An ION9000 meter with IEC 61850 is integrated like any other IED: Schneider supplies an ICD file describing its capabilities, a CID file is configured with the data the system will read, and that file is loaded into the meter. The real work is deciding what data it publishes, with what quality and with what time stamp.
Short answer
The Schneider Electric ION9000 meter lists IEC 61850 among its communication protocols. Integrating it does not mean programming the meter: it means deciding what data it publishes, generating its configuration file inside the substation project and loading it into the device. The rest, which looks simple, is what takes the most time: names, quality of the measurements, time stamps and tests against the SCADA. For a Sepam, the ECI850 server, the ACE850 interface and the SCL files are covered in Sepam and IEC 61850.
The equipment profile, with variants and datasheet values, is in the guide to the Schneider ION9000 meter. This guide covers only the IEC 61850 integration.
What the ICD and the CID are
IEC 61850 describes every device with files in SCL language (SCL files). Two of them matter for an ION meter:
- ICD (IED Capability Description): the template published by Schneider Electric. It says which data and functions the meter can offer. Schneider warns that the ICD must match the meter’s model and hardware configuration; an ICD from another model leads to data the device does not have.
- CID (Configured IED Description): the file already configured for one specific meter, with its name, its network address, its data sets and its reports. This is what is actually loaded into the meter.
Between the two sits the system file, the SCD, where all the substation devices and their relationships live. If the substation already has an SCD, the meter enters as one more IED (top-down and bottom-up IEC 61850 engineering and system configurator).
General integration flow
- Define what is needed from the meter. Energy, power, voltages, currents, frequency, power quality indicators, alarms. Every data point published is one that someone has to test and maintain.
- Get the right ICD from the manufacturer’s site, according to model and hardware.
- Import the ICD into the substation engineering project and create the data sets and report control blocks the SCADA will use.
- Generate the CID for the meter and load it with the manufacturer’s tool. Schneider describes ION Setup for this and also loading by SFTP.
- Export the updated SCD so the SCADA or gateway client can import it.
- Test end to end: the value shown by the meter must be the one that reaches the SCADA, with its quality and its time stamp.
This is the conceptual flow. Menus, the parameters of each report block and the meter’s internal logic depend on the tool version and the firmware, and are checked against the manufacturer’s documentation; they are not detailed here.
What to decide before loading anything
Data sets and reports. The meter publishes its data through MMS reports (IEC 61850 MMS). A short, well-thought data set, for example the operating measurements and a few alarms, is easier to test than one that mirrors everything the meter knows. Fine-grained billing data and heavy logs usually keep going through their own channel; IEC 61850 serves operations.
GOOSE. GOOSE is peer-to-peer messaging for fast signals (IEC 61850 GOOSE). A meter is almost never the ideal destination for a trip signal; if you are evaluating it as an alarm publisher or as a subscriber, confirm it first in the ICD and in the datasheet of the exact model.
Standard edition. Devices of different generations speak different editions; it helps to know which one the meter works with and which one the rest of the network uses (editions 1, 2 and 2.1).
Time. A measurement without a reliable time stamp loses value for event analysis. The meter’s time source should follow the same hierarchy as the relays (time synchronization in substations).
Cybersecurity. A meter connected to the substation network is one more device to segment and protect; its engineering port is not left open without control (secure remote access to substations).
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Why it happens | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| ICD from another model | The one from a previous project is reused | Check model and hardware before importing |
| SCADA shows zeros or no quality | The data set lacks the quality attribute, or the client ignores it | Review the published data model and the quality during the test |
| Values on a different scale | Primary versus secondary measurement | Document the transformation ratio and check with a known load |
| Reports do not arrive | Client without permission, wrong network address or connection limit | Check the address, the authorized client and the network state (IED that does not communicate over MMS) |
| SCD and meter out of step | The meter was changed but not the project | Manage the configuration and version the files (IED and SCD configuration management) |
How it is verified
An integration is ready when a real measurement is compared at three points: the meter display, the IEC 61850 client and the SCADA. You also test what happens when communication is lost (the SCADA must flag the data as invalid, not leave the last value looking current) and when the meter restarts. A traffic analyzer helps to see the reports on the network (IEC 61850 traffic analysis with Wireshark). To check the traffic on the network, Wireshark IEC 61850 gathers the capture and display filters for GOOSE, SV and MMS.
What only the manufacturer can confirm
Fine details, such as the exact list of logical nodes, GOOSE support by model, limits on data sets and reports, and menu paths, can be verified only with the manufacturer’s software and datasheet for the model and firmware you have. This guide does not invent them. Mapping a SICAM I/O unit and subscribing to GOOSE from the SCD are detailed in SICAM I/O-Unit: IEC 61850 Mapping Tool and GOOSE.
When to call us
If the meter has to join an IEC 61850 project that already exists, or if you are replacing an ION7650 or ION8650 and need to keep the SCADA data map, we carry out the integration and leave it documented. The configuration is done remotely; see SCADA integration and gateways and control, protection and communications configuration. To get a quote, write to us through contact.
Related guides
- Schneider ION9000 meter
- IEC 61850: overview
- IEC 61850 SCL files
- IEC 61850 system configurator
- Measurement and monitoring of a substation
- Wireshark IEC 61850: Useful Capture and Display Filters
- Sepam and IEC 61850: ECI850, ACE850 and SCL Files
- SICAM I/O-Unit: IEC 61850 Mapping Tool and GOOSE
References
- Schneider Electric, FAQ on creating and loading the IEC 61850 description file in ION9000 meters (ION Setup, ICD and CID, loading by SFTP).
- Schneider Electric, ION technology guide 70022-0125-06: the ICD as a template according to model and hardware.
- IEC 61850 series, parts 6 (configuration language) and 7 (information model).
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the ICD and the CID of an ION9000 meter?
The ICD is the template supplied by the manufacturer: it describes what the meter can do. The CID is the file already configured for one specific meter inside a project, with its data sets, reports and network address. Schneider says to choose the ICD that matches the meter's model and hardware configuration.
Which tool loads the IEC 61850 configuration into an ION9000?
Schneider documents the use of ION Setup to load the CID file, and also loading the CID by SFTP. The exact paths depend on the tool version and the meter firmware, so they are checked against the manufacturer's documentation.
Can an ION9000 publish and receive GOOSE?
The manufacturer's public documentation lists IEC 61850 among its protocols, but the GOOSE scope of each model and firmware version is confirmed only with the meter's own datasheet and ICD file. For the typical use, metering data to the SCADA, the normal tool is MMS reporting.