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IEC 60870-5-103 Communication Protocol User Guide

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Contents
Contents ........................................................................................................................................................................ 2
1 IEC 870-5-103 Protocol ........................................................................................................................................ 3
8.1 Physical Layer .............................................................................................................................................. 3
8.1.1 Electrical Interface ................................................................................................................................... 3
8.1.2 Optical Interface....................................................................................................................................... 3
8.1.3 Transmission speed................................................................................................................................. 3
8.2 Link Layer ..................................................................................................................................................... 3
8.3 Application Layer .......................................................................................................................................... 4
8.3.1 Transmission mode for application data .................................................................................................. 4
8.3.2 Common address of ASDU...................................................................................................................... 4
8.3.3 Selection of standard information numbers in monitor direction.............................................................. 4
8.3.4 Selection of standard information numbers in control direction............................................................... 7
8.3.5 Basic application functions....................................................................................................................... 7
8.3.6 Miscellaneous .......................................................................................................................................... 8
2 IEC60870-5-103 Interface..................................................................................................................................... 9
2.1 Acronyms and Terms ................................................................................................................................... 9
2.2 Physical connection and link layer ............................................................................................................. 10
2.3 Station initialisation..................................................................................................................................... 10
2.4 Clock synchronisation ................................................................................................................................ 10
2.5 General interrogation.................................................................................................................................. 11
2.6 Commands transmission............................................................................................................................ 11
2.7 Spontaneous events................................................................................................................................... 12
2.8 Cyclic measurements ................................................................................................................................. 13

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Introduction
This Protocol Manual is for use with Thytronic Protective Relays, such as the DMC, NTG and PRO-N series that
support the IEC 870-5-103 communication protocol.

1 IEC 870-5-103 Protocol

The pages in this section have been extracted from the 60870-5-103 © IEC:1997, pages 159 to 171.
The section numbers below have been purposely retained from that document for reference.

8 INTEROPERABILITY

8.1 Physical Layer

8.1.1 Electrical Interface

EIA RS-485

Number of loads …32… for one protection equipment

NOTE - EIA RS-485 standard defines unit loads so that 32 of them can be operated on one line.
For detailed information refer to clause 3 of EIA RS-485 standard.

8.1.2 Optical Interface

 Glass fibre
 Plastic fibre
 F-SMA type connector
 BFOC/2,5 type connector

8.1.3 Transmission speed

1200 bit/s

2400 bit/s

4800 bit/s

9600 bit/s

19200 bit/s

38400 bit/s

57600 bit/s

8.2 Link Layer

There are no choices for the link layer.

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8.3 Application Layer

8.3.1 Transmission mode for application data
Mode 1 (least significant octet first), as defined in 4.10 of IEC 60870-5-4, is used exclusively in this companion
standard.

8.3.2 Common address of ASDU

 One COMMON ADDRESS of ASDU (identical with station address)

More than one COMMON ADDRESS of ASDU

8.3.3 Selection of standard information numbers in monitor direction

8.3.3.1 System functions in monitor direction
INF Semantics

<0> End of general interrogation

<0> Time synchronization

<2> Reset FCB

<3> Reset CU

<4> Start/restart
 <5> Power on

8.3.3.2 Status indications in monitor direction

INF Semantics

<16> Auto-recloser active
 <17> Teleprotection active
 <18> Protection active

<19> LED reset
 <20> Monitor direction blocked
 <21> Test mode
 <22> Local parameter setting
 <23> Characteristic 1
 <24> Characteristic 2
 <25> Characteristic 3
 <26> Characteristic 4

<27> Auxiliary input 1

<28> Auxiliary input 2

<29> Auxiliary input 3
 <30> Auxiliary input 4

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8.3.3.3 Supervision indications in monitor direction

INF Semantics
 <32> Measurand supervision I
 <33> Measurand supervision V
 <35> Phase sequence supervision
 <36> Trip circuit supervision
 <37> I>> back-up operation
 <38> VT fuse failure
 <39> Teleprotection disturbed
 <46> Group warning
 <47> Group alarm

8.3.3.4 Earth fault indications in monitor direction

INF Semantics
 <48> Earth fault L1
 <49> Earth fault L2
 <50> Earth fault L3
 <51> Earth fault forward, i.e. line
 <52> Earth fault reverse, i.e. busbar

8.3.3.5 Fault indications in monitor direction

INF Semantics
 <64> Start /pick-up L1
 <65> Start /pick-up L2
 <66> Start /pick-up L3
 <67> Start /pick-up N

<68> General trip
 <69> Trip L1
 <70> Trip L2
 <71> Trip L3
 <72> Trip I>> (back-up operation)
 <73> Fault location X in ohms
 <74> Fault forward/line
 <75> Fault reverse/busbar
 <76> Teleprotection signal transmitted
 <77> Teleprotection signal received
 <78> Zone 1
 <79> Zone 2
 <80> Zone 3

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 <81> Zone 4
 <82> Zone 5
 <83> Zone 6

<84> General start/pick-up

<85> Breaker failure
 <86> Trip measuring system L1
 <87> Trip measuring system L2
 <88> Trip measuring system L3
 <89> Trip measuring system E

<90> Trip I>

<91> Trip I>>

<92> Trip IN>

<93> Trip IN>>

8.3.3.6 Auto-reclosure indications in monitor direction

INF Semantics

<128> CB 'on' by AR

<129> CB 'on' by long-time AR

<130> AR blocked

8.3.3.7 Measurands in monitor direction

INF Semantics
 <144> Measurand I
 <145> Measurands I, V
 <146> Measurands I, V, P, Q
 <147> Measurands IN, VEN
 <148> Measurands IL1,2,3, V L1,2,3, P, Q, f

8.3.3.8 Generic functions in monitor direction

INF Semantics
 <240> Read headings of all defined groups
 <241> Read values or attributes of all entries of one group
 <243> Read directory of a single entry
 <244> Read value or attribute of a single entry
 <245> End of general interrogation of generic data
 <249> Write entry with confirmation
 <250> Write entry with execution
 <251> Write entry aborted

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8.3.4 Selection of standard information numbers in control direction
8.3.4.1 System functions in control direction
INF Semantics

<0> Initiation of general interrogation

<0> Time synchronization

8.3.4.2 General commands in control direction

INF Semantics

<16> Auto-recloser on/off
 <17> Teleprotection on/off
 <18> Protection on/off

<19> LED reset
 <23> Activate characteristic 1
 <24> Activate characteristic 2
 <25> Activate characteristic 3
 <26> Activate characteristic 4

8.3.4.3 Generic functions in control direction

INF Semantics
 <240> Read headings of all defined groups
 <241> Read values or attributes of all entries in one group
 <243> Read directory of a single entry
 <244> Read value or attribute of a single entry
 <245> General interrogation of generic data
 <248> Write entry
 <249> Write entry with confirmation
 <250> Write entry with execution
 <251> Write entry abort

8.3.5 Basic application functions

 Test mode
 Blocking of monitor direction
 Disturbance data
 Generic services
 Private data

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8.3.6 Miscellaneous
Measurands are transmitted with ASDU 3 as well as with ASDU 9. As defined in 7.2.6.8, the
maximum MVAL can either be 1,2 or 2,4 times the rated value. No different rating shall be used
in ASDU 3 and ASDU 9, i.e., for each measurand there is only one choice.

Measurand Max. MVAL = rated value times

1,2 or 2,4

Current L1 

Current L2 

Current L3 

Voltage L1-E  
Voltage L2-E  
Voltage L3-E  
Active power P  
Reactive power Q  
Frequency f

Voltage L1 - L2  

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2 IEC60870-5-103 Interface
The following IEC60870-5-103 application function are supported by this interface:

• Station initialisation
• Clock synchronisation
• General interrogation
• Commands transmission
• Spontaneous events
• Cyclic measurements

The following additional IEC60870-5-103 application function are not supported by this interface:

• Test mode
• Blocking of monitor direction
• Transmission of disturbance data
• Generic services

2.1 Acronyms and Terms

TYPE: Type identification of ASDU

COT: Cause Of Transmission of ASDU
CADD: Common Address of ASDU
FUN: Function Type of ASDU
INF: Information Number of ASDU
BIDI: Event on bidirectional transition:
if selected (X), an event is generated both on event occurrence and event disappearance,
if not selected (-), an event is generated only on event occurrence.

NORMALIZE FACTOR: rate factor, valid just for the measurands.

RATED VALUE: reference unit measure, valid just for the measurands.

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2.2 Physical connection and link layer

Connection is available for IEC60870-5-103 through the rear RS485 port. It is possible to select both the relay
address and baud rate using the front panel interface. Following a change, a reset command is required to re-
establish communications.
The parameters of the communication are the following:
• Parity: Even
• Data bits: 8
• Stop bit: 1
• Data rate: 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600 bit/s

2.3 Station initialisation

Whenever the relay has been powered up, or if the communication parameters have been changed a reset
command is required to initialise the communications. The relay will respond to either of the two reset commands
(Reset CU or Reset FCB), the difference being that the Reset CU will clear any unsent messages in the relay's
transmit buffer.

The relay will respond to the reset command with an identification message ASDU 5, the Cause Of Transmission
(COT) of this response will be either Reset CU or Reset FCB depending on the nature of the reset command.
The following information will be contained in the data section of this ASDU:
• Compatibility level: 2 (no use of generic services)
• ASCII ID: relay model
• Internal Software ID: internal firmware version.revision (hexadecimal 0x0000VVRR)

2.4 Clock synchronisation

The relay time and date can be set using the time synchronisation feature of the IEC60870-5-103 protocol.
Broadcast time synchronisation to all secondaries is implemented with function SEND/NO_REPLY at address 255.
The relay will correct for the transmission delay as specified in IEC60870-5-103.

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2.5 General interrogation

The general interrogation (GI) request can be used to read the status of the relay.
The function numbers, information numbers and common address that will be returned during the GI cycle are
indicated in the table below:

DESCRIPTION TYPE COT CADR FUN INF

Auxiliar input 1 1 9 0 255 27

Auxiliar input 2 1 9 0 255 28
Auxiliar input 3 1 9 0 255 29
General start 2 9 0 255 84
Auto-recloser active 1 9 0 255 16
AR blocked 1 9 0 255 130

List of data contained in General Interrogation

2.6 Commands transmission

A list of the supported commands is contained in the table below: the relay will respond to other commands with an
ASDU 1, with a cause of transmission (COT) of ‘negative acknowledgement of a command’.
Permissible selections of DCO values are specified in the COM column.
Information numbers of Circuit Breaker commands are Thytronic private codes.

DESCRIPTION COM TYPE COT CADR FUN INF

Auto-recloser on/off ON/OFF 20 20 0 255 16

Led Reset ON 20 20 0 255 19
Circuit Breaker Open ON 20 20 0 255 32
Circuit Breaker Close ON 20 20 0 255 33

List of the supported Commands

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2.7 Spontaneous events

The events created by the relay will be passed using the standard function type and information numbers to the
IEC60870-5-103 master station.
Two kinds of ASDU can be generated for the events:

• ASDU 1 : Time-tagged message

• ASDU 2 : Time-tagged message with relative time

Events are categorised using the following information:

• Common address
• Function type
• Information number

The common address is used to differentiate in circumstances where the relay produces more events of a certain
type than can be passed using the standardised messages.For example, if the relay produces starts and trips for
three stages of overcurrent only two stages can be passed using the standardised messages: using the different
common address for two of the overcurrent stages allows each stage to be indicated.
The list of events is indicated in the table below:

DESCRIPTION TYPE COT CADR FUN INF BIDI

TRIP I> 2 1 0 160 90 -

TRIP I>> 2 1 0 160 91 -
TRIP I>>> 2 1 1 160 90 -
TRIP IN> 2 1 0 162 92 -
TRIP IN>> 2 1 0 162 93 -
TRIP BF 2 1 0 255 85 -
Auxiliar input 1 1 1 0 255 27 X
Auxiliar input 2 1 1 0 255 28 X
Auxiliar input 3 1 1 0 255 29 X
General start 2 1 0 255 84 X
General trip 2 1 0 255 68 -
Auto-recloser active 1 1 0 255 16 X
CB 'on' by AR 1 1 0 255 128 -
CB 'on' by long-time AR 1 1 0 255 129 -
AR blocked 1 1 0 255 130 X

List of the supported Commands

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2.8 Cyclic measurements

The relay will produce measured values using ASDU 9 on a cyclical basis, this can be read from the relay using a
Class 2 poll (note ADSU 3 is not used).
ASDU 9 utilizes following private codes to specify set of measures that IEC60870-5-103 does not define:

• Function Type 169 Thytronic private code: Measurands

• Information number 149 Thytronic private code: Measurands set 1

It should be noted that the measurands transmitted by the relay are sent as a proportion of either 1.2 or 2.4 times
the rated value of the analogue value.
The selection of either 1.2 or 2.4 for a particular value is indicated in the table below:

NORMALIZE RATED
DESCRIPTION TYPE NUM COT CADR FUN INF
FACTOR VALUE
IL1 2,4 In 9 1 2 0 169 149
IL2 2,4 In 9 2 2 0 169 149
IL3 2,4 In 9 3 2 0 169 149
IE 2,4 IEn 9 4 2 0 169 149
f 1,2 50/60 Hz 9 5 2 0 169 149

List of the supported Commands

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