A new enormously scalable, lively, and affordable IEC 61850 Software Stack is now available for Smart Grid and other application domains. SystemCORP Embedded Technology Pty Ltd offers a Lite solution across various operating systems and hardware platforms. The new stack offers an extremely easy to use API (Application Programming Interface) creating instant results for software programmers. 

By Detlef Raddatz, SystemCORP Embedded Technology, Australia and Karlheinz Schwarz, Netted Automation, Germany

IEC 61850 is THE most successful International Standard for protection, control, and automation systems in substations. The standard is intended to be used in centralised and distributed power generation as well as in distribution, factory, and process automation domains.

IEC 61850 is more than just a date communication protocol. The standard defines information models, information exchange services for real-time and SCADA applications in substation automation systems, renewable energy generation and power distribution systems. The configuration of systems and devices is standardised using a standardised XML file.

Communication Stack
High costs for implementing IEC 61850 is one of the crucial factors for the standard being used in relatively few applications outside substations. This has now changed. SystemCORP Embedded Technology has developed a portable IEC 61850 communication stack suitable for different operating systems including Microsoft
Windows and LINUX, and applicable for any application domain including protocol
gateways for IEC 870-5101/103/104 and DNP3.0.

Concept of a simple API
The API provided by the stack is extremely easy to use by application programmers. It hides all details of the underlying protocols like MMS (ISO 9506). The operational API services are Set, Get, and Update. The information model of the device and the binding of the real world information to the model is completely configured by a standardised XML file (ICD file – IED Capability Description) engineered with the tool “ICD Designer”. Any standardised or
extended model can be created.

The stack with the simple API has been ported to multiple system platforms.

Single Chip Solution
The stack has been ported onto SoC (System on Chip) processor specific operating systems such as the Beck-IPC@ CHIP™. The SC143 SoC is a powerful but also an inexpensive choice for many IEC 61850 real-time applications. The controller provides the complete IEC 61850 (IEC 61400-25) MMS, GOOSE and Sampled Value communication stacks. The stacks and the device data models are configurable by a standard SCL File (IEC 61850-6) uploaded by FTP to the controller. Applications can be developed in C/C++ and IEC 61131-3. The focus shifts from communication (especially MMS) programming to user applications. The development of affordable standard conformant interfaces for distributed energy resources can now be shortened to days or weeks – from months and years.

Development Kit applications
The fastest way getting started with real-time applications is developing application on the Beck-IPC@CHIP™ using the development kit DK61. The kit comes with all hardware and software components (including all licenses for C/C++ and IEC 61131-3 compiler and IEC 61850 software).

A “Getting started” CD ROM comes with application examples (including source code).

IEC 61850 and LINUX
When using the IEC 61850 software stack on LINUX systems the target hardware platform and software development tool chain play an important role when porting packet driver software for GOOSE messaging. Currently the stack supports ARM™, Freescale Coldfire™ and X86 based LINUX systems.

Microsoft Windows
A free IEC 61850 evaluation DLL (IEC 61400-25) as a Starter Kit for Client/Server and Publisher/Subscriber is now available. The Kit contains executable software, C source code and .Net Applications (projects) as well as “Getting started manuals”. The Protocol Integration Stack (PIS-10) dl provides the same simple API. Client and server (publisher/subscriber – GOOSE) install on one or different PCs.

The article can be found in Issue 5 2010 of Power Technologies Transmission & Distribution and this T&D entire issue can be read online.