Professional Certificate of Competency in IEC 61850 Based Substation Automation

Course Duration
Duration
  • 3 Months
Course Study
Study Mode
  • Online
  • Online Data Coms and IT
Course Location
Location
  • Online
Course Code
Course Code
CSZ
Course Intakes
Intakes
  • 13 May 2025
Course Type
Course Type
  • Professional Certificate
  • Industrial Automation, Instrumentation and Process Control
Course Fees
Fees

Course Overview

This professional development course is designed for engineers and technicians who need to understand the techniques required to use and apply IEC 61850 to substation automation, hydropower plants, wind turbines, and distributed energy resources as productively and economically as possible.

Course Benefits

  • You may be eligible to claim CPD points through your local engineering association.
  • Receive a Certificate of Completion from EIT.
  • Learn from well-known faculty and industry experts from around the globe.
  • Flexibility of attending anytime from anywhere, even when you are working full-time.
  • Interact with industry experts during the webinars and get the latest updates/announcements on the subject.
  • Experience a global learning with students from various backgrounds and experience which is a great networking opportunity.
  • Get in-depth knowledge on the techniques required to use and apply IEC 61850 to substation automation, hydropower plants, wind turbines, and distributed energy resources as productively and economically as possible.
  • Learn core components of IEC 61850 and the tools and knowledge essential to tackle your next substation automation project with confidence.
  • Study the fundamentals of substation automation, IEC 61850 elements, and core substation architectures in addition to the latest developments in the field of Automation.
  • Understand the communication interface hardware and standards along with Ethernet and TCP/IP protocols and learn about IEC 61850 and its features, message structure, practical benefits, and applications.
  • Gain practical experience in configuring an IEC 61850 system, including conformance testing, migration, implementation issues, and recent developments.

Course Details

IEC 61850 is a part of the International Electro-technical Commission (IEC) Technical Committee 57 (TC57) architecture for electric power systems. It is an important international standard for substation automation, and it is having a significant impact on how electric power systems are designed and built for the future.

This program covers core components of IEC 61850 and will provide you with the tools and knowledge to tackle your next substation automation project with confidence. It begins with a review of the fundamentals of substation automation, IEC 61850 elements, and core substation architectures.

The communication interface hardware and standards are then reviewed, along with Ethernet and TCP/IP protocols. A detailed explanation of IEC 61850 is given, where the features, message structure, practical benefits, and applications are discussed.

Furthermore, the program will cover the configuration of IEC 61850 systems, including conformance testing, migration, implementation issues, and recent developments. The content is intended to be product independent, but examples will be taken from existing products to ensure that all aspects of the IEC 61850 protocols are covered.

The course is composed of 12 modules, covering substation automation functions and architectures, ways to identify the most appropriate networking components for substation automation, how to use the IEC 61850 model as a data integration platform, and IEC 61850 communication mapping, configuration, and testing.

Module 1: Introduction

  • Network topologies
  • Client/server & publish/subscribe concept
  • DNP3 and IEC 60870
  • Utility Communication Architecture (UCA)
  • Key features of IEC 61850

Module 2: Substation Automation Functions

  • Remote Terminal Unit (RTU)
  • PLC and Protection Relays
  • Intelligent Electronic Device (IED)

Module 3: Power System Automation Architectures

  • General structure
  • Types of automation architectures
  • Architecture of HV substation automation systems
  • Automation of MV substations
  • HV bay control
  • Current and future trends

Module 4: Basic Iec 61850 Substation Architecture

  • IEC61850 Architecture
  • Merging Units (MUs)
  • Station Bus
  • Process Bus

Module 5: Communication Basics

  • Physical Interfaces (10/100/1000 Mbps)
  • Media (copper, multi-mode fiber, single-mode fiber)
  • Media access (full-duplex vs. CSMA /CD)
  • VLANs
  • Network redundancy

Module 6: TCP/IP and Related Concepts

  • TCP & UDP
  • IP addressing: IPv4 vs. IPv6
  • Subnet masks and default gateways
  • Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS)
  • WANs

Module 7: Iec 61850 Data Modelling Approach

  • The information model
  • The Abstract Communication Service Interface (ACSI)
  • Logical devices
  • Logical nodes
  • Data objects

Module 8: Iec 61850 Data Modelling & Communication Models

  • Common data class
  • Manufacturing Message Specification (MMS)
  • Generic Object Oriented Substation Event (GOOSE)
  • GOOSE messaging
  • Sampled Values (SV) multicast

Module 9: Time Sync, Configuration Language & Tools

  • Time Synchronisation (SNTP)
  • IEC 61850-6 Substation Configuration Language (SCL)
  • Software tools

Module 10: Practical & Conformance Testing

  • Documentation and process
  • Assessment process
  • Testing methods
  • Practical example and exercise (SCL, Client/Server, GOOSE, and SV)

Module 11: Migration & Implementation Issues

  • Migration issues
  • Benefits of IEC 61850
  • Implementation issues

Module 12: Review of Automation Products & Recent Developments

  • Product review
  • IEC 61850 Edition 2
  • Object models for hydropower plants, wind turbines and Distributed Energy Resources (DER)
  • Mapping of IEC 61850 on DN P3 and IEC 60870-5-101/-104
  • The use of IEC 61499 (Distributed Function Blocks) in conjunction with IEC 61850
  • Exchanging synchrophasor data between PMUs, PDCs, WAM PAC and control center applications: IEC/TR 618-90-5:2012(E)
  • Communication with the control center based on IEC 61850 and Harmonisation with CIM

To obtain a certificate of completion for EIT’s Professional Certificate of Competency, students must achieve a 65% attendance rate at the live, online fortnightly webinars.  Detailed summaries/notes can be submitted in lieu of attendance.  In addition, students must obtain a mark of 60% in the set assignments which could take the form of written assignments and practical assignments. Students must also obtain a mark of 100% in quizzes.  If a student does not achieve the required score, they will be given an opportunity to resubmit the assignment to obtain the required score.

For full current fees in your country go to the drop down filter at the top of this page or visit the Fees page.

Payment Methods

Learn more about payment methods, including payment terms & conditions and additional non-tuition fees.

Edwin Wright has over 40 years of practical experience in the planning, design, construction, and operation of telecommunications systems, data networks, SCADA, and Ethernet systems. He has also been involved as Project Manager on many projects and has a passion for technology topics.

Learn about our instructors.

You are expected to spend approximately 5-8 hours per week learning the course content. This includes attending fortnightly webinars that run for about 90 minutes to facilitate class discussion and allow you to ask questions. This program has a 65% attendance requirement in the live webinars in order to graduate from the program.  If you are unable to attend the live webinars, you have the option of watching the recording of completed webinars and sending a summary of what you have learnt from the webinar to the Learning Support officer.  The summaries go towards your attendance requirement for the program.

This program is run online on an intensive part-time basis and has been designed to fit around full-time work. It will take three months to complete.

We understand that sometimes work commitments and personal circumstances can get in the way of your studies, so if at any point you feel that you are struggling with the pace of the course or finding a particular module challenging, you are encouraged to contact your designated Learning Support Officer for assistance.

Registrations are open for our upcoming intakes. Please ensure you book your place at least one week before the start date of the program.

Hear from our students

  Good information. Good teacher.  
  A comprehensive intro to networks and the IT involved followed by in depth look at IEC 61850. Over and above the entire platform presentation is very good, user friendly and just works. Also the material provided is extremely useful and relevant.  
  I enjoyed the webinar sessions. It was very interactive and the presenter/lecturer always checked on students to find out if they understood the explanation. He didn’t mind stopping to explain. Time was not so important in delivering the webinar.  

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