By adding the use of coded signals through communication channels to gather information about the state of the remote equipment for display or recording purposes, the control system may be integrated with a data acquisition system. It's an industrial control system of some sort (ICS).

Industrial control systems (ICS) are computer-based systems that monitor and regulate physical industrial operations. SCADA systems have always stood out from other ICS systems because they are large-scale operations that may span numerous sites and long distances. The following are examples of industrial, infrastructural, and facility-based processes:

Industrial processes include those of manufacturing, production, power generation, fabrication, and refining, and may run in continuous, batch, repetitive, or discrete modes. Infrastructure processes may be public or private, and include water treatment and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, oil and gas pipelines, electrical power transmission and distribution, wind farms, civil defense siren systems, and large communication systems. Facility processes occur both in public facilities and private ones, including buildings, airports, ships, and space stations. They monitor and control heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems (HVAC), access, and energy consumption.