Hackathon Sharika SpinTech 2026

The Challenge

Distribution Network Mini-SCADA

Build a production-grade SCADA web application for real-time monitoring and remote control of a small electrical distribution network.

📡 Scenario

You will receive an electrical network simulator — a Python script that generates real-time telemetry via MQTT or TCP — representing a network with:

🏢 1 Substation

⚡ 3 Feeders

📊 10 Measurement Points

🔌 5 Sectionalizing Switches

⚠️ Random Fault Events

🛠 Simulator — Quick Start

Download: scada_simulator_1.zip

        # Start everything
        docker-compose up --build
        # View real-time messages (another terminal)
        docker-compose --profile monitor up
        # Send switch command
        mosquitto_pub -h localhost -t "scada/commands/switch/CH-01" \
        -m '{"command": "open", "operator": "candidate"}' -q 1
        # Inject fault manually
        mosquitto_pub -h localhost -t "scada/commands/fault/inject" \
        -m '{"feeder_id":"AL-02","fault_type":"short_circuit","segment":2,"duration":30}' -q 1
      

📡 Telemetry every 1s — voltage, current, active/reactive power, PF, frequency

⚡ Realistic daily load curve — (peak at 6 PM, valley at 3 AM) with instrumentation noise

⚠️ Random auto faults every 30–120 seconds (short circuit, high impedance, open circuit)

⚠️ Automatic alarms for overvoltage, undervoltage, overcurrent, and fault current

⚠️ Command response for opening/closing switches with audit logs

🌐 WebSocket on port 9001 for web HMIs via mqtt.js

🛠 How to test the simulator

With docker-compose up running, open a second terminal in the same folder.

        # View all telemetry in real time
        docker exec -it scada-broker mosquitto_sub -h localhost -t "scada/#" -v
      

You will see a stream like this every second:

        scada/telemetry/MED-01 {"measurement_id": "MED-01", "voltage_v": 7929.1, "current_a": 78.25, ...}
        scada/telemetry/MED-02 {"measurement_id": "MED-02", "voltage_v": 7872.4, "current_a": 20.45, ...}
        ...
        
      

        # Open a switch (simulate outage)
        docker exec -it scada-broker mosquitto_pub \
        -h localhost \
        -t "scada/commands/switch/CH-01" \
        -m '{"command": "open", "operator": "test.operator"}' \
        -q 1
        
      

Expected effect:

- Meters MED-02, MED-03, and MED-04 will publish "energized": false and all values drop to zero.

        # Close the switch again
        docker exec -it scada-broker mosquitto_pub \
        -h localhost \
        -t "scada/commands/switch/CH-01" \
        -m '{"command": "close", "operator": "test.operator"}' \
        -q 1
        
      

        # Inject a fault manually
        docker exec -it scada-broker mosquitto_pub \
        -h localhost \
        -t "scada/commands/fault/inject" \
        -m '{"feeder_id": "AL-02", "fault_type": "short_circuit", "segment": 2, "duration": 30}' \
        -q 1
        
      

Expected effect:

- scada/alarm/fault publishes a CRITICAL event

- MED-06 and MED-07 show very high current and "fault_current": true

- After 30 seconds, the fault is automatically cleared

        # View current network state (snapshot)
        docker exec -it scada-broker mosquitto_sub \
        -h localhost -t "scada/network/snapshot" -C 1
        
      

        
        {
        "switches": {"CH-01": "closed", "CH-02": "closed", ...},
        "energized_feeders": ["AL-01", "AL-02", "AL-03"],
        "active_faults": {}
        }
        
      

        # Monitor only alarms
        docker exec -it scada-broker mosquitto_sub \
        -h localhost -t "scada/telemetry/MED-05" -v
        
      

        # Monitor a single meter
        docker exec -it scada-broker mosquitto_sub \
        -h localhost -t "scada/telemetry/MED-05" -v
        
      

What to Build

Expected Deliverables

Six interconnected layers that together form a complete, production-grade SCADA system.

Integration / Communication Layer

Implement a communication driver to consume simulator data via MQTT or TCP socket. Process and normalize incoming messages (parsing, validation, timestamps). Publish data to an internal queue.

Evaluated on

Knowledge of protocols · Handling corrupted/out-of-order data · Decoupling between collection and processing

Data Layer

Model and implement databases (PostgreSQL) for network topology, configurations, and alarms; time series for telemetry history. Implement data retention and compaction routines.

Evaluated on

Data modeling for electrical systems · Technology choices · High-frequency write performance

Real-Time Layer

Implement an event processing engine that detects anomalies, generates alarms with severity levels (critical, warning, informational), logs state changes, and maintains a "current state" cache of the network.

Evaluated on

Concurrency & async events · State transition logic · Cache and in-memory structures

Interface Layer

Develop a web interface with interactive single-line diagram, alarm panel with filters, historical charts with time-range selection, switch control with confirmation, and real-time updates via WebSocket.

Evaluated on

Interface quality & usability · WebSocket live updates · Clear visualization of technical data

Security and API Layer

Implement a documented REST API for querying history, managing alarms, and sending switch commands. Authentication with two roles: operator (read-only + acknowledgment) and supervisor (full control). Audit log of all commands.

Evaluated on

Security in critical systems · RESTful API design · Role-based access control

Infrastructure and Delivery

The entire system must run with a single command (docker-compose up). Include a clear README with architecture and execution instructions. Write integration tests for the alarm engine and command API.

Evaluated on

DevOps & containerization maturity · Documentation quality · Testing culture

HackathonSharika SpinTech

Distribution Network Mini-SCADA

🛠 Simulator — Quick Start

🛠 How to test the simulator

Expected Deliverables

Project Submission

Hackathon
Sharika SpinTech