The EducateNow ENTT PLC and SCADA training tables are 1.2mx1.2m tables that utilise common industrial control equipment to drive interactive working models and simulate real life industrial and critical infrastructure systems. They are designed to assist users gain a greater understanding of how industrial control systems operate as well as to provide a platform for research with actual industrial control system equipment.

The usually concealed PLCs and electrical hardware can be viewed through the windowed control cabinets at the front of each table and hands-on user interaction with the models is encouraged with the provided HMI touchscreens and various operator controls and sensors at the front of the tables.

Currently there are four EducateNow tables each loosely designed around the themes of Water, Urban, Gas and Port with concepts in development for future Transport, Entertainment and Green Energy tables.

Each table is controlled with different PLC types and platforms and industrial control equipment like HMIs and sensors, with devices communicating with a range of communication protocols as well as interfacing with different types of SCADA systems that are to be installed on a client’s networked PC. This, together with the provision of with all relevant programming software and programs, provides access to a range of industrial PLC and SCADA platforms and systems commonly available and used in Australia.

This means these tables are well suited for training students on PLC, HMI and SCADA systems and programming as well as for Cyber Security training, testing and research on critical infrastructure control systems and equipment.

While these tables are individually fully functional, another key feature of these tables are that they are designed to be networked to each other and to show critical infrastructure interactions and cascading fault effects.

The sub-surface coloured LED strip indicate statuses for services like Electricity, Water and Gas on each table to visually show how faults on one system in one table will affect the services and systems both on that table as well as other interconnected tables.

The table graphics and LED strip routes are also designed allow some flexibility in table joining configurations depending on what tables customers choose to interconnect together.