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HMIs, SCADAs and GOTs - The difference

A well-known discrepancy\confusion in the world of automation is the matter of HMIs. This term is used interchangeably with SCADAs, GOTs, and Terminals.

This can cause misunderstandings in every facet of application, e.g. ordering of incorrect products, or selecting the wrong device in a process, amongst many others.

Herewith a short-summary to provide some clarity:

  • All SCADAs are HMIs, All GOTs are HMIs, All terminals are HMIs
  • HMIs is a collective term for SCADAs, GOTs, and Terminals.
  • Terminals and HMIs are the same devices, and the terms can be used interchangeably
  • SCADAs can be loaded on PCs, Laptops, and IPCs. All of these are HMIs
  • SoftGOT is a GOT being installed on PCs, Laptops, and IPCs, which is a GOT (not SCADA)
  • Adroit is a SCADA, therefore an HMI, which is available in 3 flavors; CUI, SUI, and MAPS.


The following is a list of acronyms, abbreviations, and nomenclature:

  • Adroit - Advanced Distributed Real-time Object-Oriented Intelligent Toolkit
  • SCADA - Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
  • HMI - Human Machine Interface
  • PC - Personal Computer
  • IPC - Industrial Personal Computer
  • GOT - Graphic Operating Terminal
  • SoftGOT - Software Graphic Operating Terminal
  • CUI - Classic User Interface
  • SUI - Smart User Interface
  • MAPS - Mitsubishi Adroit Process Suite

So what about application-based differences: SCADA vs GOT?
Depending on Budget, location, Utilization and other factors, the Engineer\Technician needs to choose the correct HMI for the application.

The two classical choice options are GOTs and SCADAs. A concise comparison is given below: