Stop Calling Proven Control Systems Obsolete
Many control systems in operation today were engineered to run for decades. Siemens S5, T2000, and similar platforms were built with clear logic, stable behavior, and predictable failure modes. They still control turbines, substations, and entire plants. Calling them obsolete often says more about lost know-how than about technical limits. Age alone does not make a system unsafe or unusable.
What usually fails first is not the hardware. It is documentation, training, and continuity. Engineers retire, procedures disappear, and younger teams are told replacement is the only option. That is an expensive shortcut. In many cases, a focused refreshment course, proper configuration review, and hands-on practice restore full confidence. The system works again because people understand it again.
In the accompanying video, I show a concrete example. Step by step configuration of a Siemens S5 CP1430 communication card, including MAC address setup and correct use of SIMATIC S5, SINEC, and NCM tools. This is not nostalgia. It is practical engineering for systems that still run production today. We do not push replacement by default. We teach how to use what you already own, correctly and safely. If this resonates with you, get in touch and go deeper with us.
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Beyond Purdue
Purdue was great… in 1984. This is what comes next.
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