ABB DCS (Distributed Control System) and GE TSI (Turbine Supervisory Instrumentation System) are two completely different systems in industrial automation. Therefore, it is impossible to simply compare which one is more “popular”, but rather it depends on the specific application requirements of the user.

I will describe the main differences between the two and the core of user preferences through the following aspects.

System Definition and Functional Positioning

ABB DCS (such as System 800xA, Symphony Plus):

Positioning: The “brain” of process industries. It is responsible for the entire plant’s automation control, logic processing, and production management.

Functions: It handles tens of thousands of control loops, involving continuous process control of parameters such as pressure, flow, and liquid level, and is widely used in industries like power, chemical, and paper.

Reasons for popularity: ABB has held the top position in the global DCS market share for consecutive years (still leading as of the latest data in 2025). Its advantages lie in strong system integration capabilities, extremely high reliability, and excellent software lifecycle support.

GE TSI (now mostly owned by Bently Nevada / Baker Hughes):

Positioning: The “dedicated bodyguard” for large rotating machinery (such as steam turbines and gas turbines).

Function: Specifically monitors key mechanical parameters of steam turbines, such as shaft vibration, shaft displacement, expansion difference, and rotational speed. It achieves millisecond-level protection tripping through dedicated modules like the 3500 series to prevent machine damage.

Reasons for popularity: In the field of large steam turbine generator sets, GE’s TSI system (especially the Bently Nevada brand) is the industrial standard. Users favor it for its measurement accuracy, compliance with API 670 standards for safety, and authority in fault diagnosis.

The scene selected by the user

In actual projects, users usually use both of these systems simultaneously rather than choosing one over the other:

Power plants/ large factories: Users will select ABB DCS to control the entire production process, while GE TSI is used specifically for the safety protection of the core turbine machinery.

Integration preference: Many users prefer to integrate TSI data through Modbus or other communication protocols into the human-machine interface (HMI) of ABB DCS for centralized monitoring.

Comparison of market positions

Features	ABB DCS	GE (Bently Nevada) TSI
Industry Position	Globally leading DCS market player	Ledger in the field of mechanical protection and condition monitoring
Specialized Areas	Full plant integrated control, data integration, batch processing	Vibration monitoring and protection for turbines, compressors, pump sets
Core Products	800xA, Symphony Plus, Freelance	3500 series, Orbit 60
User Reviews	High flexibility, long lifespan, advanced technology	Extremely professional, industry benchmark, strong data diagnostic capabilities

ABB DCS Model Number                         GE TSI

07NG20                                        DS200ADG1H1AAA

07PR22                                         DS200ITXDG1AAA

07XS01                                         DS200SSBAG1A

07YS03                                         DS200TCCAF1BDF

07ZE23                                         DS200TCCAG1BAA

88FN02                                         DS215GASCG4AZZ01A

88VU01C-E                                     IS200AEGIH1BBR2

DSMB176                                       IS200ECGIH1APR1

DSMB178                                     IS200ECGIH1APR1

DSMB179                                     IS200ERBPG1ACA

DSTA001B                                    IS200ERBPG1ACA

DSTA001                                     IS200ERBPG1ACA

DSTA156B                                    IS200EROCH1AED

DSTA180                                     IS200JPDSG1ACB

HS840                                        IS200STCIH4ADD

IOD86-TR                                     IS200TICIH2ACB

PL810                                        IS215UCVGH1A

RAPI-01C                                    IS215VAMBH1A (IS200VSPAH1ACC)

SAFT063F380                                 IS230SNAOH2A(IS200STAOH2AAA)

TK807F                                      IS230SNIDH1A(IS200SDIIH1ADB)

TK852V010

UFC784AE101

UFC921A101

UNS0863A-P

UNS0869A-P

UNS0880A-P

UNS3020A-Z

XVC768AE102

XVC770AE

XVC770BE101

YXU168E