One of the principal reasons for the incompatibility that currently exists between different vendors' EMCS computers and field interface hardware is the way in which information is communicated between the various system components. This paper reviews the aspects of data communications that contribute to this situation.

The effective operation of an energy management and control system (EMCS) depends on the ability of the various system components to communicate with one another rapidly and reliably. While communication spped is generally not as critical a concern in an EMCS as it is in many other process control applications, the need persists for data to be received error-free. As the number of sensors and control points increases, either the speed of data transmission must be increased or intelligence, i.e., computer capacity, must be more widely distributed throughout the system. In either situation, the overriding concerns are those of throughput and data integrity.