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Services / Automation & Control
Automation & Control Mackay

SCADA Programming - Mackay & Central Queensland
SCADA that operators actually use.

Beetle Engineering designs, builds and commissions SCADA systems for industrial operations across Central Queensland. From new builds on AVEVA and Ignition through to upgrades of legacy systems, we deliver SCADA that operators can use and engineers can maintain.

SCADA Programming

What scada programming with Beetle actually looks like.

What makes SCADA work on an industrial site

A SCADA system is only useful if operators trust it. That means the data is accurate, the screens show what matters, the alarms mean something, and the historian actually records what you need when something goes wrong.

We build SCADA systems for the people who use them - operators who need clear information quickly, and engineers who need reliable data for troubleshooting and reporting. We spend time on alarm management, screen design and historian configuration because these are the things that determine whether a SCADA system gets used or gets worked around.

What we deliver

New SCADA builds - full project scope from requirements through to commissioning. Tag database design, screen development, alarm configuration, historian setup, security, and operator training. We work on AVEVA System Platform, AVEVA InTouch, and Ignition for new projects.

SCADA upgrades and migrations - moving from legacy platforms, upgrading to current versions, or extending an existing system to cover new plant areas. We manage the migration carefully to minimise disruption to operations running on the existing system.

System integration - connecting SCADA to PLCs, instruments, drives, and third-party systems via OPC-UA, OPC-DA, Modbus TCP, EtherNet/IP, DNP3 and other protocols. Includes data quality checking and redundancy configuration where required.

Alarm rationalisation - reviewing and restructuring existing alarm databases to reduce nuisance alarms, improve alarm priority distributions, and bring the system into line with EEMUA 191 or your site standard. Alarm floods during upsets are a common problem on older SCADA systems and are fixable with structured rationalisation work.

Historian and reporting - SCADA historian configuration, process data archiving, and production reporting. If your business needs reliable production data and trend analysis, the historian configuration needs to be right from the start.

Remote access and monitoring - secure remote access to SCADA data for engineering and management, using VPN and appropriate OT security controls. We configure remote access properly - not as an afterthought.

Platforms we work with

AVEVA System Platform and InTouch are our primary platforms for large-scale or multi-site SCADA deployments. Ignition from Inductive Automation suits projects where licensing flexibility, web-based clients, or cloud connectivity are priorities. We also maintain and extend existing systems on Rockwell FactoryTalk, Citect, and GE iFIX - platforms where replacement isn’t justified just because they’re older.

Commissioning approach

We do not commission SCADA systems by handing over a laptop and a manual. Our commissioning process includes loop checking of communications, alarm walkthrough with operations, historian verification, and a structured handover session where operators work through the system with us present. Punch lists get closed before we leave site.

AVEVA
Ignition
Rockwell

One process. Zero surprises.

Scoping
  • Site walk & asset review
  • Requirements capture
  • Network & OT audit (if required)
Quoting
  • Scope of work definition
  • Deliverables schedule
  • Fixed-price or T&M proposal
Optional
Upfront engineering
  • Concept design & review
  • Feasibility & risk assessment
  • Design basis document
Documentation
  • Functional descriptions
  • Electrical drawings & diagrams
  • Network & architecture diagrams
  • IO lists
  • ITC / test sheets
  • Asset & network audits
Programming
  • PLC programs (Studio 5000 / RSLogix)
  • SCADA & HMI development
  • FactoryTalk / CitechSCADA / Aveva
  • OT network configuration
FAT → SAT & commissioning
  • Factory acceptance testing (FAT)
  • Site acceptance testing (SAT)
  • Loop checks & punch-list close-out
  • Hand-back & as-built documentation
All industries →

Common questions, straight answers.

Our primary platforms are AVEVA System Platform (formerly Wonderware), AVEVA InTouch, and Inductive Automation Ignition. We also have experience with Rockwell FactoryTalk, GE iFIX, and Citect. For new projects we typically recommend AVEVA or Ignition depending on your existing infrastructure and licensing preferences - we'll walk you through the tradeoffs before you commit.
Yes. We regularly extend and upgrade existing SCADA systems - adding new areas, integrating new equipment, or modernising the graphics without replacing the underlying platform. Full replacements are sometimes the right call, but they're not always necessary, and we won't recommend one unless the existing system genuinely can't do what you need.
Yes. SCADA communications - OPC, Modbus, EtherNet/IP, DNP3, and others - are part of our scope. We design the comms architecture, configure the drivers, and test end-to-end data integrity before commissioning. We work closely with our industrial networking team where network infrastructure changes are needed.
A typical project starts with understanding what operators need to see and control, and what the system needs to report. From there we design the tag database, screen layouts, alarm strategy, and historian configuration. We build and test in our workshop environment before site installation, then commission with operations present so the handover is a working session, not a drop-and-run.

Pairs well with

Ready to discuss your scada programming project?

Talk to an RPEQ engineer about your project. We work across mining, sugar, manufacturing and utilities throughout Queensland.