Configuration software, also called configuration monitoring software system software. Translated from English SCADA, that is, data acquisition and monitoring control. It refers to some special software used for data acquisition and process control. They are located in the monitoring software platform and development environment of automatic control system, and provide users with universal software tools by using flexible configuration methods to quickly build the monitoring function of industrial automatic control system. Configuration software is widely used in data acquisition, monitoring and process control in power system, water supply system, petroleum, chemical industry and other industries. It is also called RTU system and remote terminal unit in power system and electrified railway).

Configuration software is professional. A configuration software can only be used in a certain field. The concept of configuration first appeared in industrial computer control. Such as DCS (distributed control system) configuration and PLC (programmable controller) ladder diagram configuration. Man-machine interface generation software is called industrial control configuration software. There is also the concept of configuration in other industries, such as AutoCAD and PhotoShop. The difference is that the configuration results formed in industrial control are used for real-time monitoring. On the surface, the running program of the configuration tool is to perform its own specific task. Industrial control configuration software also provides programming means. Generally, it is a built-in compilation system, which provides BASIC-like language, some support VB, and now some configuration software even supports C# high-level language.

Configuration software mostly supports all kinds of mainstream industrial control equipment and standard communication protocols, and usually should provide distributed data management and network functions. Corresponding to the original concept of HMI, configuration software is also a software tool or development environment that enables users to quickly establish their own HMI. Before the appearance of configuration software, users in the field of industrial control manually or entrust a third party to write HMI applications, which leads to long development time, low efficiency and poor reliability. Or buy a special industrial control system, usually a closed system, which has little choice and often cannot meet the demand. It is difficult to interact with the outside world, and the functions of upgrading and adding are severely limited. The appearance of configuration software enables users to use the functions of configuration software to build a set of application systems that are most suitable for them. With its rapid development, real-time database, real-time control, SCADA, communication and network, open data interface and extensive support for I/O devices have become its main contents, and monitoring configuration software will be given new contents continuously.