IEC TC 57 published Draft for Machine-Processable Models

IEC TC 57 has just published (57/1870/CD) the first draft improving the applicability of IEC 61850:

Communication networks and systems for power utility automation –
Part 7-7: Basic communication structure –
Machine-processable format of IEC 61850-related data models for tools

This Technical Specification of IEC 61850 specifies a way to model the code components of IEC 61850 data model (e.g., the tables describing logical nodes, common data classes, structured data attributes, and enumerations) in an XML format that can be imported and interpreted by tools. The following main use cases shall be supported:

• Generation of SCL data type templates for system specification or ICD files. One sub-use case is the generation of LNodeTypes for replacing GGIO.
• Validation of SCL data type templates.
• Definition of private extensions by following the rules of the standard.
• Adapting rapidly the whole engineering chain as soon as a new version of IEC 61850 data model (an addendum, a corrigenda or a Tissue) affects the content of the standard.
• Provide tool-neutral textual help to users of tools on the data model contents.
• Supporting multi-language publication, i.e., enabling the expression of the data model in different languages, through a machine processable format.

The purpose of this proposal is limited to the publication of the XML format which should support the data model part of any IEC 61850 related standard. The publication of code components themselves will be part of the related IEC 61850 part.

Comments are expected by 2017-07-28.

This a major step forward. Especially because the "cleaned-up" models of all parts to be published as Edition 2.1 of the corresponding parts could be understood as the real Edition 2 of the parts that contain models!