May - June 2020

ISSN: 0193-4120 Page No. 12182 - 12187

IEC 61850 Traffic Delay Measurement Using

Raspberry Pi, Libiec61850 and IEEE 1588
Sung-Ho Hwang1, Yong-Soon Im*2, Han-Chun Song3

1
Division of Electronics, Information & Communication Engineering,
Kangwon National University, Samcheok, Republic of Korea
*2
Department of Electronic Information Communication Engineering,
Kookje University,Pyeongtaek, Republic of Korea
3
Department of Information and Communication Engineering,
Seoil University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
shhwang@kangwon.ac.kr1, ysim@kookje.ac.kr (CorrespondingAuthor*2), sanho@seoil.ac.kr3

Article Info Abstract

Volume 83
Page Number: 12182 - 12187
Publication Issue:
May - June 2020
Article History
Article Received: 19 November 2019
Revised: 27 January 2020
Accepted: 24 February 2020
Publication: 19 May 2020
In this study, we used Raspberry Pi to implement an emulation testbed of an IEC 61850-
based digital substation. Libiec61850 software was used in the emulation testbed to generate
SV, GOOSE, and MMS traffics for IEC 61850. To verify the accuracy of the generated IEC
61850 traffics, protocol analysis was performed using TShark. In addition, IEEE 1588 was
used to synchronize real time between the Raspberry Pi devices of the testbed. In our study,
we measured delays to investigate whether the generated IEC 61850 traffics satisfied the
performance requirements of the IEC 61850 message type. The results confirmed that the
transfer delays of the IEC 61850 traffics in this study satisfied the IEC 61850 performance
requirements.
Keywords; IEC 61850, Raspberry Pi, libiec61850, IEEE 1588, SV, GOOSE, MMS

I. INTRODUCTION Furthermore, we checked whether the transfer

IEC 61850 is a communication protocol for
substation automation systems that performs system
installation, control, and operation functions.
However, IEC 61850 is a complex and expensive
protocol. If an emulation test for IEC 61850 is
constructed using easy-to-install and inexpensive
equipment, it will be quite helpful for developing
algorithms, applications, and prototypes.
In this study, we used Raspberry Pi, which is an
inexpensive, flexible, open-source platform. In
addition, libiec61850 software which follows the
GPLv3 license policy was used to generate IEC
61850 traffics. TShark was used to verify whether
that IEC 61850 traffics were accurately generated.
IEEE 1588 was used to perform real time
synchronization between Raspberry Pi devices.
Published by: The Mattingley Publishing Co., Inc.
delays of the IEC 61850 traffics generated on the
testbed platform satisfied the performance
requirements for IEC 61850 messages.
II.RELATED WORK
Table 1 shows the performance requirements for
different message types in the IEC 61850 Standard
[1][2]. Messages transmitted by a smart substation
include sampling values (SV), generic object-
oriented substation event (GOOSE), and
manufacturing message specification (MMS). In
IEC 61850, SV messages are classified as original
data (type 4), and GOOSE messages are classified as
fast messages (type 1). MMS messages are
classified according to their function: medium speed
messages are classified as type 2, low speed
messages as type 3, and file transfer messages as
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type 5. Table 1 presents the time constraints Type 6-Time IED internal
(transfer delays) for different message types. SV and synchronization clock none
GOOSE messages are time-critical and have delay messages synchronization
times less than or equal to 3ms.
In SV messages, sampling data are transmitted from
A Raspberry Pi 3B+ (1.4 GHz, ARMv8-64 bit
a merging unit. In GOOSE messages, control and
microprocessor, 1 GB with embedded open source
status data are transmitted. In MMS messages, state
operating system Raspbian) was used to generate
data, report data, fixed value data, documents, and
and receive the SV, GOOSE, and MMS traffic of the
control data from remote distances are transmitted.
emulation testbed [3]. The Raspberry Pi 3B+ has
Table 1. Performance Requirements of IEC several communication ports (one built-in Ethernet
61850 Message Types port and four built-in USB ports). The built-in
Ethernet port is used for communication, while the
Time
additional communication ports are used by
Example Constraint
Message Type connecting communication adapters (e.g., USB-to-
Application (TransferDela Ethernet) to the USB ports.
y)
The libiec61850 project provides a client/server
A Circuit breaker library written in the C language for SV, GOOSE,
commands and ≤ 3ms and MMS communication protocols [4][5].
Type 1- Trip states(GOOSE) Libiec61850 follows the GPLv3 license policy. The
Fast goal of this project is to facilitate portable
messages B Circuit breaker
implementation between heterogeneous device
commands and ≤ 20ms
Others states(GOOSE) types. If libiec61850 is used, the time and effort
required to implement IEC 61850 traffic generation
RMS values can be greatly reduced.
Type 2-Medium
calculated from≤ 100ms
speed messages Using unique time reference is very important for
type 4 messages
properly managing complex tasks and monitoring
Alarms, non- substation behaviors. Therefore, it is very important
Type 3-Low electrical to use IEEE 1588, also known as precision time
≤ 500ms
speed messages measurements, protocol (PTP), to synchronize system components
configurations [6]. IEEE 1588 can synchronize all IEC 61850
levels (station, bay, and process) with a margin of
Digital error of 1 µs or less. Such accuracy is appropriate
representation for synchrophasormeasurements, and IEC 61850-9
Type 4-Raw data
of electrical ≤ 3ms implementations in which current and voltage are
messages
measurement(S digitalized.
V)
TShark is an open-source network analyzer used for
Files of Data troubleshooting, analysis, software development,
Type 5-File
for recording ≤ 1000ms and education [7]. The cross-platform TShark
transfer functions
settings software can operate on Linux, UNIX, Raspbian,
and Microsoft operating systems. This paper uses
TShark as a third-party software for capturing and
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analyzing the SV, GOOSE, and MMS traffic
generated on the testbed.
III. SYSTEM DESIGN AND
IMPLEMENTATION
The testbed consists of a process level, bay level,
and substation level. Additionally, the testbed
platform consists of Raspberry Pi devices, Cisco
switches, TShark software, IEEE 1588, and
libiec61850, as shown in Fig. 1.
libiec61850 GOOSE publisher. The bay-level IEDs
receive SV and GOOSE traffic via the libiec61850
SV subscriber and GOOSE subscriber in the
Raspberry Pi.
The client/server communication mode of the
libiec61850 library is used between the station-level
workstation and bay-level IED. The station-level
workstation function is implemented using the
Raspberry Pi and libiec61850 MMS client. On the
other hand, the bay-level protection IED and meter
& control IED are implemented using the Raspberry
Pi and libiec61850 MMS server.

The bay-level IEDs communicate with both the

station level workstations and process-level
equipment, and use double network cards.

Fig. 1. Design of Testbed Platform

At the process level, the merging unit is connected
to the SV/IEEE1588 network, and the intelligent
terminal is connected to the GOOSE/IEEE1588
network. The process-level network uses a gigabit
Ethernet switch. The bay level includes a protection
intelligent electronic device (IED), a meter &
control IED, TShark, and time synchronization. The
bay level IEDs are connected to the process-level
Fig. 2. Transfer Scenario
and substation-level networks. The substation level
consists of a workstation, which uses the gigabit For SV messages, the MAC layer is used, the
Ethernet switch to send and receive MMS traffic sampled current and voltage data are transmitted one
from the bay-level IEDs. way from the SV publisher and received at the SV
subscriber. For GOOSE messages, the MAC layer is
Fig. 2 shows the transfer scenario of this study. The
used, and the dataset used for control between the
publisher/subscriber communication mode of the
IEC 61850 devices is transmitted one-way from the
libiec61850 library is used between the bay-level
GOOSE publisher and received at the GOOSE
IEDs and process-level devices. The merging unit of
subscriber. An MMS message uses a TCP/IP
the process level is implemented using the
protocol stack, and is operated in the client/server
Raspberry Pi and the libiec61850 SV publisher. The
environment. When an MMS client requests
intelligent terminal of the process-level is
information, the MMS server sends the desired
implemented using the Raspberry Pi and the
information.
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IV. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION Merging Unit SV 4,800Hz

The hardware system of this paper is shown in Fig. Safe
3. One Raspberry Pi device is used to transmit SV Operation(1Hz)
Intelligent
messages from the merging unit and one Raspberry GOOSE
Terminal Emergency
Pi device is used to transmit GOOSE messages from
the intelligent terminal. Two Raspberry Pi devices Operation(32Hz)
are used as the protection and meter & control IEDs. MMS-file
Protection IED 1Hz
One Raspberry Pi device is used for the IEEE 1588 transfer
PTP to accurately synchronize the times between Meter & 10Hz
Raspberry Pi devices. One Raspberry Pi device is MMS-low speed
Control IED 20Hz
used to use TShark for protocol analysis. One MMS-medium
Raspberry Pi device is used as the MMS client for Workstation
speed
the workstation. In total, seven Raspberry Pi 3B+
devices are used. With respect to the network switches, two Cisco
IE4000 Switches are used to transmit SV and
GOOSE messages, and to perform IEEE 1588 PTP
time synchronization. One Cisco Catalyst 3650
Switch is used to transmit MMS messages.

Table 2 presents information regarding the

messages. The SV protocol regularly transmits
messages at a fixed rate. For protection purposes, in
the case of the 60 Hz power system, messages are
sent by performing sampling 80 times per cycle at
the default rate of 4,800 samples per second [2].
With respect to the GOOSE message interval, the
safe operational sampling rate is 1 Hz and the
emergency operational sampling rate is 32 Hz.
MMS messages are sent without having a fixed rate.
Fig. 3. Hardware System The majority of MMS messages are medium speed
messages, which have much smaller traffic rates
than the SV messages, and deliver state report data
[8].

Fig. 4 shows the measurement results for the

average and maximum transfer delays of 10,000 sent
SV messages that were 100% transmitted. For this, a
Raspberry Pi 3B+ and IE4000 switch operating at
1Gbps were used. The sampling rate was 4,800 Hz.
The average transfer delay (0.691ms) and maximum
Table 2. Detail Information of Messages transfer delay (1.280ms) were below the reference
value of 3ms. Therefore, the average and maximum
Source Device Message Type Sampling Rate transfer delays of SV messages sent at 1Gbps
satisfied the reference value of 3ms.

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Fig.4. SV Transfer Delays
Fig. 5. GOOSE Transfer Delay
Fig 6. MMS Transfer Delay
Fig. 5 shows the measurement results for the
average and maximum transfer delays of 10,000 sent
GOOSE messages that were 100% transmitted. For
Published by: The Mattingley Publishing Co., Inc.
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ISSN: 0193-4120 Page No. 12182 - 12187
this, a Raspberry Pi 3B+ and IE4000 switch
operating at 1Gbps were used. For safe operations,
the sampling rate was 1 Hz, and the average transfer
delay (0.711ms) and maximum transfer delay
(1.3ms) were lower than the reference value of 3ms.
For emergency operations, the sampling rate was 32
Hz, and the average transfer delay (0.689ms) and
maximum transfer delay (1.410ms) were lower than
the reference value of 3ms. Therefore, the average
and maximum transfer delays of GOOSE messages
sent at 1Gbps satisfied the reference value of 3ms.
Fig. 6 shows the measurement results for the
average and maximum transfer delays of 10,000
MMS messages that were 100% transmitted. For
this, a Raspberry Pi 3B+ and Catalyst 3650 switch
operating at 1Gbps were used. For the MMS-file
transfer, the sampling rate was 1 Hz, and the average
transfer delay (10.248ms) and maximum transfer
delay (15.707ms) were lower than the reference
value of 1,000ms. For the MMS-low speed, the
sampling rate was 10 Hz, and the average transfer
delay (10.162ms) and maximum transfer delay
(12.739ms) were lower than the reference value of
500ms. For the MMS-medium speed, the sampling
rate was 20 Hz, and the average transfer delay
(10.156ms) and maximum transfer delay (12.755ms)
were lower than the reference value of 100ms.
Therefore, the average and maximum transfer delays
for all MMS messages were lower than the
corresponding MMS reference values.
V. CONCLUSIONS
In this paper, SV, GOOSE, and MMS traffic used in
IEC 61850 was generated using Raspberry Pi
devices and libiec61850. Using TShark, we
confirmed that the SV, GOOSE, and MMS traffic
was accurately generated. Furthermore, the transfer
delays were measured using IEEE 1588 for the IEC
61850 traffic generated by Raspberry Pi devices.
The performance analysis results confirm that the
transfer delays of IEC 61850 traffics satisfied the
time constraint criteria of IEC 61850 performance
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requirements. The IEC 61850 traffic delay testbed Architecture for Efficient Energy System
measurement method using Raspberry Pi proposed Automation. Energy Technology & Policy,
in this paper would be useful for developing 2:1, 82-91
algorithms, applications, and prototypes in the IEC
61850 environment.
As a future study, we plan to investigate how
management traffic affects the transmission of IEC
61850 traffic in network switch.

REFERENCES
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and Francisco Vasques.(2019). Real-Time
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61850 Electrical Substation
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[3] Raspberry Pi. (2019). Official Raspberry Pi
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[4] Libiec61850. (2019). Open Source Library for
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[5] Sung-Ho Hwang. (2016). GOOSE Traffic
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[6] IEC/IEEE 61850-9-3. (2016). Precision time
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Substation Communication Network
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