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INTRODUCTION TO THE IEC 61850 STANDARD

INTRODUCTION TO THE IEC 61850 STANDARD

The IEC 61850 protocol

The main target of the IEC 61850 standard is:

TO IMPROVE THE AUTOMATION OF THE ELECTRICAL SUBSTATIONS.

Avoiding proprietary protocols and being able to integrate equipment of di erent manufacturers. This concept is called
interoperability.
Using technologies that can reduce the cost in wiring and engineering time.
Seeking for improvements in the commissioning and maintenance tasks.

In order to achieve this goal the standard develops 3 principles:

1. The de nition of a uni ed information model with a naming hierarchy and speci c data structures to use in any compliant
device. Vendors are request to identify the same concepts with the same name and they must use a common format to build
their information. This characteristic reduces the time looking for information, the errors and the format conversions.
2. The de nition of a communication protocol and uni ed server functionality. This protocol is the language that all the devices in
the system use to exchange data. It has been designed to ful l all the requirements of the automation of substations keeping
in mind the timing and availability requirements. The vendors of protection and control devices, SCADA systems, and remote
terminal units must implement this protocol to interoperate.
3. The requirement of using a common XML based le format with speci c rules and the de nition of tools and engineering roles
to improve the automation and con guration during the engineering process.

IEC 61850 communication protocols

Client-server communication protocols

This is the client-server communication that takes place between the servers (the protection and control devices) and the SCADA and
GATEWAY acting as clients.

The protocol used in this exchange use the MMS protocol (Manufacturing Message Speci cation) that is depicted in the standard ISO
9506. This protocol was developed for the industrial automation and it is one of the rst protocols that identify data with hierarchies
of names.

The communication is based on the OSI layered model over TCP/IP.  A TCP channel is created between each client and each server.
Over this channel the client can read data, force settings, request commands or receive spontaneous reporting.

A SCADA system will keep opened as many TCP/IP channels as servers it is monitoring.

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Client server communication

Multicast communication protocols

IEC 61850 de nes a fast and reliable point to multi point message exchange procedurethat can be used to replace copper wiring
using in the data exchange between the cabinets in a substation. These messages are called GOOSE – Generic Object Oriented
Substation Event. They use ETHERNET MULTICAST with quality of services and high priority that guarantees low delays in the
substation switches and the distribution to all the interested subscriber within 3ms or 20ms depending on the requirements.

Digital wiring with GOOSE messages

IEC 61850 standard de nes a repetition mechanism for the GOOSE messages that is useful to check that the sender is alive and it is
sending the required information. This is an advantage in comparison with the copper wiring where a broken cable may not be easily
detected.

The secondary measurements in the Current or Voltage Transformer can also be digitalized and they can be sent from the
switchyard to the control cabinets using optical bers. This principle has originated the development of new products call the
Merging Units that are responsible for the analogue to digital conversion and transmission.

The IEC 61850-9-2lite speci cation simpli es the possibilities of the information being sent by the merging units improving the
interoperability. This speci cation requires either 80 or 256 samples per cycle. It also de nes the information that must be sent in
the sampled values message including only 4 voltages and 4 currents measurements at each frame exchanged.

IEC 61850 normalized information model

IEC 61850 de nes a hierarchical information model with the following levels:

IED – Intelligent Device.

LD – Logical Device.
LN– Logical Node
DO – DATA OBJECT.
DA – DATA ATTRIBUTE.
BASIC TYPE.

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Information model hierarchy

The logical devices are logical containers used to organize the information of an IED splitting it into di erent categories. Usually
several vendors categorize their information with logical device names as PROT(protection), CTRL (control), REC (Recorder). In any case
the logical device naming is open to the vendor.

The logical nodes are the functions or the components that automate the system. There are functions related to control, protection,
measurement, supervision and more. They are identi ed by 4 letters; the rst one indicates their category. As an example, the logical
node PIOC stands for Protection Instantaneous Over Current.

IEC 61850-7-4 include the table with all the categories. The logical nodes starting with D (DER), H (Hydro) and W (Wind) are de ned by
the standards IEC 61850-7-420, IEC 61850-7-410 and IEC 61400-25-2.

Logical node category

Each logical node includes a set of mandatory and optional data objects to ful l their tasks. The data objects can represent status
information, measurements, set points, controllable points, or descriptive information. Each logical node includes a table in the
standard with its related data indicating their name and type. The vendors must select the ones that they can provide and they want
to publish in their IEC 61850 model.

Example of optional data objects of a logical node

IEC 61850 standard con guration le. SCL language

The equipment integration has been always one of the most complex tasks in the automation process. This integration required
speci c processes to convert proprietary formats of the vendors or the utilities. A standardized format that is able to de ne aspects
as the information model, the equipment functionality and the connection establishment parameters improves notably this process.

The SCL le format improves the integration process. It allows the exchange of descriptive information and the information exposed
by the device and its communication capabilities.

In order to work with SCL les, IEC 61850-6 de nes the functionality that must be implemented in two di erent tools: the IED
Con guration Tool (ICT) and the System Con guration Tool (SCT).

The ICT tool is provided by the equipment vendor and it allows to modify parameters and to load the created IEC 61850 con guration
into the devices.

The SCT tool is used to integrate the IED con guration les and to de ne the communication parameters and the data exchanges
needed to automate the system.

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IEC 61850-6 de nes di erent extensions for the SCL les in order to make it easy to understand the information contained:

SSD: System Speci cation Description. This le describes the topology of the electrical system to automate and the required
functions (logical nodes) without including the speci c IED models that implement these functions.

Figure-6- Graphical view of the substation section

of the SCL le

Substation section example in the SCL le

ICD: IED Capabilities Description. Template le provided by the vendor describing the device information model and
capabilities. It is the base for automate the IEC 61850 system.
SCD: Substation Con guration Description. File with the complete con guration of the system including the information model
of the real equipment selected, the network parameters, the data ows and even the relationship with the electrical topology.
CID: Con gured IED Description. File only one con gured IED including the information published in GOOSE messages and the
information available for the di erent clients.
IID: Instantiated IED Description. Con guration le generated with the IED engineering tool generated after the con guration of
GOOSE subscriptions and the assignation of these signals to the internal logics.
SED: System Exchange Description. File format used to exchange con guration information between two di erent projects that
need to con gure any data exchange between IED located at di erent locations.

The con guration of the control and protection equipment can be achieved by the used of the CID/IID les of the devices that publish
GOOSE messages. The con guration of the clients as SCADA or GATEWAY usually uses the SCD le with the complete con guration of
the system.

Basic process of SCL les exchange

How IEC 61850 in uences in the devices of a substation?

Protection and control equipment

The integration of the MMS protocol and the required functionality of IEC 61850-7-2 in the protection equipment forced several
manufactures to add new communication boards or even to use platforms or chipset with more computing power.

At the same time the vendor speci c con guration tools have include new modules in order to:

be able con con gure IEC 61850 speci c information that is sent to the SCADA and GATEWAY clients, and also the GOOSE
messages published and subscribed;
con gure the signals used from the subscribed GOOSE messages, so they are accessible in the control and protection logics in
the same way that the digital inputs are used.

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Local SCADA

The SCADA systems must include an IEC 61850 client module. Their con guration tools shall be able to import the standard SCL les
and to select the monitored information matching the standard references with the internal descriptors used to show the
information in the di erent SCADA views.

Remote terminal unit using DNP3 or 60870-5-101/104

The remote terminal units used in IEC 61850 systems must include an IEC 61850 client module. Their con guration tools shall be able
to import the standard SCL les and to select the monitored information matching the standard references with the remote control
addressing information.

Merging units

These are new equipment that converts the analogue current and voltage measurement to digital samples and they sent it over
optical bers to the control cabinets.

Remote input output modules

These devices only send and receive GOOSE messages. The can publish the status of some digital inputs by publishing a GOOSE
message and they can activate digital output by the values received in a subscribed GOOSE.

They can be used to replace physical wiring used for interlocking or even opening and closing commands of breakers and
disconnectors.

Breaker signals wired

The breaker trip is probably the

most critical action in a substation.
Right now there are few companies
using remote breakers tripped by
GOOSE messages. Some time will
be needed to get con dence in the
technology behind the remote
circuit breaker for their extensive
use in this task.

Digital breaker signals

How the IEC 61850 standard a ects to the users?

Manufacturers

The di erent equipment manufacturers have to include the communication protocols required by the IEC 61850 standard and they
have to adapt their tools to work with the normative les.

System integrators

They need to know how to identify the capabilities of the IEC 61850 equipment (the communication services available and the
information exposed in the logical nodes) to be able to automate the system to ful l the required speci cation. They also need to
know how to identify if a device provides the required functionality.

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Utilities

The utilities need to know the main features of the standard to apply it in the speci cation of their substations. There are di erent
degrees of commitments:

Option 1: IEC 61850 for automate the communication with the local SCADA and GATEWAY.
Option 2: IEC 61850 with GOOSE automatisms. The equipment used shall be able to publish and subscribe to GOOSE
messages.
Option 3: IEC 61850 with GOOSE and digital measurements. The equipment will need speci c digital measurement cards to
accept the IEC 61850-9-2lite measurements.

The use of Ethernet makes it also possible to synchronize the system using PTP (Precision Time Protocol). The same optical ber used
to communicate allows removing the IRIG-B wiring if the switches and the equipment use the IEEE-1588v2 speci cation.

At the same time the use of the IEC 61850 standard and the GOOSE messages a ects to the electric diagrams.  The GOOSE messages
must be documented and the devices that use that information identi ed to check their status during the maintenance tasks.

IEC 61850 includes a test mode used to check the equipment functionality without disturbing its normal operation. The utilities need
to evaluate if the test mode ful ls their requirements and to specify its inclusion in the required equipment. Of course, its use should
be included in the maintenance procedures.

IEC 61850 standard evolution

New application elds

Originally the IEC 61850 standard applied only to the automation of the electrical substations. Nowadays several groups within IEC
are working to de ne an information model to automate several other energy system areas as:

Hydroelectric and wind power plants.

Distributed generation.
Electrical vehicle.

Current standard edition: edition 2

In 2017 we are using IEC 61850 edition 2 and working in its rst amendment 2.1. Edition 2 includes:

Improvement of interoperability in comparison with edition 1, as many optional con guration parameters are mandatory in
edition 2.
Better SCL based engineering with additional attributes.
Network redundancy.
Better description of the equipment test mode for maintenance tasks.
More precise information model with many mistakes solved and with the inclusion of logical nodes and common data classes
for domains outside of the substation automation.

The amendment to the edition 2 (edition 2.1) includes the resolution of mistakes that cannot wait for the edition 3 and also some
improvements in the engineering processes.

Towards the edition 3

The edition 3 is supposed to include:

Engineering process improvement. The engineering tools provided by the manufactures have been one of the issues that the
users considered that need several improvements. Mainly the capability to exchange les between tools. The analysis in the
information needed in the SCL les that has been added to the standard and the higher degree of experience make us to think
that this issue should be solved in the near future.
Automated exchangeable logics between devices based on the use of IEC 61131 and the logical nodes GAPC.
Basic Application Pro les (BAP) to de ne the minimum requirements, services and functions needed to automate speci c
functions within the substation. It is expected that in the future the vendors could provide a list of the BAP that their devices
support making it easier for the utilities to select the appropriate devices.
New communication mapping (IEC 61850-8-2) based on the exchange of XML messages for distribution generation. This pro le
is using XMPP transport; a communication protocol used for instant messaging system with multiple intermittent connections
with hundreds of devices, being the latest the ones that connect with a central server once they want to be online.

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IEC 61850 protocol COMMON TERMS

DNP3 – Distributed Network Protocol version 3. Protocol used for automation and remote control communication with serial and TCP-IP
capabilities that is used in substation automation and the communication with control centers.
GOOSE – Generic Object Oriented Substation Event. Fast and safe messages sent in the substation to exchange data among intelligent
devices. These messages can replace copper wires.
HMI– Human Machine Interface –Interface used to modify the device behaviour or requesting actions from a SCADA system.
IEC – International Electrotechnical Commission – International organization that develops standards related to the energy sector.
IEC 60870-5-101/104 – Protocol serial or TCP/IP to exchange data from a substation to the control centre.
IED – Intelligent Electronic Device – Any equipment with communication capabilities used to automate a system.
RTU – Remote Terminal Unit – Device that gather the information of a whole system and send it to the control centre using protocols as
DNP3 or IEC 60870-5-101/104.
SCADA – Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition – A system used to monitor and control an industrial process as a factory or the
energy distribution as in a substation. The communication protocols used for the automation are usually speci c of the sector.

ENSOTEST is a company that develops test automation tools for IEC 61850 protocol. UCA International Users Group.

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