The DRILL-PRO package gathers data from digital and analog rig site sensors via a PLC data acquisition unit. It uses a direct RS-232 serial connection between the DRILL-PRO System, interfaced to a Modbus server and Nyquist PLC. The operator PC collects data and is transmitted to two locations; the drill floor, where an operator views the graphic representation of the data on an 18” monitor, and to remote offices. This drill floor HMI monitor communicates with the data acquisition module (DAQ) to pass on information concerning screen types, scales, alarm limits and manual entries by the operator (depth, bit depth, pump efficiency etc.).
The same real-time data is communicated wirelessly via an 802.11b network protocol to three separate computers in the engineering and project management offices. The many parameters that need to be logged and converted into other parameters demand a software system that can process an unlimited amount of real-time data from a variety of inputs. The system utilizes a distributed I/O architecture, saving costs and providing for flexible layouts and better reliability overall.