwarding. Port
forwarding is the way that the router can allow communication that
might otherwise be restricted to be received by a PC or group of PC's.
Unfortunately, if you have not configured your routers port
forwarding properly, your Internet connection will slow to a crawl, as
your router tries to delegate where to send the data.
2. Physical Phenomena That Cause Cable Failures, Indirectly wired
typically in shorter distance, Cables, jointing, terminations and
connectors properly installed and not subjected to mechanical forces,
moisture, or extreme temperatures have a predictable long service
lifetime. Protective relays properly designed, installed, and kept
calibrated, should clear cable faults in a short time and thus restrict
the damage to the faulting cable. The cables can fail from any
combination of electrical, mechanical, and thermal factors. The
service environments in which power cables operate are varied and
may include mild environments, as well as harsh environments with
high temperature levels. Power cables used to energize mediumvoltage equipment, such as pump motors and switchgear, must
operate at voltages and currents that are significantly higher than
cables for control and instrumentation.
3. Wildlife damage to fiber optic cables: Many birds and tree plant
that treats fiber optic cable as a tree root and wraps itself around the
cable so tightly that the light impulses traveling down the fiber are
choked off.
4. Susceptibility to physical damage- Susceptibility to Physical
Damage: Fiber is a small and compact cable, and it is highly
susceptible to becoming cut or damaged during installation or
construction activities. Because railroads often provide rights-of-way
for fiber optic installation, railroad car derailments pose a significant
cable damage threat, and these events can disrupt service to large
groups of people, as fiber optic cables can provide tremendous data
transmission capabilities. Because of this, when fiber optic cabling is
chosen as the transmission medium, it is necessary to address
restoration, backup and survivability.

5. System emergency shut down due to computer failures and

miscommunication- software complexity - the complexity of current
software applications can be difficult to comprehend for anyone
without experience in modern-day software development. Multi-tier
distributed systems, applications utilizing multiple local and remote
web services, use of cloud infrastructure, data communications,
enormous/distributed data stores, security complexities, and sheer
size of applications have all contributed to the exponential growth in
software/system complexity.
6. Communication Failure due to power interruption- dependencies
among code modules, services, systems, other projects, etc. may not
be well understood, and may cause unexpected problems and in
some fast-changing business environments, continuously changing
specifications may be a fact of life, thus introducing significant added
risk.
7. Transmission time delay Special Test Equipment is often required:
The test equipment typically and traditionally used for conventional
electron-based networking is of no use in a fiber optic network.
Equipment such as an Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer (OTDR)
is required, and expensive, specialized optical test equipment such as
optical probes are needed at most fiber endpoints and connection
nexuses in order to properly provide testing of optical fiber.
8. Equipment Failure that leads to communication FailureCommunication failures related most frequently to equipment and
keeping team members updated as to the progress of an operation.
These failures can lead to procedural delay and inefficiencies.
9. Failure in Communication can also be the result of malicious or
criminal behavior, such as cyber terrorist attacks, including hacking,
of business websites and computer systems are increasingly common.
These attacks can be extremely damaging to businesses, particularly
if security is breached and confidential business and personal data
compromised.

3. Having protection in Optic fiber for thunders and wind.

4. SCADA system needs a maintenance in communication equipment
capability, age, condition and supportability.
5. It integrates the communication technologies and electric power to
the same platform.
6. Having discrete control function and update rate and response time
of all control processors.
7. Spare system Capacity will be used to accommodate any control
and data acquisition functions that may be added to the system.
8. Provide Hardware and software designs that react to failure in a
predictable, repeatable, and configurable manner. Provide clear and
meaningful alarms that provide the user with the correct information
to safely and efficiently respond to and repair the associated specific
abnormal condition.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It was a great learning experience developing this case
study under the guidance of Engr. Richard L. Figueroa. We
express our gratitude and sincere thanks to you sir.
Without the support, guidance and encouragement the
project would not have on the lines where it is.
The information from Engr. Christopher Reyes an
officer in charge in monitoring and control department, Engr.
Rico Laxamana an officer in charge in communication
department and other members of the SFELAPCO have a
greater contribution to our case study, without their help we
would not be able to finish this.
REFERENCES

B. Recommendation
Based on the findings, the following are recommended:
1. To be more efficient when it comes in communication, having
high-speed communication Ports and to improve more the broadband
wireless and wired IP communication through this there will be
innovation in IP devices demands reliable connectivity to local
intelligent Electronic Devices as well as emerging communication
network standards.
2. Robust protocols for support of mixed communication
environment. Having high performance Remote telemetry unit (RTU)
includes additional hardware features and power supplies with the
multiple AC/DC voltage rails, diagnostic displays.

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