Which and how many IEC 61850 devices are successfully tested for conformance?

That's a good question ... that could easily be answered. Really! How? Let me explain:

The organization that is in charge for IEC 61850 conformance tests is the UCA International Usersgroup (UCAIUG). This organization has defined the test cases ... and issues certificates after a product has been positively tested by an authorized UCAIUG test lab like DNV.

The UCAIUG maintains a data base of certificates issued ... the data base has a lot of filter to search for some specific services a product supports. The following figure shows an excerpt of  a search for server devices that support IEC 61850-7-2 Setting Group Control services: 826 clients/server ... 656 server ...

Click HERE for the above search.

It takes some time to understand the filter and options ... it is a huge tool!!

Below is the filter for servers only (click on the link to the left):

To understand the details of the applied test cases, you have check with the UCAIUG test specifications ... example for Setting Group B4 and B4+ ...

1,682 devices (Client, Server, Merging Units, ...) have been tested positively ... they are listed in the data base.

Click HERE for the list of Testlabs for IEC 61850.

Perfect! Drop me an email or post a comment to this post.

Enjoy.

TÜV SÜD closes their IEC 61850 / UCAIUG Test Lab

TÜV SÜD (Munich, Germany) a long time provider of IEC 61850 Interoperability and Conformity Testing Services closes their Test Lab.
They emailed today says: "... Unfortunately, we do not supply Interoperability and Conformity Testing Services according to IEC 61850 any longer, which have been replaced by other focus areas in our portfolio. ...".
There was no specific reason for their decision provided.
You may ask me about my opinion. Here it is first brief statement:

• The standard series IEC 61850 is very comprehensive - applicable in many different application domains. 
• Implementations of the communication software for Client/Server (MMS based), Publisher/Subscriber (GOOSE), general APIs, and appropriate IED specific configuration tools are very comprehensive (and very complex!) as well.
• The IEDs tested and certified will likely operate in applications that need many times more logical nodes (and associated FUNCTIONS) than what was tested to get a certificate.
• MMS is also very complex regarding services and protocol. Unfortunately requires a lot of best skills to implement ... it has been implemented very well by a few companies like SystemCorp.
• The most crucial aspect of IEC 61850 is the huge number of logical nodes (that represent so many functions). This semantic is of great importance to the energy industries.
• One of the key issues in the years to come is this: Use the semantic of IEC 61850 and configuration language and map the needed (usually very simple and restricted) semantic configured in a SCL file automatically to JSON-Objects and communicate the JSON encoded information via http(s) or similar protocols. 
• This will allow to use IEC 61850 in any project that requires to exchange the well defined semantic of IEC 61850. E.g., the semantic of the schedule logical node (FSCH and FSCC) can easily be configured in JSON. The underlying function (the SCHEDULING) needs to be implemented independently of using MMS/ASN.1 or JSON. The benefit of using JSON is here: Everybody that can program in Python or JS or ... can use the JSON encoded messages directly in the application program.
• I am working on such a solution that makes IEC 61850 really applicable for simple applications ... http(s) and JSON are used everywhere and can be applied by everybody.
• More to come!
• Stay tuned.

For those simple applications with a dozen of points or so ... there would be a need for just a very simple and basic interoperability and conformance test.

List of some 700 IEC 61850 Certificates Issued by the UCAIUG

The UCAIUG group has issued almost 700 certificates for IEC 61850 implementations.

Click HERE to access the list of UCAIUG Certificates.

IEC 61859 Training Course in Stockholm is Filling-Up - Reserve your Seat Now

FMTP, KTH, OPAL RT, and NettedAutomation have scheduled a very comprehensive IEC 61850 Training in Stockholm (Sweden) for 19-23 September 2016.
The course is filling-up very fast.
Please reserve your seat as soon as possible.

Click HERE for the brochure with all details.
A similar Course (4 days) is scheduled for Karlsruhe (Germany) 10.-13. October 2016.

See you soon.

LAT (Lab Acceptance Tests): Open Systems in Automation – Quo Vadis?

Open Systems in Automation are more than a hype. Since the early 80s we have seen a lot of activities to define Open Systems for Automation. The first major project was the MAP project initialized by General Motors: Manufacturing Automation Protocols. One of the crucial standards developed in this context was MMS: Manufacturing Message Specification (ISO 9506).

When people were struggling with the implementation of 7-Layer or 3-Layer solutions including MMS some other groups believed that Fieldbusses would be the better approach. The standardization of fieldbusses come up with tens (or even tons) of different solutions under one IEC standard series: IEC 61158 with 50+ solutions.

How to build Open Systems in Automation based on this many solution? There are too many islands of very specific open systems based on special fieldbus solutions. This was one of the real reasons why people developed OPC to bridge the gap between these many islands. OPC has helped to share information between islands.

There was another issue that causes increasingly headaches: the System Configuration and Engineering. How to solve this challenge? The next wave was to standardize incompatible “integration” support solutions: FDT (Field Device Tool), EDD (Electronic Device Description) or FDI (Field Device Integration). So: What now?

Endress+Hauser has started recently a very interesting approach:

Open Integration Partner program for practical testing of multi-vendor automation topologies

The focus is on Hart, Profibus, Foundation Fieldbus, Ethernet/IP, and Profinet, as well as on FDT, EDD or FDI.

What are they proposing: “Open Integration validates the interplay of all products in a reference topology by mutual integration tests.” in a permanent lab environment.

Click HERE for a brief description in English.
Click HERE for a brief description in German.

That means: To run a comprehensive permanent “LAT” (Lab Acceptance Tests). This is something prior to “FAT” (Factory Acceptance Tests) and “SAT” (Site Acceptance Tests). Vendors involved are: Endress+Hauser, Auma Riester, Hima Paul Hildebrandt, Honeywell Process Solutions, Mitsubishi Electric, Pepperl+Fuchs, Rockwell Automation, R. Stahl und Schneider Electric.

What about “Open Systems” and IEC 61850? The power industry has understood that Interoperation Tests are very crucial to improve the standards and products. Several IOPs (Interoperability tests) – or better “LAT” (Lab Acceptance tests) – have been conducted. The last one in October 2015 in Brussels.

I hope that some companies and organizations in the Power Industry will also implement such permanently available “LAT” (Lab Acceptance Tests) that would offer 24x7 support services to the power industry.

The challenges in the power industry are lower than in the industrial automation: Because we have (luckily) a single standard series that comprises:

1. Device communication (real-time and SCADA protocols)
2. Device Information Models (e.g. MMXU for electrical measurements)
3. System Configuration Language (SCL) for engineering of Systems, Models, Device, Communication … and their Configuration

In case you would be interested to join such an effort related to IEC 61850, IEC 61400-25, and IEC 60870-5-104, let us know:

Contact us if you have something to contribute.

IEC 61850 Testlabs Accredited by the UCAIUG

As per October 2015 the following tester are offering Conformance Tests for products implementing IEC 61850:

For further details on the companies or on IEC 61850 testing capability visit:
www.ucaiug.org Testing/ UCAIug Testing Quality Assurance Program.
The approved testers are listed in the directory: UCAIug IEC 61850 Approved Testers

Almost 600 Certificates have been issued by the UCAIUG Users Group.

The First Official IEC 61850 Edition 2 Client Certificate Goes to? - Siemens

Siemens is the first company in the world to receive an IEC 61850 Edition 2 client certificate, issued by DNV GL on behalf of the UCA International User Group (UCA), for their SICAM PAS/PQS system (basically a PC application that acts as a 61850 client).

Click HERE for the news.

There are other vendors underway to get an IEC 61850 Edition 2 client certificate. TÜV SÜD (Munich) has also been accredited for testing conformance of Edition 2 clients.

More to come. Stay tuned.

NEWS on IEC 61850 Conformance Test Labs

The following nine new IEC 61850 Test services have been approved by the UCAIUG in during the first half of 2015:

Level A
IEC 61850 Conformance Test for 2nd Edition Server Products

• Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) [January 2015]
• TÜV SÜD (Munich, Germany) [January 2015]
• Xuchang KETOP, Testing Technology Co.,Ltd, Xuchang, China [February 2015]

Level B
IEC 61850 Conformance Test for 2nd Edition Server Products

• ALSTOM GRID UK Ltd, Substation Automation , Stafford (UK) [July 2015]

Level A
IEC 61850 Conformance Testing Sampled Values 9-2LE Publisher

• Xuchang KETOP, Testing Technology Co.,Ltd, Xuchang, China [March 2015]
• TÜV SÜD (Munich, Germany) [March 2015]

Level A
Edition 2 Client Systems

• DNV GL – Energy (KEMA), Arnhem (Netherlands) [April 2015]
• TÜV SÜD (Munich, Germany) [July 2015]
  

LEVEL B
IEC 61850 Conformance testing Edition 1 Server Products

• ALSTOM GRID UK Ltd, Substation Automation , Stafford (UK) [July 2015]

A total of 479 Certificates for Server Ed1 (47 for clients) and 21 for Server Ed2 (1 for clients) have been issued by July 2015.

Click HERE to access the testing information (requires user name and password – at least you need a guest account).

IEC 61850-9-2 Sampled Values In Use

Quite often people ask me about the application of sampled values according to IEC 61850-9-2 (9-2LE). The sampled values require very solid products (publisher, Ethernet Switches, and subscribers). The recent years have shown that the technology has matured to an extend that applications are already available or underway.

Please find useful links:

Click HERE for the paper:

Test and Evaluation of Non Conventional Instrument
Transformers and Sampled Value Process Bus on Powerlink’s
Transmission Network

Click HERE for a related publication:

Australia Leads With Process Bus

Click HERE for the 9-2LE guideline published by the IEC 61850 community.

More and more 9-2LE compliant IEDs are tested and certified.

There are more than 400 IEDs (Server, clients, publisher) that have been certified by the UCAIug:

Source: UCAIug

What’s about subscriber to sampled values?

Click HERE for various protection IEDs implementing the subscriber role for sampled values, e.g., Alstom Distance Protection Relay P446, …

More to come.

TÜV SÜD offers tests for IEC 61850 Client, Server, publisher, and subscriber

TÜV SÜD (Munich, Germany) offers a wide range of testing services covering all crucial aspects to help you reaching a high level of interoperability of your device with other devices.

Their services could reduce the risk of non-interoperation on site dramatically! They have experience with edition 1 and edition 2 of the IEC 61850 core parts as well with IEC 61400-25.

Click HERE for a brochure that describes what they offer.

Note that they cover much more than just certification conformance tests. They offer a comprehensive range of support.

IEC 61850 Lab opened by POWER Engineers in Idaho (USA)

Technical support for IEC 61850 based systems, tools and devices is very crucial for the acceptance of the standard. Education and testing are needed all over.

A new competence center for IEC 61850 has opened its doors by POWER Engineers for the North American market. It is no surprise that this kind of services are offered in the USA.

Click HERE for more information.

“We think that IEC 61850 will become much more prevalent in the U.S. market in the near term,” said Scott Olson P.E., senior project manager for smart grid projects at POWER.

Ok, yes, Scott is absolute right!

More to come.

Get ready for Edition 2 of IEC 61850 Core Standards - One Day Presentation

TÜV SÜD Embedded Systems (Munich) offers a one day presentation titled:

Get ready for Edition 2 of the IEC 61850 Core Standards

One Day Training on IEC 61850 includes a the visit to the TÜV SÜD Embedded Systems Level A Lab:

December 13th, 2012
Munich (Germany)

Edition 2 of the IEC 61850 Core Standards have been already published (part 4, 6, 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, 7-4, 7-410, 8-1, 9-2) and part 10 (Conformance Testing) will be published by the end of 2012. Whether you have an already certified Device or you are planning to develop a new implementation, the new aspects of Edition 2 of the IEC 61850 Core Standards have to be considered, because it will soon become a major market differentiator.

Download program and registration information for the IEC 61850 training [pdf]

See you there soon.

What does a PIXIT provide?

PIXIT stands for “Protocol Implementation eXtra Information for Testing”. The objective is to provide crucial information for the test lab.

One example is the value for the “Maximum number of clients that can set-up a 2-party association simultaneously”, e.g., value=16. Does this mean that the maximum number of clients is restricted to 16? No! The value of 16 is used by the Testlab to run test cases. The number can be much bigger!

The PIXIT document for a SystemCorp IEC 61850 IED lists for the stack/API ina value of 16 – BUT the stack/API and the IED supports up to 255 clients!

If you want to know what a device supports, you should read technical specifications of the IED. A lot of vendors use the PIXIT also as a kind of technical specification. The PIXIT documents should contain a note that the values given in the PIXIT document may be restricted for testing purposes only. PIXIT documents should also show the limits of the IED when applied in real applications.

Download PIXIT Document for a specific IED.

Open Position: IEC 61850 and TÜV SÜD expand into the North American Market

TÜV SÜD is a well known authority in the testing of IEC 61850 IEDs with regard to IEC 61850 Conformance Tests, Functional Tests, Security Tests, and Safety Tests. They have been accredited from the UCAIUG as an IEC 61850 test lab.

TÜV SÜD is currently expanding its service portfolio in the field of embedded systems, focusing on safety and security in the certification of machinery and installation control systems as well as networked embedded systems. In this context we focus on the following sectors: the energy industry (e.g. smart grid, smart meters and conformity/interoperability of communication networks and systems for distributed energy resources in accordance with IEC 61850), factory automation, chemical, oil and gas industry and rail (advanced security aspects).

TÜV SÜD is offering a new position for a Project Engineer for their Industrial IT Security and Smart Metering services in the USA.

Please check the full description of the position.

Another Successful IEC 61850 Training – Beijing

The second two day training on IEC 61850 in Beijing (China) was attended by some 30 experts from China. The interest was great … the room size quite limited:

Opening address from Mr Wencai Zhu (Vice President, TÜV SÜD, Beijing):

Dr. Strübbe (TÜV SÜD, Munich/Germany):

Attendees listen vey carefully:

Karlheinz Schwarz pointed out that IEC 61850 is not complex – but very comprehensive! The standard series defines a couple of thousand terms like MMXU, PDIS, Pos, STMP.Tmp, …

It is this sheer unlimited number of terms that looks like a complex standard – it is a huge language that defines a lot of nouns and verbs (like read, report, control, retrieve self-description, … lower tap position, record disturbance data).

Students learned the basics of IEC 61850 and how to get their devices speak IEC 61850 and IEC 61400-25 using of the shelf stack/API software from SystemCorp.

The third training session is to start in Taipei (Taiwan) tomorrow – September 10, 2012.

TÜV SÜD Conformance Test Lab for IEC 61850 accredited

TÜV SÜD (Munich, Germany) has been authorized on August 24, 2012 to perform IEC 61850 Conformance Testing (for servers) in accordance with the Users Group Quality Assurance Testing Program Procedures. TÜV SÜD is a third party test lab that offers Level A tests.

Congratulation!

TÜV SÜD
Barthstrasse 16
80339 München / Munich
Mr. Peter Pfisterer
+49-(0)89-5791-3372
mailto:Peter.Pfisterer@tuev-sued.de

It could be expected that this new test lab will speed up the tests for IEDs with IEC 61850 server functionalities – and it is likely that the total cost for a certificate will be lower than before.

The first tests run have already helped to improve the quality of products.