Category Archives: Communication Protocols

A complete reference for substation engineers covering Sampled Values — IEC 61850-9-2 specification, frame structure, ASDU/APDU, SmpCnt and SmpSynch, ASN.1 BER encoding, multicast addressing, IEC 62351-6 security, PRP/HSR transport, and field troubleshooting Quick Reference Item Value Standard IEC 61850-9-2:2011 (Edition 2.0) + IEC 61869-9:2016 profile Transport Raw Ethernet (Layer 2), no TCP/IP EtherType 0x88BA Multicast MAC range 01-0C-CD-04-00-00… Read More: IEC 61850 Sampled Values (SV) Explained: Complete Process Bus Reference »

IEC 61850 has transformed how substations communicate. In the past, everything depended on copper wiring, physical contacts, and slow serial links. Today, digital substations use Ethernet-based messages that move information instantly between IEDs. Two of the fastest and most important IEC 61850 services are: Even though both use Ethernet multicast, they serve completely different purposes. GOOSE carries decisions… Read More: GOOSE vs Sampled Values (SV) in IEC 61850: Clear Differences,… »

GOOSE (Generic Object Oriented Substation Event) is one of the most important communication services defined in IEC 61850. It is used to exchange fast, event-driven messages between protection IEDs, bay controllers, and automation devices. GOOSE is designed to carry protection signals such as trips, interlocks, blockings, permissives, and alarms with very low latency and high reliability, replacing copper… Read More: IEC 61850 GOOSE Explained: Complete Guide to Fast Substation Messaging »

Data Sets are one of the most important concepts in IEC 61850. They define which values inside an IED are grouped together so the device can report them, log them, publish them over GOOSE, or return them in a single MMS read request. Anyone working with protection relays, SCADA integration, automation logic, or commissioning eventually deals with Data… Read More: IEC 61850 Data Sets: The Difference Between Static and Dynamic… »

IEC 61850 is the modern communication standard used in power utility automation systems. It defines how intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) communicate inside substations and across modern electrical networks. One of the most important technologies inside this standard is MMS (Manufacturing Message Specification). MMS is used for supervisory communication, real-time monitoring, remote control, reporting, configuration, file exchange, and system… Read More: IEC 61850 MMS Explained: Full Guide to Reporting, Control, and… »

When people first hear about IEC 61850, they often assume it is simply another communication protocol like DNP3, Modbus, or IEC 60870-5-104. But this assumption is incorrect. IEC 61850 is not just a protocol—it is a full engineering language designed to describe, model, and structure the functions that make up modern digital substations and power automation systems. Where… Read More: What Is IEC 61850 Language? »