Spectrum PowerTM 5 v5.

21
Communication Front-End (CFE)

Application Sheet

1 Communications Front End (CFE)

The CFE is a PC-based process interface for coupling RTUs of different manufacturers to the Spectrum
Power 5 control system.
The CFE is a Spectrum Power 5 component used for communications with Remote Terminal Units
(RTUs). The CFE pre-processes all data received, thus reducing the process charge of the downstream
components. CFE pre-process these data.
Preprocessing includes the following:
ˆ Data reduction routines
For example old/new comparison, threshold check.
ˆ Data conversion
For example scaling and smoothing of measured values.
ˆ An integrity check
For example completeness and cycle monitoring.
ˆ The statistical acquisition of the data traffic with the RTU.

Highlights
ˆ State-of-the-art standard hardware components, PC, and communication boards.
ˆ Fully integrated in Spectrum Power 5, that is data modeling and engineering carried out in the
Spectrum Power 5 engineering environment.
ˆ A large variety of communication protocols, refer succeeding section.
ˆ High performance up to 720 RTUs, up to 256 TCP/IP based links per CFE
For example, using IEC 60870-5-104 or DNP3i protocol.
ˆ High flexibility and scalability.
ˆ High availability, redundancy, and online activation.
The following diagram shows a smaller Spectrum Power 5 configuration with redundant CFE
subsystem and different RTU connections.

E50417-H3176-C120-C1 (PDF only) 01.2013 1 of 5

Copyright © Siemens AG 2013. All rights reserved
Spectrum PowerTM 5 v5.21 Communication Front-End (CFE) Application Sheet

Figure 1: Spectrum Power 5 Configuration with Redundant CFE Subsystems and Different RTU
Interface Connections

2 Highlights

2.1 Communication Protocols

Interoperability is given for RTU types, which are compatible with the following communication
protocols:
Master functionality
ˆ IEC60870-5-101
ˆ IEC60870-5-104
ˆ IEC 61850
ˆ DNP 3.0 / DNPi
ˆ TG 800
ˆ Modbus
Slave functionality
ˆ IEC 60870-5-101
ˆ IEC 60870-5-104
In addition data from SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) devices can be collected.

E50417-H3176-C120-C1 (PDF only) 01.2013 2 of 5

Copyright © Siemens AG 2013. All rights reserved
Spectrum PowerTM 5 v5.21 Communication Front-End (CFE) Application Sheet

On request, other protocols are provided as a project-specific add-on. All communication protocol
modules are field-proven and running successfully in many installations. Extensive communication
diagnostic capability, including monitoring and listening modes (protocol specific) is available.

2.2 Communication Services

The functionality described from now on is based on the standard protocol IEC 60870-5-101. In
general, most of the functions are also applicable for all other protocols. For details, refer at the
interoperability checklist of the protocol of interest. Reception and transmission of character-serial
messages (RS232) are carried out on multi-port COM board and processed by the protocol module.
This software package performs all protocol-specific communication procedures.

2.3 Communication Network Configuration

The Spectrum Power 5 CFE supports multiple RTU network configurations:
ˆ Point-to-point (peer-to-peer) configuration for fast and highly reliable RTU connection.
ˆ Party line configuration for economic RTU connection in particular for small data volumes per RTU.
ˆ Data concentrator configuration for collecting data from satellite RTUs with or without protocol
conversion.
ˆ Redundant connections to dual ported RTUs to provide utmost communication reliability.

3 Features and Functions

3.1 Data Acquisition

There are 2 basic methods of controlling the data flow from the RTU to the CFE:
ˆ Data transmission controlled by the RTU
Spontaneous on change and cyclical. For example IEC: Balanced transmission mode.
ˆ Data transmission controlled by CFE
Through request procedures. For example IEC: Unbalanced transmission mode.

3.2 Completeness and Updating Check

To keep data consistent and updated the following routine checks are applied on teletransmitted
information:
ˆ Completeness Check
The Completeness Check follows always the General Interrogation (GI) Command sent by the CFE
to the RTUs after a preset time. This command is issued either after start-up of a system
component, timer-controlled or manually by operator intervention. After the GI timer has expired the
CFE checks data for completeness. If not complete, the GI is repeated (configurable). If still
incomplete, an alarm message is generated and reported to the operator.

E50417-H3176-C120-C1 (PDF only) 01.2013 3 of 5

Copyright © Siemens AG 2013. All rights reserved
Spectrum PowerTM 5 v5.21 Communication Front-End (CFE) Application Sheet

ˆ Updating Check
Cyclically transmitted data such as analog values is monitored for being updated in predefined
periods. If the periodical updating process fails, an alarm is generated and all affected values
marked as not updated.

3.3 Data Preprocessing

To avoid unnecessary data flow into subsequent components and to release them from routine
processing the following preprocessing functions are available in CFE:
ˆ Old-new comparison for spontaneously transmitted indications.
ˆ Intermediate state suppression for double-point information, individually configurable per data
point.
ˆ Threshold check of analog values (integration method)
ˆ Conversion of analog raw values into engineering values via linear or nonlinear characteristic
curve.
ˆ Zero-point suppression of analog values (negligible values are forced to zero)
ˆ Digital smoothing of analog value, to filter out disturbance peaks.
ˆ Meter readings (or Integrated Totals in IEC terminology) received from RTUs are converted from
protocol-specific format into the Spectrum Power 5 representation.
ˆ Sequence of events (separation of double-transmitted flagged values from normal values) is
processed independent from RTU type.
ˆ Inversion of digital values
The signal change from ON to OFF is interpreted as an appearing information.
ˆ Time stamping in case no time information is transmitted together with the value.
Resolution: 10 ms. Resolution of teletransmitted time stamp in the range of 1 ms (depends on RTU
and protocol type)
ˆ Maintaining of counters for communication statistics
ˆ Processing of events (or fleetings)
Only the appearance of this information is of interest. The disappearing signal is ignored.

3.4 High-Availability Feature

Reliability
Following the no loss of datastrategy, the CFE component as a highly critical component is designed for
highest availability.
High availability of the CFE system is achieved by:
ˆ Server failover to redundant CFE server in case of active CFE server failure.
ˆ Configurable load sharing between 2 or more CFE servers.
ˆ Supervision of standby communication line (channel), including telegram buffering (protocol-
specific)
ˆ Line Level Redundancy
It is possible to define redundant links from several interfaces on the same or different CFE servers
to one RTU.

E50417-H3176-C120-C1 (PDF only) 01.2013 4 of 5

Copyright © Siemens AG 2013. All rights reserved
Spectrum PowerTM 5 v5.21 Communication Front-End (CFE) Application Sheet

With line level redundancy, all servers of a redundant set of CFE are in active state. However, it is
possible to select one of the redundant lines to a remote terminal unit to become active.
The switchover on line level is triggered as follows:
ˆ Manually
– Switchover of a line by locking (disabling) an active interface.
– Switchover of a line by setting a preference on a standby interface.
– Switchover of an RTU by locking an active link (not possible for single-ported RTUs)
– Switchover of an RTU by setting a preference on a standby interface or a standby link (not
possible for single ported RTUs)
ˆ Automatically
– Switchover of a single RTU after detection of a link failure (not possible for single ported RTUs)
– Switchover of a whole line after detection of an interface failure.
– Switchover upon a server failure.

Granular Online Activation

Maximized availability during engineering:
Only the affected RTU links are shortly interrupted when engineering data is modified and activated.

3.5 Test and Diagnosis Features

The following test and diagnosis features are integrated in the CFE system:
ˆ RTU telegram trace
The contents of selected messages (telegrams) is output at different points of processing. For
example before preprocessing and after preprocessing.
ˆ Communication statistics
For each communication link accumulators are maintained to count sent messages, received
messages, message errors, fail over actions and similar events.
ˆ Multiple CFE status displays
All status information of CFE and communication links such as Failure, Locked, Preference (and
others) are automatically displayed and updated in a dedicated summary view.

E50417-H3176-C120-C1 (PDF only) 01.2013 5 of 5

Copyright © Siemens AG 2013. All rights reserved