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ANSI device numbers

In the design of electrical power sy stems, the ANSI standard dev ice num bers (ANSI /IEEE Standard
C37 .2 Standard for Electrical Power System Device Function Numbers, Acronyms, and Contact
Designations ) identifies the features of a protectiv e dev ice such as a relay or circuit breaker. These ty pes
of dev ices protect electrical sy stems and components from damage when an unwanted ev ent occurs, such
as an electrical fault. Dev ice numbers are used to identify the functions of dev ices shown on a schematic
diagram. Function descriptions are giv en in the standard.

One phy sical dev ice may correspond to one function number, for example "29 Isolating Contactor", or a
single phy sical dev ice may hav e many function numbers associated with it, such as a numerical
protectiv e relay . Suffix and prefix letters may be added to further specify the purpose and function of a
dev ice.

ANSI/IEEE C37 .2-2008 is one of a continuing series of rev isions of the standard, which originated in 1928
as American Institute of Electrical Engineers Standard No. 26. [1 ]

List of device numbers and acronyms

1 - Master Element
2 - Time-delay Starting or Closing Relay
3 - Checking or Interlocking Relay
4 - Master Contactor
5 - Stopping Device
6 - Starting Circuit Breaker
7 - Rate of Change Relay
8 - Control Power Disconnecting Device
9 - Reversing Device
10 - Unit Sequence Switch
11 - Multifunction Device
12 - Overspeed Device
13 - Synchronous-Speed Device
14 - Underspeed Device
15 - Speed or Frequency Matching Device
16 - Data Communications Device
17 - Shunting or Discharge Switch
18 - Accelerating or Decelerating Device
19 - Starting-to-Running Transition Contactor
20 - Electrically-Operated Valve
21 - Distance Relay
21G - Ground Distance
21P - Phase Distance
22 – Equalizer circuit breaker
23 – Temperature control device
24 – Volts per hertz relay
25 – Synchronizing or synchronism-check device
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26 – Apparatus thermal device

27 – Undervoltage relay
27P - Phase Undervoltage
27S - DC undervoltage relay
27TN - Third Harmonic Neutral Undervoltage
27TN/59N - 100% Stator Earth Fault
27X - Auxiliary Undervoltage
27 AUX - Undervoltage Auxiliary Input
27/27X - Bus/Line Undervoltage
27/50 - Accidental Generator Energization
28 - Flame Detector
29 - Isolating Contactor
30 - Annunciator Relay
31 - Separate Excitation Device
32 - Directional Power Relay
32L - Low Forward Power
32N - Wattmetric Zero-Sequence Directional
32P - Directional Power
32R - Reverse Power
33 - Position Switch
34 - Master Sequence Device
35 - Brush-Operating or Slip-ring Short Circuiting Device
36 - Polarity or Polarizing Voltage Device
37 - Undercurrent or Underpower Relay
37P - Underpower
38 - Bearing Protective Device / Bearing Rtd
39 - Mechanical Condition Monitor
40 - Field Relay / Loss of Excitation
41 - Field Circuit Breaker
42 - Running Circuit Breaker
43 - Manual Transfer or Selector Device
44 - Unit Sequence Starting Relay
45 - Atmospheric Condition Monitor
46 - Reverse-Phase or Phase Balance Current Relay or Stator Current Unbalance
47 - Phase-Sequence or Phase Balance Voltage Relay
48 - Incomplete Sequence Relay / Blocked Rotor
49 - Machine or Transformer Thermal Relay / Thermal Overload
49RTD - RTD Biased Thermal Overload
50 - Instantaneous Overcurrent Relay
50BF - Breaker Failure
50DD - Current Disturbance Detector
50EF - End Fault Protection
50G - Ground Instantaneous Overcurrent
50IG - Isolated Ground Instantaneous Overcurrent
50LR - Acceleration Time
50N - Neutral Instantaneous Overcurrent
50NBF - Neutral Instantaneous Breaker Failure
50P - Phase Instantaneous Overcurrent
50SG - Sensitive Ground Instantaneous Overcurrent
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50SP - Split Phase Instantaneous Current

50Q - Negative Sequence Instantaneous Overcurrent
50/27 - Accidental Energization
50/51 - Instantaneous / Time-delay Overcurrent relay
50Ns/51Ns - Sensitive earth-fault protection
50/74 - Ct Trouble
50/87 - Instantaneous Differential
51 - AC Time Overcurrent Relay
51 - Overload
51G - Ground Time Overcurrent
51LR - AC inverse time overcurrent (locked rotor) protection relay
51N - Neutral Time Overcurrent
51P - Phase Time Overcurrent
51R - Locked / Stalled Rotor
51V - Voltage Restrained Time Overcurrent
51Q - Negative Sequence Time Overcurrent
52 – AC circuit breaker
52a - AC circuit breaker position (contact open when circuit breaker open)
52b - AC circuit breaker position (contact closed when circuit breaker open)
53 - Exciter or Dc Generator Relay
54 - Turning Gear Engaging Device
55 - Power Factor Relay
56 - Field Application Relay
57 - Short-Circuiting or Grounding Device
58 - Rectification Failure Relay
59 - Overvoltage Relay
59B - Bank Phase Overvoltage
59P - Phase Overvoltage
59N - Neutral Overvoltage
59NU - Neutral Voltage Unbalance
59P - Phase Overvoltage
59X - Auxiliary Overvoltage
59Q - Negative Sequence Overvoltage
60 - Voltage or Current Balance Relay
60N - Neutral Current Unbalance
60P - Phase Current Unbalance
61 - Density Switch or Sensor
62 - Time-Delay Stopping or Opening Relay
63 - Pressure Switch Detector
64 - Ground Protective Relay
64F - Field Ground Protection
64R – Rotor earth fault
64REF – Restricted earth fault differential
64S – Stator earth fault
64S - Sub-harmonic Stator Ground Protection
64TN - 100% Stator Ground
65 - Governor
66 - Notching or Jogging Device/Maximum Starting Rate/Starts Per Hour/Time Between Starts
67 - AC Directional Overcurrent Relay
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67G - Ground Directional Overcurrent

67N - Neutral Directional Overcurrent
67Ns – Earth fault directional
67P - Phase Directional Overcurrent
67SG - Sensitive Ground Directional Overcurrent
67Q - Negative Sequence Directional Overcurrent
68 - Blocking Relay / Power Swing Blocking
69 - Permissive Control Device
70 - Rheostat
71 - Liquid Switch
72 - DC Circuit Breaker
73 - Load-Resistor Contactor
74 - Alarm Relay
75 - Position Changing Mechanism
76 - DC Overcurrent Relay
77 - Telemetering Device
78 - Phase Angle Measuring or Out-of-Step Protective Relay
78V - Loss of Mains
79 - AC Reclosing Relay / Auto Reclose
80 - Liquid or Gas Flow Relay
81 - Frequency Relay
81O - Over Frequency
81R - Rate-of-Change Frequency
81U - Under Frequency
82 - DC Reclosing Relay
83 - Automatic Selective Control or Transfer Relay
84 - Operating Mechanism
85 - Pilot Communications, Carrier or Pilot-Wire Relay
86 - Lock-Out Relay, Master Trip Relay
87 - Differential Protective Relay
87B - Bus Differential
87G - Generator Differential
87GT - Generator/Transformer Differential
87L - Segregated Line Current Differential
87LG - Ground Line Current Differential
87M - Motor Differential
87O - Overall Differential
87PC - Phase Comparison
87RGF - Restricted Ground Fault
87S - Stator Differential
87S - Percent Differential
87T - Transformer Differential
87V - Voltage Differential
88 - Auxiliary Motor or Motor Generator
89 - Line Switch
90 - Regulating Device
91 - Voltage Directional Relay
92 - Voltage And Power Directional Relay
93 - Field-Changing Contactor
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94 - Tripping or Trip-Free Relay

95 – For specific applications where other numbers are not suitable
96 – For specific applications where other numbers are not suitable
97 – For specific applications where other numbers are not suitable
98 – For specific applications where other numbers are not suitable
99 – For specific applications where other numbers are not suitable
Acronym s Description

AFD - Arc Flash Detector

CLK - Clock or Timing Source
CLP - Cold Load Pickup
DDR – Dynamic Disturbance Recorder
DFR – Digital Fault Recorder
DME – Disturbance Monitor Equipment
ENV – Environmental data
HIZ – High Impedance Fault Detector
HMI – Human Machine Interface
HST – Historian
LGC – Scheme Logic
MET – Substation Metering
PDC – Phasor Data Concentrator
PMU – Phasor Measurement Unit
PQM – Power Quality Monitor
RIO – Remote Input/Output Device
RTD - Resistance Temperature Detector
RTU – Remote Terminal Unit/Data Concentrator
SER – Sequence of Events Recorder
TCM – Trip Circuit Monitor
LRSS – Local/Remote selector switch
VTFF - Vt Fuse Fail
Suffixes Description

_1 - Positive-Sequence
_2 - Negative-Sequence
A - Alarm, Auxiliary Power
AC - Alternating Current
AN - Anode
B - Bus, Battery, or Blower
BF - Breaker Failure
BK - Brake
BL - Block (Valve)
BP - Bypass
BT - Bus Tie
BU - Backup
C - Capacitor, Condenser, Compensator, Carrier Current, Case or Compressor
CA - Cathode
CH - Check (Valve)
D - Discharge (Valve)
DC - Direct Current
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DCB - Directional Comparison Blocking

DCUB - Directional Comparison Unblocking
DD - Disturbance Detector
DUTT - Direct Underreaching Transfer Trip
E - Exciter
F - Feeder, Field, Filament, Filter, or Fan
G - Ground or Generator
GC - Ground Check
H - Heater or Housing
L - Line or Logic
M - Motor or Metering
MOC - Mechanism Operated Contact
N - Neutral or Network
O - Over
P - Phase or Pump
PC - Phase Comparison
POTT - Pott: Permissive Overreaching Transfer Trip
PUTT - Putt: Permissive Underreaching Transfer Trip
R - Reactor, Rectifier, or Room
S - Synchronizing, Secondary, Strainer, Sump, or Suction (Valve)
SOTF - Switch On To Fault
T - Transformer or Thyratron
TD - Time Delay
TDC - Time-Delay Closing Contact
TDDO - Time Delayed Relay Coil Drop-Out
TDO - Time-Delay Opening Contact
TDPU - Time Delayed Relay Coil Pickup
THD - Total Harmonic Distortion
TH - Transformer (High-Voltage Side)
TL - Transformer (Low-Voltage Side)
TM - Telemeter
TT - Transformer (Tertiary-Voltage Side)
U - Under or Unit
X - Auxiliary
Z - Impedance

Suffixes and prefixes

A suffix letter or number may be used with the dev ice number; for example, suffix N is used if the dev ice is
connected to a Neutral wire (example: 59N in a relay is used for protection against Neutral Displacement);
and suffixes X,Y ,Z are used for auxiliary dev ices. Similarly , the "G" suffix can denote a "ground", hence a
"51G" is a time ov ercurrent ground relay . The "G" suffix can also mean "generator", hence an "87 G" is a
Generator Differential Protectiv e Relay while an "87 T" is a Transformer Differential Protectiv e Relay . "F"
can denote "field" on a generator or "fuse", as in the protectiv e fuse for a pickup transformer. Suffix
numbers are used to distinguish multiple "same" dev ices in the same equipment such as 51-1, 51–2. [2 ]

Dev ice numbers may be combined if the dev ice prov ides multiple functions, such as the Instantaneous /
Time-delay Ov ercurrent relay denoted as 50/51. [2 ]

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For dev ice 16, the suffix letters further define the dev ice: the first suffix letter is 'S' for serial or 'E' for
Ethernet. The subsequent letters are: 'C' security processing function (e.g. VPN, encry ption), 'F' firewall or
message filter, 'M' network managed function, 'R' rotor, 'S' switch and 'T' telephone component. Thus a
managed Ethernet switch would be 16ESM.

References
1. Tengdin, John (1 February 2009). "Knowing the Language: The History and Practice of IEEE C37.2" (http://w
ww.elp.com/articles/powergrid_international/print/volume-14/issue-2/features/knowing-the-language-the-histor
y-and-practice-of-ieee-c372.html). Electric Light & Power. PennWell Corporation. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
"It may surprise some to learn that this standard—or more accurately its AIEE predecessor—is one of the
oldest IEEE standards in use. It was first published as AIEE No. 26 in 1928 and was used to document the
control systems in the then popular automatic railway substations."
2. Applied Protective Relaying 1979 by Westinghouse Electric Corporation, 2nd Printing, "Appendix II,
Electrical Power System Device Numbers and Functions" as adopted by IEEE standard and incorporated in
American Standard C37.2-1970.

IEEE Standard for Electrical Power System Device Function Numbers, Acronyms, and Contact
Designations', IEEE Std C37.2-2008

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