IEC 61850 and substation automation
As a trusted hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) provider, we provide advanced testing solutions to validate and optimize substation automation systems. Simulate real-world scenarios, ensure interoperability, and accelerate development cycles with our cutting-edge hardware-in-the-loop technology. Our solutions fully support IEC 61850, enabling seamless integration and testing of communication protocols for modern substations.
They trust us
Solution
The leading standard for communication in substations
Our real-time simulators work with any protection and control IED that operates as a logical node defined in IEC 61850-7-4 and supports IEC 61850-8-1 GOOSE and IEC 61850-9-2 Sampled Values for fast communication of events, as well as IEC 61850 MMS Server Protocol for the data exchange between Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) and high-level systems, such as SCADA.
HIL validation with 61850 includes, but is not limited to:
Substation automation systems (SAS) testing
Simulates substation environment to validate IEC 61850 communication between any number of physical and virtual IEDs, ensuring reliable data exchange and system response under fault conditions.
Testing of protection and control schemes
Simulates fault conditions to verify IEC 61850 communication between relays and breakers, ensuring correct fault detection and isolation.
Interoperability testing between different manufacturers’ devices
Validates IEC 61850 communication between devices from different manufacturers, ensuring proper data exchange and device response.
Network performance testing in real-time
Tests IEC 61850 communication under varying network conditions, ensuring reliability and robustness in real-time scenarios.
Webinar
Watch HYPERSIM’s IEC 61850 solution in action
In this two-part webinar, see how the I/O configuration can seamlessly be generated from an SCL file, as well as a detailed demo based on the IOP 2019 integrated application design.
Advanced testing
IEC 61850 sampled value data integrity manipulation
Improve testing coverage of protection systems with the IEC 61850 data integrity manipulation and fault insertion feature.
- Stop transmission
- Delay transmission
- Duplicate transmission
- smpCnt manipulation
- smpSynch manipulation
- Quality manipulation
All these features come with a precise trigger that lets the user manipulate data on external events.
Testimonials
Trusted by industry leaders
Explore how leading institutions and organizations leverage OPAL-RT to achieve remarkable results.
Our old simulator did not have real-time simulation capabilities, and so we simply did not have the flexibility that we do now to introduce many and various ‘what if’ case scenarios. We can now model our distribution portion as well as our transmission—it has been great for us in the system protection technical training program, both for all the instructors and the students.
Ms. Genesis Alvarez
Engineer III at Dominion Energy
Products
The essentials for substation automation testing
Discover the tools that professionals depend on for fast and precise testing. Ensure optimal performance with our products.
EMT Simulation and HIL Testing
HYPERSIM
High-fidelity platform for EMT simulation, SIL and HIL testing, ideal for validating control, protection, grid integration and large-scale stability across all stages of power system development.
Compact mid-range simulator
OP4610XG
Compact yet powerful mid-range simulator offering an all-in-one solution that combines the latest 6-core AMD Ryzen™ 5 CPU with the power of an AMD Kintex™-7 410T FPGA.
Brute force computing
OP5033XG2
Simulator based on up to 16 cores of the latest Intel® Xeon® CPU and offers up to 6 PCIe slots for optional I/Os. It’s ideal for modular configurations with FPGA and 1/O expansion units.
FAQ
Let our experts answer your questions and find the best match for you
How does OPAL-RT support testing and validation of substation automation systems?
We provide advanced hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing solutions that allow you to simulate real-world scenarios and validate your substation automation systems in a controlled, real-time environment. With our tools, you can test protection and control schemes, ensure interoperability across vendors, and accelerate your development cycle, all while reducing risk and cost.
What level of IEC 61850 protocol support does OPAL-RT provide?
We fully support IEC 61850, including logical nodes defined in IEC 61850-7-4, GOOSE messaging (IEC 61850-8-1), Sampled Values (IEC 61850-9-2), and the MMS Server Protocol. We also provide means to manipulate the data integrity and inject faults in the protocol, such as packet duplication, delays, and communication cut-outs. Our real-time simulators interface directly with IEDs and SCADA systems, allowing you to validate communication, coordination, and performance under real-time conditions with unmatched precision.
How does OPAL-RT ensure interoperability testing across different IED manufacturers?
We design our simulators to test and validate multi-vendor environments. You can integrate any IED that conforms to IEC 61850 standards, and we make it easy to configure your test cases with SCL file imports. This allows you to ensure full interoperability between devices from different manufacturers and verify system-level communication behavior and logic execution.
What makes OPAL-RT’s IEC 61850 testing environment unique?
Our platform goes beyond basic compliance, offering advanced features like real-time data integrity manipulation, fault injection, and trigger-based control over message delays, duplications, or quality bit modifications. This enables you to test edge cases, uncover hidden issues, and validate protection and automation systems under even the most challenging conditions.
How are utilities like Dominion Energy using OPAL-RT for substation training and testing?
Dominion Energy uses our real-time HIL simulation to train system protection engineers and field operators. By simulating both transmission and distribution systems with full IEC 61850 integration, they can introduce complex “what-if” scenarios and enhance the effectiveness of their technical training programs, improving preparedness and grid reliability.
Let’s get to work
Please contact us for more details or any inquiries. Our local team of experts will be pleased to promptly answer any of your questions.
EXata CPS has been specifically designed for real-time performance to allow studies of cyberattacks on power systems through the Communication Network layer of any size and connecting to any number of equipment for HIL and PHIL simulations. This is a discrete event simulation toolkit that considers all the inherent physics-based properties that will affect how the network (either wired or wireless) behaves.