Practical considerations in applying IEC 61850 for Protection and Substation Automation Systems

The standard IEC 61850 ‘Communication Networks and Systems in Substations’ defines guidelines for realising interoperability between functional nodes used for protection, monitoring, control and automation in substations. Interoperability and free allocation of functions open up a vast range of possible solutions. However, since IEC 61850 is an all-encompassing standard covering design aspects, protocol requirements, testing, etc., application of the same for any specific case requires careful consideration of customer requirements as well as available equipment.