Performance Evaluation of IEC 61850 GOOSE based

Interoperablity Testing
Mike Mekkanen*, Reino Virrankoski*, Mohammed Elmusrati* and Erkki Antila**
* University of Vaasa, Department of Computer Science, Communications and Systems Engineering Group
** University of Vaasa, Department of Electrical Engineering and Energy Technology
P.O. Box 700, FI-65101 Vaasa, Finland
{mike.mekkanen, reino.virrankoski, mohammed.elmusrati, erkki.antila}@uva.fi
Abstract Communication networks in a modern power system
based on IEC 61850 plays an important role on the developing of
the Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) and testing the timely
response of an IED within the multi-vendor environment
(interoperability) to assess the applicability. Interoperability is a
crucial task that requires different kind of testing. Testing the
interoperability within multi-vendor environment is an
important issue that must be realized by Power Utilities within
the product acceptation process. This paper analyzed the timely
response of the substation automation system (SAS) by
implementing a Generic Object Oriented Substation Event
(GOOSE) within prototyping platform between multi-vendor
(IEDs) interoperability testing. GOOSE latency had been
successfully measured for the device under test (DUT)s based on
two laboratory scenarios and it shows that it is compliant with
the IEC 61850 criteria. Furthermore it proves the
interoperability concept that the (DUT)s subscribe to the GOOSE
messages from the third party IED. Discussion about different
IED configuration tools, network load issues and deterministic
GOOSE will complete the vision.
Keywords-IEC 61850; GOOSE; Testing; Configuration Tools;
Substation Automation Sysytem (SAS); Interoperability

I.

INTRODUCTION

IEC 61850 is an international standard, the first edition

describes the electrical substation automation and the second
edition Communication Network and Systems for Power
Utility Automation in which that extend the scope out of the
substation. Both are widely been used and have a significant
impact on the design, implementation and future of the Power
Utility Automation. The IEC 61850 standard defines the
eXtensible Markup Language (XML) based Substation
Configuration Language (SCL) as a standard language that can
be used to share the information among IEDs. System
configuration, IEDs communication capabilities and the SA
functions are represented in a standardized way based SCL file
to ensure the interoperability and reduction of design efforts.
Interoperability is a crucial task that requires different kind of
testing [1].
There are many steps involved reaching proper operation of
a complete system designed based on the specific
requirements, from the development and production of the
IEDs. In part (10) of the IEC 61850 series, the standard
defines a methodology for testing the IEDs (conformance test)
that IEDs are complaint to the standard before these IEDs are
accepted and implemented by end users. The IEC 61850
conformance test is the type test for communication that

significantly reduces the risk to the unforeseeable

interoperability issues. It establishes the system communication
based on laboratories testing and provides the confidence that
the DUT has complied with the IEC 61850 standard. Moreover
it also shows that the DUT has the capability to operate with
the third party IED in a specified way. Also it certified by the
Utility Communication Architecture International User Group
(UCAlug) [2].
However, from the experiences the DUTs which had been
passed the conformance test are still having the possibilities to
incapable to operate with each other. Since many factors may
influence the integration and commission the IEDs in SAS
such as. The conformance testing is part of product type testing
that can be carrying out by the vendor itself. Furthermore, it is
a specific type of testing that only perform test on the functions
and services that are requested by the IED vendor. Where
testing the functions and services may not be enough to cover
the end user requirements. Moreover, the most important issue
that the open nature of the IEC 61850 standard gives wide
range of freedom for the vendors to operate with. Also the
interpretations of the IEC 61850 standard from different
vendors are still different based on the ambiguity that still
exists. These issues may vary the interoperation of the
standard from one vendor to each other and may increase the
complexity of interoperability task within the SAS. Also it
requires various methods and tools of configuration IEDs from
different vendors to achieve interoperability [3].
Therefore, DUTs passing the conformance test cannot
ensure interoperability and not enough for the end users
requirements. End users must include the interoperability test
as a part of the IED acceptance process. University of Vaasa
has setup an in-house research and testing laboratory
Development of the Education Services of IEC 61850 in MultiVendor Environment (DEMVE). This project raises the vision
and spirit of IEC 61850 based SAS that sharing the information
and executes the information that has been shard is in the mean
concern view. With these motivations, in this paper the
performance evaluation of the interoperability by implementing
a Generic Object Oriented Substation Event (GOOSE) within
prototyping platform between multi-vendor IEDs has been
analyzed based on different case studies.
II.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION PARAMETERS

Testing the interoperability is one of the main tasks related

to the acceptance process of the IEDs. In this section
performance evaluation of the interoperability has been

analyzed by implementing a Generic Object Oriented

Substation Event (GOOSE) within prototyping platform
between multi-vendors (IEDs). A common point for starting
the discussion is the issues related the consuming time for
transferring the critical messages GOOSE. The transferring
time should be less than 3ms for trip GOOSE command. In
IEC 61850-5 part [4] it highlight that there are several times
involved in a transfer process of the messages from one point
to another as illustrated in Fig. 1.
Transfer time

f1

tc

Communication
processor

Communication
processor

AppID: Associated in the GOOSE messages to be used as

identifier of the LOGICAL-DEVICE and a handler for
subscription to different GOOSE messages from different IEDs
in the same time. .

f2

Physical device PD2

Physical device PD1

Figure 1. Overall transfer time IEC 61850-5

As simple as the figure, when evaluating the system

performance based on network communication this test is not
reflect and guarantee the actual system performance which is
really important for the practical real time applications [5].
Therefore, the idea for achieving appropriately evaluation for
the GOOSE performance is measuring the round-trip time as
illustrated in Fig.2.

TestSet

GO pub

GO sub

Tout,T

tRT

LAN

Tin,T
IED

T(time stamp): It contains the time that the attribute StNum

was incremented.
StNum: state number, it contains a counter that each time
increments when data set member value change which have
been detected and the GOOSE message has been published.

DUT

GoRef: it is the reference for the GOOSE control block.

Tin,DUT
Tout,DUT

GO sub

GO pub

Test: it indicate the implementing of the values of the message

based on TRUE (testing purpose), FULSE (operation purpose).

Figure 2. Laboratory set up

A stimulus GOOSE is published to the DUT over the

communication network. The DUT subscribe to the GOOSE
execute the information and try to publish another GOOSE
messages as fast as possible. Measuring the round-trip time
involve seven individual times that may affect the GOOSE
performance. Therefore, several assumptions have to be made
to achieve useful result. The first assumption that can be
fulfilled in most cases is the network time
can be neglect.
This assumption can be achieved by keeping the connection
between the test set and the DUT as simple as possible and
using one high performance Ethernet switch within a
100Mbit/s network. The second assumption is symmetry of the
and
for both the DUT and the test set to simplify the
measurements [5].

ConRev: Contains the configuration revision indicate the

changing updating in the data set within the GoCB.

SqNum: sequence number, it contains counter that each time

increments when GOOSE message has been published.

IEDScout
+

DataSet: it contains ObjecReferances that the values of the

members shall be transmitted by GOOSE Control Block
(GoCB) .
GoEna: to remotely enable/disable the publishing of the
GOOSE messages.

t = ta+tb+tc

tb

ta

to subscribe to it. Also, it support to exchange of a wide range

of possible common data (binary, analog measured values) that
grouped into the DATA-SET. IEC 61850-7-1 part defines the
GOOSE model that several parameters control the publishing
process as follows;

(1)
(2)

III.

GOOSE MODEL

Multicasting GOOSE has been designed to replace the hard

wired legacy interlocking signal. It is time critical messages
with high priority that should be transferred less than 4ms.
Very high reliability that several replica of the original GOOSE
message has been published when the status change to ensure
that the IED can receive the message and operate as expected.
Furthermore, it is based on a publisher/subscriber mechanism
that can be received by the IEDs which have been configured

NdsCom: needs commissioning, it indicates the the GoCB

requires further configuration.
IV.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF GOOSE

In this section performance evaluation of GOOSE needs to

be measured. The main objective within the measuring task is
to verify that the performance of the publishing of the GOOSE
messages are compliant with the IEC 61850 (not exceed 4ms).
Furthermore, the DUT has the ability to operate within the
Multi-Vendor environment interoperability.
In the first scenario, design testing environment for the
modern IED(s) within SAS. The experiment testing begins by
designing a small SAS consists from hardware and software
such as Ethernet switch (MiCOM H35x), Vamp 257 protection
relay and PC as hardware. Whereas, the Software are Vampset
configuration tool, Omicron IEDScout, Wireshark and Sigra
(Siemens) or TransView (Omicron). According to the
experiment process the first step is to configure the IEDScout
in which that attempts to generate the GOOSE messages as a
Boolean value and publish these messages to the
communication network as illustrated in Fig 3.

Figure 3. IEDScout message

In the second step configuration the Vamp 257 relay with

the Vampset configuration tool and assign all the GOOSE
parameters for subscribing to the IEDScout GOOSE messages.
Furthermore, Vamp 257 relay attempts to publish another
GOOSE messages based on design a GOOSE receiving
functions. Using outputs of these functions within the signal
matrix to associate these values to the data set of the Vamp
257 publishing GOOSE messages as illustrated in Figs 4,5.

From 1 the time

has been calculated as follows,

(3)

The outcome from 3 has been divided by two based the

assumption that has been mentioned earlier, and
for the
DUT are symmetric. Table 1 shows the calculation for the
GOOSE performance evaluation results.
Table 1. GOOSE DUT elevation performance
Time ms
Experements

Figure 4. Vampset configuration tool

DUT GOOSE

t_RT (ms)

t_App (ms)

22.4610

20

1.2305

24.4610

20

2.157

16.0610

10

3.0305

18.7060

10

4.353

22.1140

20

1.057

23.8410

20

1.9205

17.2800

10

3.640

15.5660

10

2.830

18.9510

10

3.4755

10

24.8030

20

2.4015

(ms)

Figure 5. GOOSE messages

Figure 6, illustrates the

IED sequence of the events in
the respective of the Vampset configuration tool

Figure 6. DUT events buffer

The Vamp 257 is synchronized based on the PC internal

clock within the Vampset configuration tool. It is credible to
assume that the GOOSE status change occurred at the same
time seen in IEDScout and the DUT. Visualization and analysis
of the recording GOOSE messages have been implemented
within the TransView software as illustrated in Fig 7. It shows
the
which is the time from publishing the GOOSE
messages based IEDScout GOOSE simulation until receiving
those GOOSE messages within the DUT execute the internal
functions and publishing another GOOSE messages.

Figure 7. TransView fault analyzer

Using a Normal Distribution probability density function

the mean and the standard divination of the GOOSE DUT time
have been calculated, (mean = 2.6095) and the (std= 1.06).
From the GOOSE performance evaluation results, it can be
observed that the experiment has been successfully measured
the latency of the GOOSE messages for the DUT and it shows
that it is compliant with the IEC 61850 criteria. Furthermore it
proves the interoperability concept that the DUT subscribe to
the GOOSE messages from the third party IED in which that
simulated by the IEDScout.
In the second scenario design a testing environment for the
modern IED(s) within a modern SAS. The experiment begins
by designing a small SAS consists from hardware and software
such as Ethernet switch (MiCOM H352), two Vamp 257
protection relays as GOOSE subscribers and publishers, ABB
REG 670 as GOOSE publisher and PC as hardware. Whereas
the software are Vampset configuration tool, ABB PCM 600,
IET600 configuration tools, Omicron TransView, Wireshark
and Sigra. According to the experiment steps, the first step is to
configure the Vamp 257 relays with the Vampset configuration
tool and assign all the GOOSE parameters for subscribing and
publishing. Also REG 670 relay has been configured by ABB
configuration tool as GOOSE publisher. Furthermore,
designing a protection functions and using their outputs with
the signal matrix to associate these values with data set of the
GOOSE messages within Vamp relays.
In the second step status indication within the ABB REG
670 occurred based on connecting signal to the Digital Input
(DI) connectors. These status indications have to be published
based on GOOSE messages to the communication network. In
the third step Vamp 257 relays have to be subscribing to the

REG670 GOOSE messages extract the information from them

and execute the designed functions. Furthermore, Vamp 257
relays attempt to publish another GOOSE messages. All IEDs
are synchronous and the time reference for calculation is the
PC internal clock. Lastly Visualization and analysis of the
recording GOOSE messages have been implemented within the
TransView software. It shows the
which is the time from
publishing the GOOSE messages from the REG 670 until
receiving those GOOSE messages within the (DUT)s and
publishing another GOOSE to the communication network as
illustrated in Figs 8-10.

Figure 8. Recording the GOOSE messages

calculation for the GOOSE performance evaluation results for

the DUT1 and DUT2.
Table 2. GOOSE DUT elevation performance
t_RT 1

t_App1

DUT1
GOOSE

t_RT2

22.477

20

1.2385

22.078

20

21.220

4
5

Ex

DUT2
GOOSE

23.029

20

1.5145

1.039

22.715

20

1.3575

20

0.61

21.663

20

0.8315

19.636

10

4.818

15.814

10

2.907

19.382

10

4.691

15.615

10

2.8075

Using a Normal Distribution probability density function

the mean and the standard divination of the GOOSE DUT1
time have been calculated, (mean = 2.4793) and the (std=
2.0898). Also the mean and the standard divination of the
GOOSE DUT2, (mean = 1.8836) and the (std= 0.9248). From
the GOOSE performance evaluation results, it can be observed
that the experiment has been successfully measured the latency
of the GOOSE messages for the DUTs and it shows that it is
compliant with the IEC 61850 criteria. Furthermore it proves
the interoperability concept that the (DUT)s subscribe to the
GOOSE messages from the third party IED ABB REG 670.
The mean advantages for using Vamp relays as a subscribers is
that all GOOSE parameters can be assigned manually based on
the GOOSE publishing parameters.
V.

Figure 9. Capturing the GOOSE messages within IEDScout

t_App

CONCLOSION

The performance evaluation of the modern SAS has been

strongly regarded to the communication network and timely
response of its components. Therefore in this paper
performance evaluation of the GOOSE messages had been
analyzed based on two scenarios and GOOSE messages
latency had been successfully measured for the (DUT)s. The
results from these two scenarios show that the DUTs are
compliant with the IEC 61850 criteria. Furthermore it proves
the interoperability concept that the DUT subscribe to the
GOOSE messages from the third party IED.
REFERENCES
[1]

Figure 10. TransView fault analyzer

The same procedure for the performance evaluation of the

GOOSE messages that had been implemented in scenario one
can be used in scenario two. The main difference between
scenario one and scenario two is that the GOOSE messages had
been published from the IEDScout as the source to the DUT as
the destination. Whereas in scenario two the GOOSE messages
had been published from ABB REG 670 as source and DUTs
Vamps 257 relays as the destinations. Table 2 shows the

[2]

[3]

[4]
[5]

Shi-Jaw Chen, Yi-hsiang, Chia-Hung, Tung-Sheng, Rung-Fang Using

Multi-Vendor IEDs for IEC6180 Interoperability and HMI-SCADA
Applications, International Symposium on Computer and Control
(IS3C), 2012.
Ikbal Ali, Mini S. Thomas and Sunil Methodology & Tools for
Performance Evaluation of IEC 61850 Goose based Protection Schems
IEEE fifth India Conference, 2012.
Mohd Iqbal Ridwan, Muzlifah Hanmani, Normi Salwana Miswan,
Testing the Interoperability of IEC 61850 Intelligent Electronic
Devices A Tenaga Nasional Berhad Experience Asia-Pacific protection
Conference, 2012.
IEC 61850 2003 Communicationn Networks and Systems in Substation
Communication Requirements for Functions and Device models.
Fred Steinhauser, Thomas Schossing, Andreas Klien, Stephan Geiger,
Performance Measurements for IEC 61850 IEDs and Systems,
avilable online, www.omicron.at