Each relay manufacturer has its own configuration software: AcSELerator QuickSet for SEL, DIGSI for Siemens, PCM600 for ABB and Hitachi Energy, Easergy Studio, Easergy Pro and SFT2841 for Schneider, and EnerVista for GE Vernova. With them you load the settings from the study, program the logic, configure communications and download records. In IEC 61850, a system tool is added that integrates all the devices into the SCD file.
What relay software does
Configuration software is the bridge between the protection coordination study and the relay installed in the panel. It covers four areas:
- Protection settings: the enabled functions and their values, which come from the study and from the setting criteria.
- Logic and I/O: which contact trips which breaker, which input blocks which function, interlocks, reclosing, targets and LEDs.
- Communications: ports, addresses, DNP3 (IEEE 1815), Modbus or IEC 60870-5-103 and 104 maps, and the device’s IEC 61850 configuration.
- Records and testing: downloading events and oscillography, live metering and commissioning tools.
Each brand’s tool
| Manufacturer | Relay tool | Relays it works with | System and analysis tool |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEL | AcSELerator QuickSet | SEL relays, meters and controls | Architect for IEC 61850; Synchrowave Event for records |
| Siemens | DIGSI 4 and DIGSI 5 | SIPROTEC 4 and SIPROTEC 5 | IEC 61850 System Configurator; SIGRA for records |
| ABB and Hitachi Energy | PCM600 | Relion 670, 650, 615 and 620 | IET600 for the system; ITT600 for network testing |
| Schneider Electric | Easergy Studio (formerly MiCOM S1 Studio), Easergy Pro, SFT2841 | MiCOM, Easergy P3 and Sepam | The project’s system tool |
| GE Vernova | EnerVista UR Setup and 8 Series Setup | Multilin UR and 8 Series | Launchpad for software and document management |
Each tool has its own guide, covering what each module does and what is most often looked up:
- SEL AcSELerator QuickSet, Architect and Grid software
- Siemens DIGSI 4 and DIGSI 5 software
- ABB and Hitachi Energy PCM600, IET600 and ITT600 software
- Schneider Easergy Studio, Easergy Pro and SFT2841 software
- GE EnerVista UR Setup, 8 Series Setup and Launchpad software
For reclosers, the electronic control has its own software; for example, NOJA CMS for NOJA Power reclosers.
What files it produces
Although each tool has its own format, the work always leaves the same kinds of file:
| File | What it contains | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Settings or project file | Settings, logic, I/O and communications of the relay, in the brand’s native format | Protection engineering; the owner’s backup |
| ICD, CID or IID | IEC 61850 description of the device, in SCL | System configuration tool |
| SCD | The whole IEC 61850 substation: devices, GOOSE, reports and network | Integration and testing |
| Point lists | Signals to SCADA in DNP3, Modbus or IEC 104 | Gateway and control center |
| Records | Events and oscillography, in native format and in COMTRADE | Trip analysis |
| Settings report | Readable listing of the loaded settings | Review, approval and archive |
You can review SCL files in your browser with the IEC 61850 SCL viewer, a free tool on our site; the file is not uploaded to any server. What each type of file means is in IEC 61850 SCL files.
Two levels in IEC 61850
In an IEC 61850 substation two tools coexist. The manufacturer’s tool defines each relay and exports its description; the system tool, or system configurator, builds the SCD file with all the devices, their GOOSE messages and their reports, and returns each relay its configuration. If someone changes a relay with its software without updating the SCD, or the other way round, GOOSE messages stop arriving or SCADA stops receiving reports. The editions of the standard also matter; we explain them in IEC 61850 Edition 1, 2 and 2.1.
Versions, firmware and drivers
The rule that prevents the most problems: the version of the software and of its drivers or device packages must support the relay firmware. Therefore:
- Software older than the firmware does not recognize the relay.
- A file made for another firmware version may not open, or may open with settings that are renamed or disappear.
- A firmware upgrade on an in-service relay is an intervention, not a formality: it can change functions, require the settings file to be converted and, in some families, need the manufacturer.
Before any change, read the relay, save the backup and compare it with the project file, because the office file and the field file do not always match.
Common mistakes when configuring a relay
The most frequent problems do not come from the relay but from how the files are handled:
- Loading a file that is not the approved one. Several versions of the same file circulate among the designer, the contractor and the owner; the wrong one gets loaded.
- Correct settings with the wrong logic. The protection values match the study, but a trip contact was assigned to another output or a blocking input was inverted. A functional test catches it; a settings review does not.
- Changing the relay and not the SCD. The relay is fine, but it stops publishing the GOOSE that other bays expected.
- Unchecked settings groups. The active group is correct, but the alternate one keeps factory values and goes into service with a topology change.
- No final report. No readable listing of what was loaded is approved and archived, and the next intervention starts without knowing what is in the relay.
Installation and download
- Official source. Download the software and its packages only from the manufacturer’s website or software manager. Copies of unknown origin are a risk to the substation network.
- Licenses. Some basic setting tools download without a license and others require one; system and analysis tools usually do.
- The connection to the relay. Port, driver and firmware version must match; see how to connect to a protective relay.
- A controlled engineering computer. Many companies dedicate laptops to protection engineering, with the approved software versions and no general use.
We configure your relays with the manufacturer’s software
At Tiza Group we work with the official tools of the main brands. With remote relay configuration we read your relay, compare it with the study, prepare the file and load it with your authorization, without traveling. See the brand pages: SEL, Siemens SIPROTEC, Hitachi Energy and ABB Relion, Schneider Easergy and MiCOM and GE Multilin.
Related guides
- IEC 61850 SCL files: ICD, IID, SSD, SCD, CID and SED
- Protective relays: types, functions and maintenance
- Protection coordination and setting criteria
- NOJA CMS, DCM and WSOS5 software for reclosers
- Is remote relay configuration secure?
- Relay access levels and passwords
- Downloading relay event reports and oscillography by brand
References
- IEC 61850-6, Configuration description language for communication in power utility automation systems related to IEDs (SCL).
- SEL, AcSELerator QuickSet (SEL-5030) and Architect (SEL-5032) documentation.
- Siemens, DIGSI 5, IEC 61850 System Configurator and SIGRA documentation.
- Hitachi Energy, PCM600 and IET600 documentation.
- Schneider Electric, Easergy Studio, Easergy Pro and SFT2841 documentation.
- GE Vernova, EnerVista UR Setup and 8 Series Setup documentation.
Frequently asked questions
Is there software that configures relays of every brand?
Not for protection settings and logic: each brand uses its own tool, because each one implements the functions in its own way. What is common across brands is the IEC 61850 engineering of the substation, which is done by exchanging SCL files with a system configuration tool.
Why won't my settings file open in the software?
It is almost always the version: the file was made for a different firmware, or the installed software lacks the driver or package for that model and version. The fix is to open it with the right version or convert it with the manufacturer's tool, and then check the settings against the study, because conversion does not guarantee equivalence.
Is relay configuration software free?
It depends on the brand and the tool. Some basic setting tools can be downloaded without a license from the manufacturer's website, and others, particularly system engineering, analysis or fleet management tools, require a license. Always download them from the manufacturer's official channels.