Test Universe is the OMICRON software used to control CMC injection sets and run relay tests by modules. The Protection Testing Library (PTL) is a library of test templates by relay type that is loaded into Test Universe and avoids building each plan from scratch, with import of the relay settings and automatic documentation.
What it is and where it is used
Test Universe is OMICRON’s PC software used to control the CMC injection sets and run protective relay tests. It is organized by test modules, one for each type of function or task, and delivers the results in a report that is kept with the substation file. The Protection Testing Library (PTL) is a library of templates installed inside Test Universe that prepares the test plan for a specific relay.
They are used in commissioning and maintenance of substations and industry, with medium-, high- and extra-high-voltage protection. We use Test Universe frequently in our tests, together with the OMICRON CMC 356, described in OMICRON CMC 356, CMC 430 and Test Universe. This guide goes deeper into the software and the library.
What Test Universe includes
| Component | What it is for |
|---|---|
| OMICRON Control Center | Organizes the test plans, the equipment and the reports of a job |
| QuickCMC | Manual control of the set: generate signals and observe the response without building a plan |
| State Sequencer | Sequences of states (prefault, fault, reclosing) with jump and trip conditions |
| Function modules | Overcurrent, distance, differential, synchronism, meters and others |
| GOOSE and Sampled Values configuration | Prepare the network messages the set publishes or subscribes to |
| IEDScout | Tool for exploring IEC 61850 IEDs and their data model |
| Protection Testing Library | Templates by relay type |
The specific modules depend on the licenses and the connected CMC set. A module that does not appear is almost always a license issue. To see how they combine with the set, see the secondary injection test set.
The PTL library
The PTL is distributed with Test Universe and OMICRON presents it as a resource with the following characteristics:
- Templates by relay type. The CMC 500 brochure (2024) speaks of templates for more than 500 relay types, with recommended test procedures for devices from current manufacturers. A 2011 note spoke of more than 250; the current figure is confirmed by the manufacturer.
- Test plan by function. Each template brings the plan with the relay’s protection functions and the converters (XRIO) that represent the relay inside Test Universe.
- Adaptation to variants. For relay families with many variants there are templates that adjust to the model or the firmware version.
- Customization. Templates can be modified and the converters can be used in your own tests.
- Parameter import. The relay and network settings are imported from different file formats, and the plan adapts the test characteristics to those settings. Test Universe 4.20 (2020) was introduced with fully automatic tests with relay-specific plans and automatic adaptation to their settings.
- Time savings. OMICRON declares savings of up to 80% in repetitive tests; it is a manufacturer figure and depends on each case.
The library is strongest on digital multifunction devices and increasingly covers single-function relays.
How a test is prepared with a template
The template solves “how the test is configured”, but there are decisions it cannot make:
- Which functions are tested. Not all active functions need the same level of detail; they are prioritized according to their role in the scheme.
- With which settings. Those of the current coordination study, compared with those loaded in the relay before starting.
- Which cases. Points at the operating limit, a point inside and one outside the zone, fault direction, and times at points of the curve.
- Against which criterion. Tolerance of the relay manufacturer and of the injection set.
- What is left at the end. Settings restored, test blocks closed, alarms cleared.
The resulting report is what the utility and the client review.
System tests and digital substations
Test Universe is the basis for relay-by-relay tests. To validate a complete scheme, with several relays and channels, OMICRON offers RelaySimTest, which works with the same CMC sets. In digital substations, the GOOSE and Sampled Values modules make it possible to test with network messages; see protection testing with GOOSE. Fault records in COMTRADE format can also be replayed with the CMC set. To go further: IEDScout and IEC 61850 testing.
Precautions and frequent mistakes
- Template for another firmware. A template for another version may name or scale parameters differently; the relay version is verified.
- Trusting the template without reviewing the imported settings. A badly converted parameter gives a “good” result on a wrong setting.
- Wrongly configured transformation ratio. It is a frequent cause of “the relay does not trip in the test”; before blaming the relay, the wiring, the active setting group and the binary inputs are also checked.
- Licenses that do not match the module.
- Sustained current above the thermal limit. Long tests are run with lower currents.
Frequently asked technical questions
- Manual and download: OMICRON provides Test Universe, the manual and the library to its customers in its download area.
- Which relays the PTL covers: the current list is published by the manufacturer; it is not reproduced here because it changes with each version.
- Test plan and standard: protection tests are framed by the IEC 60255 series and the IEEE C37.233 guide.
How we help
Do you need this test? We do it for you, in Colombia or elsewhere on request: depending on your case we recommend the right test and equipment and include them in the quotation. That way you get the test your case really needs, without paying for extra tests.
See the scope in secondary injection and in testing and commissioning, or tell us about your case on the contact page.
Related guides
- OMICRON CMC 356, CMC 430 and Test Universe
- Secondary injection test set: what it is
- Protection testing with GOOSE
- IEDScout: Explore and Test an IEC 61850 IED
References
- IEC 60255 (series), measuring relays and protection equipment.
- IEEE C37.233-2023, Guide for Power System Protection Testing.
- IEEE C37.111, COMTRADE format.
- OMICRON, CMC 850 (2018) and CMC 500 (2024) brochures, and press releases on the Protection Testing Library and Test Universe 4.20 (English).
Frequently asked questions
What is the Protection Testing Library?
It is a library of test templates for Test Universe. Each template contains a test plan with the protection functions of a relay or a relay family, and the converters that model the relay in the software. According to OMICRON, it covers more than 500 relay types from different manufacturers and its content is updated continuously.
Does the library decide the settings the relay is tested with?
No. The templates bring the test structure and the recommended procedures, and they are adapted to the relay settings. The settings that are verified must be the ones approved in the coordination study, not whatever the relay has loaded when it arrives. A template speeds up preparation; it does not replace test engineering.
Is Test Universe useful for digital substations?
Yes. It includes GOOSE and Sampled Values configuration modules and tools such as IEDScout, so a test plan moves from hardwired signals to network messages with limited adjustments. GOOSE and Sampled Values plans made for one CMC model can be reused on others.