Problem
The client’s processing system relied on end-of-life Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and Human-Machine Interface (HMI) platforms — including a DOS-based HMI (PCWS), Indusoft Web Studio, and GE iFIX — running on legacy Windows infrastructure. The existing Level 2 control environment was no longer supportable and posed growing operational risk.
The Challenge
- DOS-based and aging HMI software are no longer supported by vendors, creating single points of failure.
- Legacy software code could not be maintained or extended by modern engineering staff.
- Inability to integrate with modern workflow management, quality reporting, or enterprise data systems.
- Severe operational constraints: testing windows limited to planned outages, with no tolerance for extended downtime.
Action
Salem Automation’s relationship with the client dates back to the mid-200s, rooted in legacy system support. Over years of consistent delivery, Salem was ultimately the only party with deep institutional knowledge of the existing environment — making us the natural choice for the project.
Salem proposed a phased modernization approach that preserved existing functionality while migrating to a modern platform. Salem replaced the legacy graphical interfaces with an Ignition-based SCADA platform on current Windows infrastructure, rewriting legacy FORTRAN code in Python and C#.
The Solution
- Replaced DOS-based HMI and legacy SCADA with Ignition 8.x — preserving all existing operator functionality with a modernized interface.
- Converted legacy logic to maintainable Python and C# applications.
- Implemented Shadow Mode deployment strategy, running the new system in parallel with the existing system before cutover — maintaining 100% uptime during transition.
- Developed comprehensive operator documentation and conducted structured on-site training aligned to go-live milestones.
Conclusion
The system eliminates reliance on end-of-life SCADA platforms and DOS-based control interfaces. The client can operate on a modern, supportable Ignition-based environment that integrates cleanly with enterprise systems and enables remote monitoring capabilities.
Salem’s phased Shadow Mode approach protected the client’s production environment throughout the transition — ensuring operational continuity while decades of proprietary process knowledge were preserved and modernized.