Net.Time φ
Substation synchronization clock
Combines IEEE 1588 PTP/NTP with legacy interfaces (IRIG-B, PPS, ToD). With IEC 61850-9-3 and C37.238 power profiles and PRP support, it integrates conventional and digital equipment in the same substation.
IEC 61850 Test, Timing & Capture
Commission, synchronize and monitor digital substations, including their redundant networks.
IEC 61850 defines a set of Ethernet-based protocols that let substation devices exchange data, send commands, measure values and stay synchronized, with the aim of interoperability, ease of configuration, long-term stability and reliability in place of wire communications.
Putting such a network into service means verifying three things: the traffic (GOOSE, Sampled Values and MMS), the time (PTP) and the redundancy (PRP), while legacy interfaces keep working beside them. ALBEDO tools cover each of the three.
IEC 61850 Protocols and the ALBEDO Tools for Them
| Protocol | What to verify | ALBEDO tools |
|---|---|---|
| GOOSE | Messages between substation devices: decoding, analysis and latency | Zeus; xGenius; Net.Hunter / Net.Shark |
| Sampled Values (SV) | Decoding and analysis of SV streams | Zeus; xGenius |
| MMS | Client/server traffic towards SCADA, captured by filtering on its TCP port | Zeus; xGenius; Net.Hunter / Net.Shark |
| PTP (IEEE 1588) | Time distribution and Time Error, with IEC 61850-9-3 and C37.238 power profiles | Zeus and xGenius (test); Net.Time φ and Ω (clocks) |
| PRP | Redundancy over LAN A and LAN B: node detection, delay skew, PTP Time Error per LAN | Zeus (test); Net.Time φ (PTP/NTP over PRP) |
| Legacy interfaces | IRIG-B, PPS, T1/E1 and C37.94 running alongside the new network | Zeus; xGenius; Net.Time φ; Net.Edge |
| Any Ethernet traffic | Recording and filtering the traffic of a link for later analysis | Net.Hunter / Net.Shark |
Zeus: Test Redundant Substation Networks with PRP
The world-first PRP / PTP tester, presented at the ISPCS 2025 Plugfest.
PRP sends traffic over two independent networks, LAN A and LAN B. Zeus emulates PRP endpoints and measures what each LAN delivers, so redundancy is verified in the lab and in the substation instead of assumed.
- Emulates one or several PRP endpoints, both Dually Attached Nodes (DANs) and Singly Attached Nodes (SANs).
- Generates and receives multi-stream traffic and measures delay, frame loss and throughput.
- PRP statistics, node detection and redundancy checks.
- Generation and analysis of delay skew between LAN A and LAN B.
- Capture and Event Logger decode PRP-specific fields and frames.
- Tests SV, GOOSE and PTP over PRP; in PTP tests, master and slave emulation with Time Error measured independently on LAN A and LAN B, and the skew between the two ports.
Substation Time Synchronization
Net.Time Ω
Flexible time server
A modular platform for telecom, power and industrial networks: up to four Gigabit Ethernet ports, PTP, NTP, SyncE and a wide range of legacy interfaces, with protocol translation and redundant reference and power supply options.
To carry time across the WAN to the substation, see Net.Edge. All ALBEDO clocks are on the synchronization page.
Capture and Monitor Substation Traffic
Net.Hunter
FPGA-based network capture device
Records full-duplex Gigabit traffic at wirespeed without a MAC or IP address of its own, so the live link is not disturbed. Hardware filters select what to keep, hardware PCAP timestamps are applied, and captures open directly in Wireshark.
Best for: recording the traffic of a substation link for later analysis.
Net.Shark
Handheld tap for IEC 61850 commissioning
Filters and forwards Ethernet traffic including PTP, NTP, GOOSE, SV and MMS, battery-powered for field use, for IEC 61850 commissioning, troubleshooting and monitoring.
White Papers and Further Reading
- PRP Verification and Troubleshooting Overview (PDF): how PRP works, and how to verify and troubleshoot a PRP network of DANs and SANs over LAN A and LAN B.
- IEC 61850 and Power Grid Architectures (PDF): the standard, substation architectures, synchronization and communication protocols.
- GOOSE in IEC 61850 (PDF): GOOSE messaging, commissioning and monitoring.
- Test & Measurement for Power Utilities (PDF): testing communications and synchronization in the power grid.
- IEC 61850 challenges (blog).
- Time signals in substations (blog).
- Grid WAN communications (blog).
Planning an IEC 61850 Commissioning or Migration Project?
Tell us which protocols, redundancy scheme and time references your substations use. ALBEDO can help you choose the right test, timing and capture tools.