Global Push for IEC 61850 - The vPAC Alliance for Virtual Protection Automation and Control

IEC 61850 is one of the crucial core components of the architecture of the Virtual Protection Automation and Control (vPAC) Alliance: "Driving standards-based, open, interoperable, and secure software-defined architecture to host protection, automation, and control solutions for power system substations." 

As of the membership list I accessed today 23 well known companies are involved in the alliance: ABB, Advantec, AEP, Black&Veatch, Crystal, Dell Technologies, ... SCE, ... Intel, ... Omicron, Phoenix Contact, Schneider Electric, Siemens Energy, ... 

This kind of alliances will make a chance in how to protect, automate, control, and supervise power systems ... and other system where power is a crucial factor ... like in factories, buildings, ... airports, ...

"A key plays the "virtual protection relay (VPR) concept [pdf document] – an architecture where software defined and virtualized platforms are deployed to host the critical circuit protection functions for an advanced and agile grid. ... 

Standard models of various protection functions were devised for possible interoperability between protection IEDs from any vendor. Standards were prepared for data exchange between devices (station bus) and current/voltage information from field (process bus). Acceptance of the IEC 61850 standards worldwide have resulted in station level and process level communication networks for exchange of digitized raw values (using Sampled Values, or SV, protocol) and processed values/information across the substation devices and beyond the substation to centralized monitoring systems. ..."

It is interesting that it took some 40 years from the definition of Virtual Manufacturing Devices (VMD) in ISO 9506 (MMS, Manufacturing Message Specification) until such a big alliance has the term "virtual" in its name! I have demonstrated on and on since the 80s that this is the future ... 

MMS defines Virtual Manufacturing Devices in clause 6 of part ISO 9506-1 as follows:

I have found in the automation domain that only a few engineers understand abstraction and virtualization. The following wise saying may help ... try it:

If it's there and you can see it It's REAL
If it's there and you can't see it It's TRANSPARENT
If it's not there and you can see it It's VIRTUAL
If it's not there and you can't see it It's GONE
Roy Wills

IEC 61850, IEC 61400-25 (Windpower), and IEC 60870-6 (TASE.2/ICCP) use MMS and the concepts of abstraction and virtualization ... I had a chance to describe these crucial basic concepts as editor of the first edition of IEC 61850-7-1 (Basic communication structure – Principles and models) ... here is what I have written ... some 20 years ago ... still in the current edition:

" ... The IEC 61850 series defines the information and information exchange in a way that it is independent of a concrete implementation (i.e., it uses abstract models). The standard also uses the concept of virtualisation. Virtualisation provides a view of those aspects of a real device that are of interest for the information exchange with other devices. Only those details that are required to provide interoperability of devices are defined in the IEC 61850 series. ..." 

I still like it.

It is great to see that this concept (defined in the 80s) is in the core of future protection, automation, and SCADA ... 

Let me know what you thing ... you find me on LinkedIn as well.

Good luck!

FDIS Ballot for Amendment 1 for IEC 61850-7-2, 7-3 and 7-4 Edition 2 Approved

The ballot of the three amendments (Amendment 1 for IEC 61850-7-2, 7-3 and 7-4 Edition 2) passed the FDIS process. All three amendments have been approved by 100 %.

The next step will be the IS publication of the three amendments.

It is likely that there will be a consolidated version of each of the three parts - means: the amendment is merged into the edition 2 versions and become edition 2.1.

IEC 61850-7-1 CDV Amendment 1 available for comments

The Amendment 1 of IEC 61850-7-1 is now available for comments and voting:

Communication networks and systems for power utility automation –
Part 7-1: Basic communication structure – Principles and models

IEC TC 57 just published the document 57/2035/CDV.

Ballot closes 2018-12-28.

The CDV is publicly available for comments for everybody:

Click HERE for Public CDV Commenting - you just need to register.

Please note the following:

The distributed CDV reflects the amendment 1 (corrections and extensions) to IEC 61850-7-1 Ed2.

A second document (called consolidated edition 2.1) incorporates the amendment 1 (120 pages) and the existing Ed2. The consolidated edition (195 pages) is circulated as 57/2036/INF (unfortunately not publicly available).
After the CDV/FDIS approval process the consolidated version will be published together with the amendment 1 under reference IEC 61850-7-1 Ed2.1.

The version 2.1 will introduce the latest modelling extensions.

The new version of IEC 61850-7-1 will be one of the most crucial documents of the standard series IEC 61850. As the editor of edition 1 I see that most of the content of the version 1 is still the basic information presented in this part 7-1 😊

This document shows also that the standard series is growing and getting quite complex ... for simple applications you need to understand what is mandatory and what is optional!