Category Archives: IEC 61850

Ethernet has become the backbone of modern power system automation. From protection relays and bay controllers to SCADA gateways and digital substations, Ethernet networks now carry time-critical protection traffic alongside operational and engineering data. However, substations are among the harshest environments in which communication equipment can be installed. High electromagnetic interference, wide temperature ranges, vibration, and electrical transients… Read More »

IEC 61850 has become the global standard for substation communication systems, enabling interoperability between protection relays, bay controllers, SCADA systems, and engineering tools. At the heart of IEC 61850 client/server communication is MMS (Manufacturing Message Specification)—and one of the most searched questions is: What port number does IEC 61850 MMS use? This article provides a complete explanation of… Read More »

IEC 61850 does not treat control operations as simple “write a value and hope it works.” Instead, it defines formal control models that describe how a command is issued, who is allowed to issue it, and how safety is guaranteed. These control models are one of the most important — and most misunderstood — parts of IEC 61850.… Read More »

Everything engineers need to know about Basic Types, Common Data Classes, and how they appear in GOOSE, Sampled Values, MMS, and SCL. IEC 61850 is much more than a communication protocol—it is a semantic language designed to describe protection, control, measurement, and automation inside modern substations. At the core of this language lies one essential concept: 👉 Every… Read More »

Industrial networks depend heavily on reliable and continuous communication. Protection devices, SCADA gateways, and automation controllers must exchange information with strict timing and without interruption. Even a brief communication loss can cause protective functions to misoperate or lose visibility of the grid. To avoid this, industrial networks rely on seamless Ethernet redundancy methods that guarantee zero-time recovery. The… Read More »

High-Availability Seamless Redundancy, or HSR, is one of the most advanced real-time redundancy mechanisms in industrial communication. It is mostly used in IEC 61850 digital substations, protection and control systems, and process bus networks where communication cannot stop even for a fraction of a second. HSR ensures zero-time recovery, meaning communication continues without interruption even during link or… Read More »

Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP) is a method used in industrial networks to make sure communication never stops—literally never. Many systems around us depend on constant data flow to stay safe and reliable. Think of power substations, industrial robots, trains, chemical plants, and automated production lines. If the network drops even one message, things can go wrong or shut… Read More »

Sampled Values (SV) are one of the core technologies behind modern IEC 61850 digital substations. They allow current and voltage measurements from CTs and VTs to be transmitted as digital Ethernet messages instead of analog signals over copper wires. If GOOSE replaces binary wiring, Sampled Values replace CT/VT analog wiring. This article explains how SV works, why it… Read More »

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 »