INFO TECH

IEC 61850 Software Library

with testing and simulation tools

Product presentation

Prepared by Wojciech E. Kozlowski

Version: June 2022

We reserve all rights in this document and in the information contained therein. Reproduction, use or disclosure to third parties without express
authority is strictly forbidden.
If this document has accidentally or illegally come into your possession, please prevent it from being used and inform INFO TECH using contact
references given at www.infotech.pl

© Copyright INFO TECH Dr Wojciech E. Kozłowski sp.j. 2022

 IEC 61850 communication standard
 The gossip says:
◼ Terribly complex collection of models and protocols…
◼ Huge incomprehensive IEC documentation…
◼ Costly implementation…
◼ Expensive engineering…

 The truth is:

◼ Easy to understand and use
◼ Complex only in the core implementation (like many modern
technologies including Internet, GSM, GPS)
◼ There are ready solutions for product vendors and end-users:
 source code and binary libraries with references from numerous
deployments in products
 devices and systems with verified conformance to the standard,
 user-friendly testing tools,
 system configuration tools (though mainly vendor specific),
 comprehensive training materials describing the essentials of the standard
with easy to use training toolsets.
◼ INFO TECH business in just for this truth.

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 INFO TECH solutions for IEC 61850
 INFO TECH IEC61850 Software Library:
◼ Designed in 2006 by INFO TECH based on Edition 1
◼ Updates following tissue.iec61850.com and Edition 2
◼ Updates following Am.1 Ed.2 (Edition 2.1)
◼ Licenses offered to source code (for all platforms) and to
binary interfacing components (for MS Windows and Linux
based platforms)
◼ First licensed implementations of server and client interfaces
in substation automation products from the beginning of
2007
◼ As of May 2022, licensed to 50 companies from 15
countries of Europe, Asia, North America
◼ Applied by INFO TECH to build testing and simulation tools

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 Awards granted to INFO TECH
IEC 61850 Software Library
 Awarded on the 9th of November 2015 by the quality mark
„LAUR EKSPERTA” (”MERIT OF EXPERT”) and the special
prize „MEDAL NOWOCZESNOŚCI” (”MEDAL OF
INNOVATION”) during the official gala in the Residence
Belveder belonging to the President of the Republic of Poland

 Awarded on the 12th of September 2017 by the Honorable

Commendation of the International Power Industry Fair
ENERGETAB 2017

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 References
Our customers – licensees are e.g.
◼ VAMP Ltd. from Finland (now in Schneider Electric)
◼ Littelfuse, Inc. from USA/Canada
◼ Ashida Electronics Ptv. Ltd. from India
◼ Valmet Automation from Finland
◼ NSE AG from Switzerland (now in Phoenix Contact)
◼ Camille Bauer Metrawatt from Switzerland
◼ Elspec Ltd. from Israel
◼ Netcontrol Oy from Finland
◼ RTDS Technologies Inc. from Canada
and in Poland e.g.:
◼ Elester-PKP Sp. z o.o. (controller awarded on EXPOPOWER 2017)
◼ LUMEL S.A. (controller awarded on ENERGETAB 2018)
◼ Elektrometal Energetyka S.A. (controller awarded on ENERGETAB 2018)
◼ ABB Sp. z o.o.
◼ Computers & Control Sp. z o.o.
◼ Instytut Energetyki

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 Position on the global market
 It is hardly possible to assess the market share of protection
relays and controllers with the IEC 61850 communication
interfaces implemented using INFO TECH IEC61850 Software
Library, but a publicly available reference is the list of products
with the IEC 61850 conformance confirmed by the UCA
International Users Group:
https://redmine.ucaiug.org/projects/iec-61850-certificate/issues

 As of May 2022 the products with the IEC 61850 interface

implemented using our Library make almost 3.5% of this
global list.

 Over 35 implementations based on INFO TECH library have been

successfully tested in the accredited conformance testing labs of
DNV (former KEMA), TÜV SÜD, TÜV China, Keptop, Nari Relays,
Schneider Electric.

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 INFO TECH solutions for IEC 61850
 INFO TECH IEC61850 testing and simulation tools:
◼ 61850 Avenue toolset with IEC 61850 client, 61850 Relay
Simulator, GOOSE toolset, SV toolset, File Transfer
◼ 61850 SCL Runner – simulator of server devices based on
their configuration description files
◼ 61850 ICD Editor – for creating/modifying ICD/CID/IID files
◼ 61850 GOOSE System Viewer – graphical tool for GOOSE
transmission supervision in the systems
◼ As of June 2022 the licenses to the above software tools have
been sold to over 100 companies world-wide.

 INFO TECH offers also IEC 61850 training courses:

◼ for end users and integrators (basic and advanced level)
◼ for companies licensing our software (implementation-
oriented)
◼ As of June 2022 over 100 companies attended our trainings.

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 INFO TECH
IEC61850 Software Library
 Client part
◼ Applicable to data acquisition and control systems and
substation gateways.
◼ Applicable to testing and simulation tools.
 Server part
◼ Applicable to bay level devices (protection relays, bay
controllers, monitoring units etc.).
◼ Applicable to testing and simulation tools.
 GOOSE part (optional extension to Server part)
◼ Applicable to bay level devices (protection relays, bay
controllers, monitoring units etc.)
◼ Applicable to testing and simulation tools.
 Sampled Values (optional extension to Server part)
◼ Applicable to process bus devices (merging units and
protection relays), based on so-called 9-2LE.
◼ Applicable to testing and simulation tools.

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 On-going work on further extensions
 IEC 62351-3 – data and communications security
◼ Increasing customer interest to protect MMS communication
(client/server).
 IEC 62351-4 – data and communications security
◼ Increasing customer interest to protect MMS communication
(client/server).
 IEC 62351-6 – data and communications security
◼ Increasing customer interest to use secure R-GOOSE and
R-SV communication.
 IEC 61869-9 – Sampled Values communications
◼ Increasing customer interest in Process Bus deployment.

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 INFO TECH Library – supplied layers
and required software platform
Objects
Client/Server GOOSE R-GOOSE Sampled Values R-SV Time sync PTP
IEC 61850-7

Mapping IEC 61850-8-1 IEC IEC

9-2(LE) 9-2(LE)
61850- 61850-
IEC 9-1 IEC 8-1
Layer 7 MMS (ISO/IEC 9506) 61869-9 61869-9

Layer 6 SNTP

Layer 4 TCP UDP UDP UDP

Layer 3 IP IP IP IP

Layer 2 Ethernet 100 Mbit/s (ISO/IEC 8802-03)

and 1 TP or FO

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Client part - characteristics
 Implemented in C++
◼ API in C++ for the library in source code
◼ API in C++ and C# for the library in compiled version (binary)
 Portable to common OS, e.g.
◼ MS Windows
◼ Linux
 Ready to use build scripts
◼ MS Visual Studio family
◼ CMake and gcc (native build system or cross-compilation)
 Documentation in source code
◼ Help, Intellisense
 Access to data (server model replica)
◼ Abstract communication service layer
◼ Direct access to MMS objects and lower layers (source code)

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Client part - supported features
 Connection establishing and closing
 Learning server IED data model
◼ By exploring in on-line mode (after connecting)
◼ By using SCL files in off-line mode (before connecting)
 Reading and writing data
 Reading and writing datasets with management
 Control services
 Reporting (buffered and unbuffered)
 Setting groups and parameters
 Access to control blocks for GOOSE and SV
 File transfer

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Client part - portability
 Library is ready to use for Linux
and MS Windows operating
systems
User
 C/C++ memory management application
 All non-portable services are
indirect

System
◼ Multitasking
◼ Networking IT61850CSL
◼ Time and clock services
◼ Non-standard C++/C runtime
library
◼ Useful utilities
Networking
 Only common basic types in use

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Server part - characteristics
 Implemented in ANSI C
 Small footprint (about 300 kB of code memory)
 Short startup time
 Easy to use (only 3 API functions need to be
implemented)
 Ready to use for Linux and Windows environment
 Easily portable to other OS
 Optional extensions to Server part:
◼ GOOSE part - services implementing publisher and subscriber
functionality of horizontal communication
◼ Sampled Values part – for Process Bus communication,
services implementing publisher and subscriber functionality for
merging unit and signal processing unit

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Server part – implemented abstract
service layer over MMS
 Connection establishing and closing
 Read/write data access
 Buffered and unbuffered reporting
 Preconfigured and dynamic datasets (persistent and
non-persistent)
 Control services (one and two step, with normal and
with enhanced security)
 Setting groups and parameters
 Service tracking
 File transfer
 GOOSE (optional part)
 Sampled Values (optional part)

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Server part – application data model
Supported two options of creating server data model:
 Option 1: static data model
◼ Data model and device application to IEC 61850 mapping defined in
spreadsheet files.
◼ Automated generation of C-code and ICD file from spreadsheet files.
◼ Compilation time definition of the data model.
◼ Possibility of removing unused LNs at the server start-up.
 Option 2: dynamic data model
◼ Server data structure created in run-time from the supplied
ICD/CID file.
◼ Application to IEC 61850 mapping is defined in a separate XML file.
◼ This option is available for devices with development environment
supporting C++ compiler and libxml2 library (e.g. Linux, Windows).

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Server part – portability
 The Library is ready to use for Linux and MS Windows
operating systems.
 The Library was successfully ported to Windows CE,
MQX4.0, NetOS7.0 and several proprietary RTOS’es.
 To port the Library to other OS the following
functionality has to be implemented or modified:
◼ Access to TCP/IP stack
◼ Ethernet chip access (for GOOSE and SV only) – in Linux
and Windows the Pcap library is used for that
◼ Access to system clock (for time-stamping)
◼ Access to local file system (if file transfer services will be
used)
◼ Access to non-volatile memory for storing control block
parameters and persistent dynamic dataset contents

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Proof of conformance
 20 devices with IEC 61850 server+GOOSE interfaces based
on INFO TECH library passed conformance tests to receive
UCA conformance certificates for Edition 1
 15 devices with IEC 61850 server+GOOSE interfaces based
on INFO TECH library passed conformance tests to receive
UCA conformance certificate for Edition 2
 3 devices with IEC 61850 client interfaces based on INFO
TECH library passed conformance tests to receive UCA
conformance certificate for Edition 2
 The following UCA accredited laboratories tested
implementations based on INFO TECH library:
◼ DNV GL from the Netherlands (former KEMA),
◼ TŰV SŰD from Germany,
◼ TŰV SŰD from China,
◼ Central Power Research Institute of India (CPRI),
◼ Ketop Lab from China,
◼ Schneider Electric corporate test laboratory,
◼ Nari Relays laboratory from China.

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INFO TECH IEC 61850 testing and
simulation tools – built on our Library

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 61850 Avenue: Client tool for testing
server devices (e.g. protection relays)
Easy to use.
Able to connect and
browse server devices.
Able to import SCL file and
connect to the described
server device.
Allows to read and write
data values, configure
control blocks, receive
reports with data model
update, perform control
commands.
Optional support of secure
client-server
communication (TLS &
ACSE).

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 Outgoing feeder bay simulator
(61850 Relay)
Feeder bay model with circuit breaker
and disconnector.
Simple overcurrent protection relay
with IEC61850 server interface (fixed
but representative data model).
Remote and local monitoring.
Remote and local control (DO control
model).
Additional line with circuit breaker for
demonstration of an alternative control
model (SBO).
Optional support of secure client-server
communication (TLS & ACSE).

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GOOSE toolset:
GOOSE Sender and GOOSE Receiver

Sender: Publisher simulation (configuration: manual or from SCL file).

Receiver: For tracking transmission from selected publisher (configuration: manual, 22
from captured message stream or from SCL file).
 SV toolset: SV Sender (simulator of Merging Unit)
and SV Receiver (signal processing unit) )

Transmission of SV message stream for given signal characteristics.

Calculation of signal characteristics based on received SV
message stream.
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 61850 SCL Runner – simulator of
server devices based on SCL files
Force data change event flow by
one click:
a) Change of all subscribed data
b) Change of all data from data sets

IP address as in the
SCL file

Enables testing
access to all data
and simulation of
events, reports,
controls and
control results.

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Which way of testing is easier?
Real system vs simulated system
Building a lab version of the target system
or simulation?
Cost, complexity, time …

INFO TECH
61850 SCL Runner
toolset
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 Problem to solve:
How to prepare and verify the
configuration of the control system?
 One possible approach for the test lab:
◼ Acquire all devices to be installed in the target place.
◼ Find and implement the way how process data changes and parameter data
changes can be stimulated and how controls can be traced.
◼ Build a test network together with the control system to be configured.
◼ Configure/reconfigure the devices and the control system and test all configured
communication exchanges (can be thousands of signals and data points).
◼ Iterate the previous step until all obtained test results are correct.

 Is there any more economic and less laborious approach?

INFO TECH 61850 SCL Runner - with excellent references
from integrators from over 15 countries

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 61850 SCL Runner – what can it do
 Collected ICD/CID/SCD files can be used to setup an IEC 61850 server
device simulator running on MS Windows PC.
 One or more server devices (IEDs) can be simulated using different IP
addresses and different network adapters.
 Data models exactly as in real IEDs.
 Data changes can be defined by the user using formulas: either as fixed
values or variable and time dependent.
 The simulator supports data sets and the reporting function with BRCBs and
URCBs: data and quality changes, integrity period and GI trigger reports.
 All available and all actually subscribed data flows can be tested by one click.
 The simulator supports control functions with proper behavior and responses
dependent on the control model.
 The simulator supports GOOSE publish function, GOOSE subscribe function
(Inputs) and SV publish function.
 IED start, stop and communication break-down situations can be easily
tested by one click.
 The simulator can be also driven from an external program using telnet
protocol for sending commands.

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61850 ICD Editor
– tool to create/modify SCL files

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 For more information including
licensing conditions and license prices
please contact
INFO TECH

www.infotech.pl
[email protected]
tel. +48 58 3018527
mob. +48 602 799756

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