Create and Configure IEC 61850 Devices in Geo SCADA Expert

On a Geo SCADA Expert system, you configure the Geo SCADA Expert database so that entries in the database correspond to the plant and measuring instruments on your system. This section summarizes the database items that you need to configure to represent the devices with which Geo SCADA Expert is to communicate using the IEC 61850 protocol on your system.

When you configure IEC 61850 items in the Geo SCADA Expert database, many of the settings for those items need to correspond to the settings of the relevant IEC 60870-5 devices on your system. Some settings are either fixed (incorporated into the design of the device), or are configured by an engineer. You need to have access to, or an understanding of, the settings of the IEC 61850 devices on your system before you can configure the IEC 61850 database items successfully.

Each IEC 61850 device, including Geo SCADA Expert, has a Protocol Implementation Conformance Statement (PICS) document that describes what functionality is provided. For each device with which you want Geo SCADA Expert to communicate using the IEC 61850 protocol, refer to that device’s PICS document to compare the supported features of that device against the IEC features that Geo SCADA Expert supports (and that are listed as such in Geo SCADA Expert’s PICS document). You also need to be aware of the address settings and any options that are set on your devices. You can then refer to this Geo SCADA Expert Guide to the IEC 61850 Driver for information on how to configure those features and options in Geo SCADA Expert.

Each Intelligent Electronic Device (IED) should have an IED capability file (ICD), which is an XML file that lists the capabilities of that IED model type. There should also be an Instantiated IED Description file (IID), which shows the current configuration of that particular IED, or a Substation Configuration Description file (SCD), which contains details of the complete substation.

For each device with which Geo SCADA Expert is to communicate using the IEC 61850 protocol, you need to create and configure:

1. An SCL File database item: You import an SCL file, generated from the substation, into Geo SCADA Expert. The file can either be in .scd or .cid format. This file contains the data representation for the substation device entities, its associated functions represented as logical nodes, communication systems, and capabilities. If you have one SCL file for each substation, then you have to create one SCL File database item per substation with which Geo SCADA Expert is to communicate using the IEC 61850 driver. For more information, see Create and Configure an SCL File.
2. An Intelligent Electronic Device (IED) database item: You have to create one Intelligent Electric Device (IED) database item per IED with which the Geo SCADA Expert is to interact on the substation. Once the SCL file import is complete, use the Create or Update IEDs pick action on the SCL File database item to automatically create the IED database items that are defined by the contents of the SCL file. After creating the database items you have to configure the IP address and the port number of the IED. For more information, see Create and Configure an Intelligent Electronic Device (IED).
3. A Logical Device database item: You use Logical Device database items to represent a part of the address space of an IED, and require one Logical Device database item per IED address. With each IED database item, use the Create or Update Logical Devices pick action to generate the Logical Device database items that represent the Logical Devices that are defined in the SCL file for the IED. For more information, see Create and Configure a Logical Device.
4. A Logical Node database item: You use Logical Node database items to represent a part of the address space of the Logical Device, and require one Logical Node database item per Logical Device address. With each Logical Device database item, use the Create or Update Logical Nodes pick action to generate the Logical Node database items that represent the Logical Nodes that are defined in the SCL file for the Logical Device. For more information, see Create and Configure a Logical Node.
5. A Data Set database item: This is a collection of object references to functionally constrained data objects or functionally constrained data attributes. Right-click on the IED database item, and use the Create or Update Data Sets and Report Control Blocks pick action to generate the Data Set database items that are defined in the SCL file for the IED. For more information, see Create and Configure a Data Set.
6. A Report Control Block database item: This contains the information required to generate a report , including the data set name, trigger options, and optional fields. Right-click on the IED database item, and use the Create or Update Data Sets and Report Control Blocks pick action to generate the Report Control Block database items that are defined in the SCL file for the IED. For more information, see Create and Configure a Report Control Block.
7. A Point database item: Points represent the measuring instruments and control devices on your system. For each measuring instrument or control device on your system, you need to add and configure a corresponding Point of the appropriate type in the Geo SCADA Expert database. From the Logical Node database item, select the Create or Updates Points and Controls pick action to generate the Points that are defined in the SCL file for the IED. For more information, see Points Used On IEC 61850 Device. Points can either be Point or Control, but they are both points in the Geo SCADA Expert database

Alternatively, to create all the database items simultaneously, you can also use the Create or Update IEDs, Logical Devices, Logical Nodes, Points and Controls pick action on the SCL File node.

The IED database item represents a physical device; while the Logical Devices, Logical Nodes, and Data Sets are a way of partitioning the data in the IED. To minimize the time that it takes to configure the required IEC 61850 items, you may want to configure them in the order listed above, as IED configuration requires you to import an SCL file, and Logical Device configuration requires you to specify an IED, and so on.

Points are representations of Data Objects and Data Attributes, and Controls are representations of Control Data Objects and their constituent structures of Data Objects and Data Attributes.