Tiza Group

Home / Tools / COMTRADE generator

COMTRADE fault generator

Create a fault record to play back on your test set (OMICRON CMC with TransPlay, Doble or other) or in the virtual injection of an Easergy P5. Choose the network, the fault and the times, review the waveforms and download the .cfg and .dat or the .cff.

IEEE C37.111COMTRADE, revisions 1999 and 2013IEC 60255-24COMTRADE, identical to IEEE C37.111-2013IEC 60909-0feeding network, factor c and DC componentIEC 60909-0§ 5.3.2symmetrical components

Example cases
COMTRADE fault generator
E1Fault
%
Ω
Ω

The location is measured from the relay bus. Rff is split as Rff/2 in each faulted phase.

E2System
kV

Phase-to-phase voltage. The pre-fault voltage at the bus is c·Un/√3.

E3Source at the relay bus
MVA
MVA

Leave the single-phase value empty to use Z0 = Z1.

Ω
Ω
Ω
Ω
E4Line
Ω/km
Ω/km
Ω/km
Ω/km
km

E5Pre-fault load
MW
E6Times
ms
ms
ms
ms
ms

The trip is counted from fault inception; the opening, from the trip to contact separation.

E7Waveform
°

On the fault reference voltage. 0° is its positive-going zero crossing.

ms
E8Instrument transformers
A
A
kV
V
V
Ω
p.u.
E9File

Hz

Defaults to the current time. Written in UTC.

E10Noise and test set range
%
A
V

Optional: with the range of your test set, the tool warns if the secondary peak exceeds it.

Use a decimal point. The calculation runs in your browser and updates as you type.

Fault current

— A

Residual 3I0

— A

Faulted phase voltage

— V

Apparent loop impedance

— Ω

Loop X/R

—

File

— kB

Download the record

Not checked.

    Record waveforms
      Time in milliseconds from fault inception. The yellow lines mark fault inception, the trip, contact separation and the interruption of each pole. It is exactly what is written to the file, without quantization noise.

      Phasor table

      PhasorPre-faultFaultPost-fault

      Fundamental-frequency RMS values. Angles referred to the pre-fault VA at the bus (0°). Sequence quantities are for phase A.

      Phasor diagram
      Each diagram has its own scale. A in magenta, B in white, C in gray and neutral in dashed gray.

      Step by step

      What the record shows

        What it is for

        A fault record played back on a test set puts the relay in front of a realistic waveform: DC component, voltage phase shift, interruption of each pole at its current zero. With a synthetic record you can test distance or overcurrent protection without waiting for a real fault, repeat the same case as often as needed and change one parameter at a time.

        • Protection testing: distance zone reach, directionality, ground overcurrent with a resistive fault, and trip and blocking logic.
        • Logic and metering: check the trip, the triggering of the relay's oscillography and its phasor measurement against the table on this page.
        • Training: show a crew how currents and voltages change with the fault type, the location or the inception angle.

        The file is generated in your browser and read back with the same reader as the COMTRADE viewer before download.

        Which preset to choose

        The preset sets the revision, the .dat format, the sampling rate, the side (secondary by default) and the digital channels. It is based on what each manufacturer's documentation states; always confirm the version of your software.

        • OMICRON TransPlay (default): revision 1999, BINARY, 80 samples per cycle (4800 Hz at 60 Hz, 4000 Hz at 50 Hz), a single rate, and trip and 52a digitals. According to the OMICRON catalog, basic TransPlay reads COMTRADE C37.111-1991 and 1999; revision 2013, the .cff and multiple rates require Advanced TransPlay.
        • Easergy P5: revision 1999, ASCII, 48 samples per cycle, no digitals, and channels IA, IB, IC, IN, VA, VB and VC. The PowerLogic P5 manual (P5/EN M/02-502A) describes playback of an ASCII COMTRADE file, editions 1999 and 2013, as an internal virtual injection, with the relay in Test or Test-block mode and from eSetup Easergy Pro. It plays back only the analog channels and does not test the input transformers. We recommend records of 2 s or less: the manual does not state the maximum duration it accepts.
        • Universal: revision 1999 in ASCII, 80 samples per cycle. Practically any viewer opens it; it takes about twice the size of the binary file.
        • IEEE 2013: revision 2013, BINARY32 and a single .cff file. Use it only with devices and software that declare support for the 2013 edition.

        Values are in secondary because what is recorded is what gets injected, without relying on the player applying the .cfg ratios, which are written anyway. OMICRON, TransPlay, Easergy and eSetup are trademarks of their owners; the presets only adapt the file to what their documentation states.

        How it is calculated

        IEC 60909-0impedance of the feeding network

        ZQ = c·Un² / S″kQ · |2Z1 + Z0| = 3·c·Un² / S″k1

        The source is split into R and X with its X/R; Z0 comes from the single-phase power with the X0/R0 angle, and Z2 = Z1. The line is transposed: z1 and z0 per kilometer, multiplied by the length and by the percentage up to the fault. Without load, the pre-fault condition matches the IEC 60909 equivalent source.

        IEC 60909-0§ 5.3.2symmetrical componentsAndersonsequence networks, ch. 10

        AG: IA = 3E / (Z1 + Z2 + Z0 + 3Rf)BC: |IB| = √3·E / |Z1 + Z2 + Rff|ABC: IA = E / (Z1 + Rff/2)BCG: I1 = E / (Z1 + Z2 ∥ (Z0 + 3Rf))

        Z1, Z2 and Z0 are those of the source plus the line up to the fault. The engine solves in the phase domain, with Zs = (Z0 + 2Z1)/3 and Zm = (Z0 − Z1)/3: the faulted phases go to a common point through Rff/2 and that point goes to ground through Rf. The formulas above are the check in symmetrical components. The pre-fault load is a constant current at the remote end, superimposed.

        IEC 60909-0DC component and factor κ

        i(t) = √2·I·cos(ωt + θ − φ) + D·e−t/τ · τ = X / (ω·R) of the loop

        Each phase gets its own offset D = ibefore(t0) − isteady(t0), so that the current is continuous at fault inception and at each pole opening. The inception angle θ is measured on the fault reference voltage. In the engine tests, the simulated peak matches κ = 1.02 + 0.98·e−3R/X from IEC 60909-0 within 1.5 % at X/R = 30.

        Breaker opening and apparent impedance

        tsep = ttrip + topeningZAG = VA / (IA + k0·3I0) · k0 = (Z0L − Z1L) / (3·Z1L) · ZBC = (VB − VC) / (IB − IC)Zsec = Zprim · CTR / VTR

        Each pole opens at its first current zero after contact separation; after the first pole, the network is solved again with that pole open, so a three-phase fault turns into a two-phase one. The 52a contact drops at contact separation. Post-fault currents are zero; a bus-side VT sees the source and a line-side VT reads zero.

        IEEE C37.1111999 and 2013IEC 60255-242013

        value = a·x + b · b = 0 · a = max|y| / 32767 (16 bits) or / 2147483647 (BINARY32)

        FLOAT32 is written with a = 1. The .cfg has a single rate, timemult 1, timestamps in microseconds, CR/LF line endings and ASCII-only names (no accents or commas). Revision 2013 adds the time zone (UTC) and time quality lines, and the .cff combines the CFG, INF, HDR and DAT sections.

        Limits of the model

        • Radial network with a single source: the remote end does not contribute current, so there is no infeed and no power flow between two sources. A relay at the remote end or a line fed from both ends needs another model.
        • Fundamental-frequency phasor model with a single time constant: no traveling waves, line capacitance, harmonics or frequency variation. A real network has several time constants.
        • Restrikes, reclosing, trapped charge on the line and the capacitor voltage transformer (CCVT) transient are not modeled.
        • CT saturation is a simplified flux model, with an ideal core up to the saturation flux and a resistive burden, without hysteresis or an actual excitation curve. For studies, use the IEEE PSRC CT saturation calculator or an electromagnetic transients program.
        • The line is transposed and the pre-fault load is a constant current: the natural unbalance of the line does not appear.
        • The record is synthetic: it is meant for testing and training and does not come from any real installation. Check in your software that the played-back magnitudes match the phasor table.

        Frequently asked questions

        How do I create a COMTRADE file to test a relay?

        Define the network (source and line), the fault type and location, and the relay and breaker times. From these, the pre-fault, fault and post-fault currents and voltages are calculated, the DC component of each phase is added, and the .cfg and .dat are written per IEEE C37.111 (IEC 60255-24). This tool does it in your browser and reads the file back to check that it is well formed. The file is then played back with the test set software or, on some relays, with their virtual injection function.

        Which COMTRADE format does OMICRON TransPlay accept?

        According to the OMICRON catalog, TransPlay plays back IEEE COMTRADE C37.111-1991 and P37.111/D11-1999 files. Revision 2013, records with several sampling rates and other formats such as PL4 or CSV require Advanced TransPlay. That is why the preset of this tool uses revision 1999, binary format, a single rate of 80 samples per cycle and secondary values. Confirm the version of your software before the test.

        Can a COMTRADE file be played back on an Easergy P5 relay?

        Yes. According to the PowerLogic P5 manual (P5/EN M/02-502A), virtual injection plays back the analog channels of an ASCII COMTRADE file, edition 1999 or 2013, with the relay in Test or Test-block mode and from eSetup Easergy Pro. It is an injection inside the relay: it checks the logic and the settings, but not the input transformers or the wiring. That requires secondary injection testing with a test set.

        We set and test your protection relays

        Our team loads your relay settings remotely and performs secondary injection and end-to-end testing on site, in Colombia or elsewhere on request, in substations and industrial plants from medium voltage up to extra-high voltage.

        See remote configurationRequest a testing quote

        Other tools

        ANSI / IEEE C37.2 device numbersDevice function numbers 1 to 94, common suffixes and their IEC 61850 logical node, with search.Relay coordinationUp to six relays, reclosers and fuses on a log-log plot, with the IEEE C57.109 damage curve, inrush and the coordination margin of each pair.Inverse-time curvesCalculator and log-log plot of the IEC 60255-151 and IEEE C37.112 curves, with the coordination margin.CT burdenLead resistance, relay burden and comparison with the rated burden of the current transformer.Short-circuit currentQuick estimate of the three-phase fault at the secondary of a transformer.COMTRADE viewerOpen .cfg/.dat or .cff fault records in your browser: waveforms, digital channels, cursor and RMS. The file is not uploaded.IEC 61850 SCL viewerOpen .scd, .cid or .icd files in your browser: IEDs, GOOSE and SV addresses, datasets, subscribers and checks. The file is not uploaded.GOOSE and SV addressesCheck IEC 61850 multicast MAC, APPID, VLAN and priority, find duplicates and export the table as CSV.Process bus networkSV and GOOSE bandwidth, worst-case latency, PRP, HSR or RSTP redundancy and PTP time error of an IEC 61850 network.Interlocking table and CILO equationsInterlocking matrix per device, IEC 61850 EnaOpn and EnaCls equations, GOOSE signals between bays and FAT/SAT test cases per configuration.Per-unit base conversionBase current and impedance, conversion between %, pu and ohms, and change of base for transformers, generators and lines.Harmonic distortion THD and TDDVoltage THD and current TDD against the IEEE 519-2022 limits, with the spectrum as a bar chart.Symmetrical componentsPhase quantities to zero, positive and negative sequence and back (Fortescue), with phasor diagrams and what they mean for 46, 67Q and 51N.Vector group compensation (87T)TAP of each winding, phase compensation matrix, zero-sequence removal and the HV-to-LV clock diagram.Primary and secondary impedance (21)Primary to secondary ohms with the CT and VT ratios, line Z1, Z0 and k0, and zone reaches on the R-X plane.CT saturationRequired versus available voltage (5P/10P, PX or C class), time to saturation and the saturated waveform.DGA interpretationIEEE C57.104-2019 DGA status, Duval triangles 1, 4 and 5, IEC 60599 ratios and CO₂/CO of your transformer.Insulation temperature correctionInsulation resistance at 40 °C (IEEE 43) or 20 °C, PI, DAR and power factor of transformers and bushings, with the trend.Capacitor bankkvar to correct the power factor, steps of the automatic bank, capacitance and resonance with the transformer.Cable voltage dropΔV and % with R and X per km, copper or aluminium, mm² or AWG/kcmil, and the short-circuit check of the cable size.Battery sizingAh, number of cells and charger of a DC battery bank from its duty cycle, per IEEE 485 and IEEE 1115.Grounding resistanceGround rods, horizontal conductor and grid (BS 7430, IEEE 80), and soil resistivity from Wenner measurements.Technical glossarySubstation, protection and communications terms, explained in one or two sentences.
        WhatsApp