Provided herein are systems, methods, and software for preserving timestamp data in an industrial automation environment. In one implementation, one or more computer-readable storage media having program instructions stored thereon to preserve timestamp data in an industrial automation environment, wherein the program instructions, when executed by a computing system, direct the computing system to at least receive, at a controller, event data of an event from an electronic device, wherein the event data comprises a status of the event and the timestamp of the event. The program instructions also direct the computing system to determine an identification value based on the event data and load the status of the event, the timestamp of the event, and the identification value to a queue within the controller. The timestamp of the event includes the timestamp transmitted from the electronic device.

A terminal communication apparatus has a terminal communication control portion rendering an immediate communication control portion sequentially transmitting serial data to another terminal communication apparatus bitwise when receiving a packet as bitwise serial data and a normal communication control portion performing processing on the packet after accumulating the serial data until the serial data reaches a packet length when receiving the bitwise serial data switchable, performing processing with the immediate communication control portion in a case of receiving a time adjustment packet containing time adjustment data posting a timing of synchronization in the other terminal communication apparatus and performing processing with the normal communication control portion in a case of receiving a packet other than the time adjustment packet. Thus, synchronization of control object devices can be enabled without previously investigating communication delay times.

To ameliorate the detrimental effects of time delays, techniques and systems are disclosed for detecting time delays in a plant, facility, or environment (such as a power system) controlled by an NCS, and for providing more resilient control capabilities for adapting to the detected time delays. A time delay estimate can be determined by comparing the expected state of the plant, calculated from a plant model, with the state of the plant described by its telemetry data. Techniques for adapting to a time delay include: switching to an emergency controller and acting in accordance with a local reference model; sending adjusted control commands in accordance with an expected plant state; and instructing a transmitter to transmit subsequent communications packets over multiple redundant communication channels.

To ameliorate the detrimental effects of time delays, techniques and systems are disclosed for detecting time delays in a plant, facility, or environment (such as a power system) controlled by an NCS, and for providing more resilient control capabilities for adapting to the detected time delays. A time delay estimate can be determined by comparing the expected state of the plant, calculated from a plant model, with the state of the plant described by its telemetry data. Techniques for adapting to a time delay include: switching to an emergency controller and acting in accordance with a local reference model; sending adjusted control commands in accordance with an expected plant state; and instructing a transmitter to transmit subsequent communications packets over multiple redundant communication channels.

Industrial automation data quality and analysis (e.g., using a computerized tool) is enabled. For example, a system can comprise: a memory that stores executable components, and a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, that executes the executable components, the executable components comprising: a device interface component that retrieves industrial data from an industrial device represented in an industrial asset model, wherein the industrial data comprises control data applicable to the industrial device and timestamp data generated by the industrial device concurrently with the control data, a quality component that, based on the control data and the timestamp data, determines a quality indicator applicable to the control data, and an output component that, based on the quality indicator, generates an output representative of a quality of the control data.