What is an IED (Intelligent Electronic Device)?

IEC 61850 deals a lot with IEDs. But: What is an IED?

First you can check with two documents of the series IEC 61850:

IEC 61850-1 - Intelligent Electronic Device (IED)
any device incorporating one or more processors with the capability of receiving or sending data/control from or to an external source (for example, electronic multifunktional meters, digital relays, controllers)

IEC 61850-1 - Physical Device (PD)
equivalent to an IED as used in the context of this standard

IEC 61850-5 - Intelligent electronic device (IED)
device incorporating one or more processors with the capability to execute application 
functions, store data locally in a memory and exchange data with other IEDs (sources or sinks) over a digital link

Many years after these definitions have been published, we have different views on the term IED:

Physical IED (in the context of IEC 61850 and IEC 61400-25) - any physical device incorporating one or more processors with the capability of exchanging information (derived from IEC 61850 information models and exchanged with IEC 61850 services for client/server and publisher/subscriber) with other physical device(s). The semantic, the coding and decoding of the exchanged information (messages) follows the standard series.

IED Configuration (in the context of IEC 61850 and IEC 61400-25) - formal description (section in the SCL according to part 6) of the IEC 61850 information models linked to the IEC 61850 information exchange roles client, server, publisher, or subscriber, and the signal flow between physical IEDs.

IED Role (in the context of IEC 61850 and IEC 61400-25) - implementation of the IED Configuration: implementation of the IEC 61850 information model plus implementation of any combination of the following information exchange roles: client, server, publisher, or subscriber.

A Physical IED can host any combination of IED Roles.

Note: A gateway may host a server role to an up-link (first SCL file plus a client role and a subscriber role (both configured in a second SCL file) to the underlying Physical IEDs.

Please note that in SCL a Server configuration comprises the models including the DataSets, Report Control Blocks, GOOSE Control Blocks, SV Control Blocks, and Log Control Blocks:

From a communication point of view GOOSE and SV publisher and subscriber are NOT part of the client/server communication ... 

I hope this definition will help to reduce the disconnects in the communication of the experts.

Let me know what you think.

Experience with the OMICRON IEDScout Version 4.10 - The Name Space Concept

As you may know we have defined a very powerful namespace concept into IEC 61850. It allows to use logical nodes and data objects from multiple application domains in one single SCL File.
This concept has been incorporated into the standard (IEC 61850-6, -7-1, -7-2, -7-3, 7-4, and 8-1) some 15 years ago. At that time I was the editor of parts -7-1 and -7-2.
By the way: These five (5) parts are often called "The Core Parts of IEC 61850".

The name space “IEC 61850-7-4:2003” indicates that ALL instances within this logical device
are derived from the 2003 editions of IEC 61850-7-4, IEC 61850-7-3, and IEC 61850-7-2. The logical device name space could be understood as the prime name space. The attribute ldNs is an attribute contained in the name plate of the logical node zero (LLN0).
A device that implements more than one Logical Device can support multiple prime name spaces - one per Logical Device.

The name space for Edition 2 of the core documents is as follows:

        IEC 61850-7-4:2007A

The Omicron IEDScout V4.1 analyzes this Logical Device name space and acts according to the name space configured. Let's see how that works.

If the LD name space is missing then the default value will be used: this means Edition 1 of the core documents).
The following figure shows an SCL file that does not contain a value for the "ldNs". Now we open the SCL file with the IEDScout 4.1.The IEDScout figures out that the prime name space is Edition 1 of the core parts. In Edition 1 of IEC 61850-7-3 (Common Data Classes) there are no CDCs like ENS and ENC defined. This is indicated in the warning area. Edition 1 of IEC 61850-7-3 defines INS and INC instead.



The new enumerated Common Data Classes (ENS, ENC and ENG) have been added in Edition 2 of IEC 61850-7-3. The SCL File with the Edition 2 prime name space is shown next:


The IEDScout does not show any warning!

Smart!

What does that mean for all of us? We have to make sure that our IEC 61850 models configured in an SCL File are according to the prime name space we want to use!

And: The IEDScout has many other powerful (browsing, testing, ...) features build-in that help you to get your IEC 61850 based system running according to the standard series IEC 61850, IEC 61400-25, ...

I am using the IEDScout 4.1 in my training courses. Attendees learn how to model IEDs and how to test them.

Click HERE for downloading a 30 days fully functional evaluation license.

New Version of IED Model Designer: IDCDesigner from SystemCorp

Please note that SystemCorp has released Version 2.0.24 of their ICDDesigner.
The version that can be downloaded runs for six (6) month.

Installer / update:

http://licenses.systemcorp.com.au/downloads/ICDDesignerSetupV2.00.024.exe

Standalone version:

http://licenses.systemcorp.com.au/downloads/ICDDesignerStandaloneV2.00.024.zip

Enjoy.

IEC 61850-90-13 – New Work on IEC 61850 for Steam and Gas Turbines

The new work item has been introduced in the work programme under the title:
IEC 61850-90-13 Ed.1 (57/1259/RVN):
Communication networks and systems for power utility automation –
Part 90-13: Extension of IEC 61850 information models to also include logical nodes and data models for steam and gas turbines

IEC 61850 defines very common concepts, information models, services and configuration language that can be used in many other application domains outside substations. MMS – as a basic communication service to which IEC 61850 models and services are mapped – was originally defined for the manufacturing floor (MMS – Manufacturing Message Specification). So it is no surprise that it can be used there and in many other application domains.

One key issue in power plants is the RDS PP (related to KKS):

 

Examples of RDS PP for Wind Power Plants and IEC 61400-25/61850:

Binding of Information Models:

 

Examples from IEC 61850-7-510 (Hydroelectric power plants – Modelling concepts and guidelines):

Step by step we learn that IEC 61850 is in harmony with many other designation standards … and it can be used for almost all online (runtime) information exchange and system and IED configuration.

Video on the Use of IEC 61850-6 SCL to configure a server and a client

This presentation explains the use of two IED specific SCL files to configure IEDs. One is used to configure a server and the second (with the same model - but different bindings between the model and the real data) is used to configure a client. The API "Write call " at the client and the "Write callback" at the server are briefly explained. The API is provided by SystemCorp (Bentley, Western Australia). The API is available at the Beck IPC Chip and other embedded controllers, or for Windows (DLL) and Linux.

Click HERE for an evaluation kit running on a PC (with DLL and applications). The evaluation package runs for six months. It uses two SCL files for configuring the server and the client (as shown in the video).

I hope you will enjoy this video!
Your feedback to Karlheinz Schwarz would be appreciated.