IEC 61850 Configuration in SEL Relays
Key Takeaway
How to configure IEC 61850 in SEL relays — GOOSE messaging for protection, MMS for SCADA, SCL files, and ACSELERATOR Architect.
Quick Answer
SEL relays support IEC 61850 GOOSE (sub-millisecond peer-to-peer Boolean messaging for protection) and MMS (client/server data access for SCADA). Configure using ACSELERATOR Architect (SEL-5032) with SCL files defining the substation data model.
GOOSE
Ethernet Layer 2 messaging replacing hardwired trip and intertrip schemes. Publisher/subscriber model — one relay publishes, many can subscribe. Sub-millisecond for protection-speed applications (bus protection, breaker failure, interlocking).
MMS
TCP/IP client/server data access replacing DNP3 in modern IEC 61850 substations. Logical nodes and data objects define the data model.
SCL Files
- CID — Configured IED Description
- SCD — Substation Configuration Description
- ICD — IED Capability Description
GOOSE vs DNP3
GOOSE operates at Layer 2 with sub-ms latency for intra-substation protection communication. DNP3 operates over serial/TCP for WAN SCADA polling. Different roles, often coexist. See BACnet protocol comparison for another protocol architecture perspective.
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Frequently Asked Questions
High-speed peer-to-peer Boolean messaging over Ethernet Layer 2 with sub-millisecond latency. Replaces hardwired copper intertrip schemes with fiber for protection applications.
GOOSE is Layer 2, sub-ms, for intra-substation protection. DNP3 is serial/TCP, tens-to-hundreds of ms, for WAN SCADA polling. Different roles.
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