Friday, July 22, 2011

Getting Started with SystemCorp’s IEC 61850 API on Embedded Linux in Hours

Yesterday (July 21, 2011) I conducted a one day seminar and hands-on training for a German vendor that offers embedded controllers with embedded Linux. SystemCorp ported their IEC 61850 software including the easy to use API (Application Program Interface) onto the embedded Linux controller and provided a simple example for digital inputs and outputs. They shipped the controller with an IEC 61850 example to me to run some tests and demonstrate the solution to the vendor of the controller (in Northern Germany).

During the morning I presented IEC 61850 basics in modeling, engineering, configuration, and communication. My intention was: Help the programmers to understand basics of IEC 61850 and support them to enhance the simple application program example with an temperature measurement (STMP logical node) that provides random values. I provided the enhanced CID file with the extended model (STMP).

After lunch we set up the environment and all needed components. Then the C-Programmer started to understand the given simple application program and the API at about 14:00 h. Some three hours later the extended application was up and running and providing values through IEC 61850 messages – just 2 minutes before the general manager of the company joined our meeting!

We were able to use the new information (temperature) with the various IEC 61850 services like polling, reporting, …

This exercise has again proven that Application programmers can learn the basics of IEC 61850 and write their own application software on the SystemCorp API within a few hours – instead of weeks and months.

The customer was very happy to reach such a challenging objective within a day – before summer vacation season starts!

The embedded Linux platform will be available within the next few months.

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