What it is and when you need it
Remote Relion relay configuration is the service in which our team prepares, loads and verifies the engineering of a Relion relay without going to site: settings, application configuration, inputs and outputs, communications and records. It is a family you find in substations and industrial plants all over the world, and today it is split between two manufacturers:
- 670 and 650 series (Hitachi Energy). Transmission and subtransmission relays: distance (REL670, REL650), line differential (RED670), transformer (RET670, RET650), bus (REB670) and bay control (REC670), among others. The 650 series ships preconfigured for typical applications; the 670 is the most flexible.
- 615 and 620 series (ABB). Distribution and industrial relays: feeder (REF615, REF620), transformer (RET615, RET620), motor (REM615), line differential (RED615) and voltage (REU615).
So when you tell us “I have an ABB relay”, the first step is to confirm the series: it determines which manufacturer publishes the firmware, the documentation and the current connectivity packages.
What is included
- Engineering software. All four series are configured with PCM600 (Protection and Control IED Manager). PCM600 only talks to a relay if the connectivity package for that series and version is installed. The project can be exported as a PCMP file to back it up or move it between engineering workstations.
- Application configuration and signal matrix. On Relion relays, logic is not a list of settings: it is an application configuration built from function blocks, timers and flip-flops, plus a matrix that assigns inputs, outputs and LEDs. On the 670 series this work is extensive; on the 615 and 620 series you start from standard configurations that are adapted to the project. We check that the loaded configuration matches your control drawings.
- Settings groups. We review every settings group in the relay and the condition that activates it, not only the one in use.
- IEC 61850. PCM600 configures the relay’s IEC 61850 data model, GOOSE publications and subscriptions and MMS reports, and exports the model as SCL files for the substation system tools.
- Disturbance records and events. We read disturbance records and the event list with PCM600. Recent 670 series connectivity packages support COMTRADE 2013.
- Backup and comparison. We read and save the existing configuration before every change and compare what was loaded against what was approved.
How we work
First we build the inventory: series, model, order code and product version of each relay. That defines the PCM600 version and connectivity package required, because each relay version states the minimum PCM600 version it needs. We also confirm the rated frequency, 50 Hz or 60 Hz, in the relay and in any reused configuration, since a template from another project can carry the wrong one. Then we agree with your communications team on secure access to the relays, over an encrypted connection enabled only for the authorized task.
Once access is ready, we read and save the relay configuration, load settings, application configuration and communications, and verify metering, statuses, SCADA signals and GOOSE messages with you. Secondary injection tests on site are run by your staff or your contractor with our live online support. Our team can perform field testing in Colombia, or elsewhere on request.
We do not provide a PCM600 walkthrough for each series: it depends on the relay, its version and the project engineering, and it is the service we deliver. Remote services are available worldwide; we work from Bogotá (UTC−5) and schedule the work window with you.
Version and compatibility precautions
- The connectivity package must match the relay series and version. An old package may not recognize new functions; a wrong one may not connect at all.
- Projects from old PCM600 versions may need to be opened in an intermediate version before moving to a current one.
- The PCMP file is not the substation SCD. The SCD comes from the system configuration tool and defines the exchange between IEDs from different manufacturers.
- A firmware update on a Relion relay is a separate intervention; we only do it with your approval and a verified backup.
- Relay user accounts and passwords stay under your control.
What we need from you
- Series, model, order code and version of each relay.
- The current PCM600 project, if one exists, or authorization to read the relays.
- Approved settings, control drawings and signal list.
- The SCD file, when relays exchange GOOSE.
- Secure access to the relays and a site contact.
What you receive
- The exported PCM600 project and a backup of the previous configuration of each relay.
- The applied settings table, with every group, compared against the approved one.
- Documented application configuration and signal matrix.
- The relay SCL files and configured GOOSE subscriptions, where applicable.
- Disturbance record analysis, if requested, and a written report of each session.
Standards and criteria
Inverse-time curves follow IEC 60255-151 or IEEE C37.112, as defined by the study. Substation communications are configured with IEC 61850, and telemetry with IEC 60870-5-104 or whatever protocol your SCADA uses. Disturbance records are handled in COMTRADE (IEEE C37.111 / IEC 60255-24). Functions such as distance 21, bus differential 87B or transformer differential 87T are referenced by their IEEE C37.2 device numbers. We adapt the settings to the local code and the utility requirements you give us. If you need the settings themselves, our protection coordination study delivers them ready to load; for station-level IEC 61850 design, see communications engineering. For other brands, visit remote relay configuration.
Tiza Group works with Relion relays as an independent engineering company. We are not a partner, representative, distributor or authorized service center of Hitachi Energy or ABB, and product names belong to their manufacturers. Send us the series, model and version through contact and we will confirm the scope.