Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L61/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
  • H04L61/09—Mapping addresses
  • H04L61/10—Mapping addresses of different types
  • H04L61/103—Mapping addresses of different types across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]

Definitions

• the invention relates to substation devices for substations of electric power supply systems.
• Such substation devices may comprise protection and/or control equipment for measuring, switching, protecting and/or controlling electrical
• Prior art substation devices comprise processing modules for processing data content of messages, and are configured to use device-specific physical addresses for communication with other substation devices.
• MAC addresses Media-Access- Control-addresses
• IEC61850 General Object Oriented System Environment
• the object of the present invention is to provide a substation device which requires less reconfiguration effort in case of a device replacement. According to the invention, this object is achieved by a substation device comprising the features of claim 1.
• the substation device comprises an address translating module for translating device-dependent physical addresses into device-independent virtual addresses and vice versa.
• the essential advantage of the present invention consists of the decoupling of external communication from internal data content processing.
• the data content processing can be carried out based on virtual addresses, only.
• the processing modules of the remaining substation devices need not be updated as they can continue their processing algo- rithms based on the old virtual addresses.
• Only the address translating module needs to be modified by updating the assignment between the virtual address, which remains unchanged, and the new physical address. This update, however, can easily be carried out. For instance, if the translating module uses a routing table comprising virtual and physical address pairs, each of which correlating a physical address and a corresponding virtual address, the update merely requires an exchange of a single address pair.
• each substation device updates itself after receiving an update message comprising a new address pair for its routing table.
• the address translating module is configured to modify incoming messages, which are no update messages, by replacing all physical addresses comprised therein with the corresponding virtual addresses.
• the address translating mod- ule preferably forwards the modified messages to the process ⁇ ing module.
• the address translating module preferably modi ⁇ fies outgoing messages, which are provided by the processing module and which are no update messages, by replacing all virtual addresses comprised therein with corresponding physical addresses. Then, the address translating module may transmit the modified messages to the recipient ( s ) .
• the address translating module has access to a routing table which comprises virtual and physical address pairs. Each address pair correlates a physical address and a corresponding virtual address .
• the routing table may be stored in a central memory located in one of the substation devices. In this case, all other substation devices should also have access to the central memory.
• each substation device comprises its own memory for storing the routing table.
• the translating module is preferably con- figured to update its routing table upon receiving an update message comprising an address pair having the physical address of a new device and the virtual address of an old device, which has been replaced by the new device.
• an up- date message is preferably generated by the new device after initialization .
• the physical addresses are preferably Media-Access-Control- addresses.
• a MAC address is a unique identifier assigned to most network adapters or network interface cards by the manufacturer, and used in the Media Access Control protocol sublayer.
• MAC addresses are also known as Ethernet Hardware addresses (EHA) , hardware addresses, or adapter addresses.
• EHA Ethernet Hardware addresses
• each of the substation devices comprises a device-dependent physical address for communication over a communication network. Further, each of the substation devices is assigned a device-independent virtual address in addition to the device- dependent physical address.
• An address translating module in each of the substation devices translates physical addresses into virtual addresses and vice versa.
• a processing module in each of the substation devices internally processes the contents of messages based on the virtual addresses.
• the substation devices are connected with each other via the communication network which forwards messages based on the physical addresses .
• the invention further relates to a method of running a substation of a power supply system.
• substation devices exchange messages via a communication network, wherein the messages indicate the physical address of the respective sender and/or the physical address of the respective recipient (s).
• each substation device Upon receiving a message each substation device replaces physical addresses contained in the message with corresponding virtual addresses, and internally processes the message based on the virtual addresses.
• the substation devices may also process outgoing messages based on virtual addresses, only, and replace all virtual addresses with corresponding physical addresses before trans- mitting the messages via the communication network.
• the substation devices may use a routing table comprising pairs of physical addresses and corresponding virtual addresses, and may replace physical addresses with correspond- ing virtual addresses and vice versa virtual addresses with corresponding physical addresses referring to entries in the routing table.
• the new device Upon replacing an old substation device with a new substation device, the new device preferably publishes an address pair comprising its physical address and the virtual address of the old device.
• the other substation devices will receive this new address pair and can automatically update their routing table in order to send and receive further messages based on the new address pair.
• Figure 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of a routing table for the substation shown in Figure
• Figures 3 and 4 show in exemplary fashion a transmission of messages between substation devices of the substation shown in Figure 1;
• Figure 5 shows in exemplary fashion the replacement of a substation device of the substation shown in Figure 1 and the subsequent auto- matic reconfiguration
• Figure 6 shows an exemplary embodiment of an updated routing table for the substation shown in Figure 1;
• Figure 7 shows an exemplary embodiment of a substation device with reference to the OSI model .
• the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like reference signs throughout.
• Figure 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a substation 10 of an electric power supply system.
• the substation 10 comprises a plurality of substation devices 20, 21, 22, and 23 which are connected by a communication network 30.
• the substation devices may be field devices for switching, protecting and/or controlling the electric power supply system.
• Each substation device is assigned a device-dependent physical address for communication over the communication network 30.
• the device-dependent physical addresses of substation de- vices 20-23 are designated by reference signs PA1-PA4, respectively.
• Each substation device is further assigned a device- independent virtual address in addition to the device- dependent physical address.
• the device-independent virtual addresses of substation devices 20-23 are designated by reference signs VA1-VA4, respectively.
• Each substation device comprises an address translating mod- ule 40 for translating physical addresses into virtual addresses and vice versa, and a processing module 50 for internally processing the data content of messages.
• the internal processing carried out by the processing module 50 is based on the virtual addresses VA1-VA4 of the substation devices 20-23. However, the communication over the communication network 30 is managed based on the device- dependent physical addresses PA1-PA4.
• Each address translating module 40 has access to an internal routing table 60 which comprises virtual and physical address pairs, each address pair correlating one of the physical addresses PA1-PA4 to the corresponding virtual address VA1-VA4.
• routing table 60 An exemplary embodiment of a routing table 60 is shown in Figure 2. Each row in routing table 60 comprises an address pair comprising a physical address and the corresponding virtual address.
• Figure 3 shows in an exemplary fashion the transmission of a message M(PA1, PA2) from substation device 20 to substation device 21.
• the message M(PA1, PA2 ) indicates the physical address PA1 of the sending substation device 20 and the physi- cal address PA2 of the receiving substation device 21.
• the address translating module 40 of substation device 21 Upon receiving the message M(PA1, PA2 ) the address translating module 40 of substation device 21 replaces the physical addresses PAl and PA2 contained in the received message
• M(PA1, PA2) with corresponding virtual addresses VAl and VA2, and generates a modified message M(VA1, VA2 ) .
• the exchange of addresses is carried out using the routing table 60 shown in Figure 2.
• the modified message M(VA1, VA2) is forwarded to the processing module 50 of substation device 21 and proc- essed therein.
• Figure 4 shows in an exemplary fashion the transmission of a reply message from substation device 21 to substation device
• the processing module 50 of substation device 21 analyzes the received message M(VA1, VA2), processes data and generates an outgoing message based on virtual addresses VAl and VA2 which are assigned to the substation devices 20 and
• the generated outgoing message is designated by reference sign M(VA2, VAl) in Figure 4.
• the message M(VA2, VAl) indicates the virtual address VA2 of the sending substation device 21 and the virtual address VAl of the receiving substation device 20.
• the processing module 50 of substation device 21 forwards the outgoing message (VA2, VAl) to the address translating module 40 of substation device 21.
• the address translating module 40 modifies the outgoing message M(VA2, VAl) by replacing the virtual addresses VAl and VA2 with corresponding physical addresses PA1 and PA2.
• the address translating module 40 generates a modified outgoing message M(PA2, PAl) which comprises physical addresses, only.
• the address translating module 40 transmits the modified message (PA2, PAl) to the recipient, i.e. substation device 20.
• Figure 5 shows in an exemplary fashion the substation 10 of Figure 1 after replacing the substation device 20 by a new substation device 26.
• the new substation device 26 comprises a physical address PA6 which differs from the physical ad- dress PAl of old substation device 20.
• the new substation device 26 - Upon replacing the substation devices, the new substation device 26 - automatically or triggered by personal - publishes an address pair (PA6, VAl) comprising its own physical ad- dress PA6 and the virtual address VAl of the old substation device 20.
• PA6, VAl address pair
• the other substation devices 21-23 receive the address pair (PA6, VAl), and update their routing tables 60'. This allows for further communication with new substation device 26 based on physical address PA6. Internal processing of data may be based on virtual address VAl which was formerly assigned to substation device 20 and which is now assigned to new substation device 26.
• An exemplary embodiment of an updated routing table 60' is shown in Figure 6. Again, each row in the routing table 60' comprises an address pair comprising a physical address and the corresponding virtual address.
• Figure 7 shows in an exemplary fashion that the address translating module 40 and the processing module 50 may be comprised by an address translating layer 40' and a processing layer 50', respectively.
• Both layers 40' and 50' preferably belong to OSI layer 7 (application layer) according to OSI reference model (OSI: Open System Interconnection Reference Model).
• OSI Open System Interconnection Reference Model
• the address translating layer 40' has preferably direct access to OSI layer 2 (data link layer) in order to allow for the exchange of physical and virtual addresses contained in messages.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Small-Scale Networks (AREA)
• Supply And Distribution Of Alternating Current (AREA)
• Arrangements For Transmission Of Measured Signals (AREA)
• Computer And Data Communications (AREA)

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• 2009
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