Short Guide

Version 1
October 2012
Table of Contents

 Introduction
 Folder structure of
 Firsts steps using
 Creating a new project
 System panel structure
 main menu
 options
 Properties panel
 Signals lists
 Virtual Ports

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Introduction

This manual describes all the available features, functionalities and the working
environment of the software for creating the database configuration files of the
units.

This document also includes examples of projects generated by the application,

that will help users to better understand the available options and functionalities of this
tool.

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Folder structure

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Folder structure

The application is made up of the following folders:

 iConf.exe :
 application executable.

 Library :
 It contains .prx files (profiles files). These profiles are located in the following
directories:

 CCs : defines all the parameters needed for the communication with master stations (Control Centers)
for all the communication protocols supported by the (e.g.: sIEC101.prx, sIEC104.prx,...etc.)
 IEDs : contains all generic IEDs profiles supported by the (e.g. mDLMS.prx : profile containing all
the parameters of a generic DLMS IED). It also contains profiles of internal I/O modules of the
and/or I/O modules of the expansion units (e.g.: eS0C1.prx)
 RTUs : and/or profiles: iRTU-B0C1 (iRTUB0C1.prx), iRTU-B0D1 (iRTUB0D1.prx), iGW-B1
(iGWB1.prx), etc.

IMPORTANT: we recommended to no edit or modify any of the .prx files of the Library
directory. Please contact for a modification or expansion of the profiles
provided with the tool.

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Folder structure

 GeneratedFiles :
 Folder containing all the configuration files (.ccx files) of the sorted by projects,
generated by the tool. These are the files to upload to the CONF directory of the
RTU unit ( or ). For example:

 Projects :
 .cprj files containing all the settings for each of the projects generated by the
application.

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First steps

After running the application, a window is displayed from which the user can select
between the following options:

 New project...: starts a new project of RTU configuration

 New project (.ccx)...: loads an RTU configuration (.ccx files) previously extracted and
stored in the iConf\GeneratedFiles folder.

 Open project...: opens an existing project (.sprj file) located in the iConf\Projects
folder

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First steps

NEW PROJECT (.CCX):

 Imports an existing RTU configuration (.ccx files).

 It allows to load and/or database configurations (.ccx files) in order to save them
as projects (.cprj files) so that they are available to consult and/or to be editted by the
user.

 IMPORTANT: the .ccx files to import must be available in the following path:
GeneratedFiles\RTUProjectName\UPLOAD_CONF.

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First steps

OPEN PROJECT:

 It allows to open an existing project (located in the Projects folder) so that it is

available to consult and/or to be editted by the user.

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First steps

NEW PROJECT:

 This option starts a new project, as it will be described in the following sections.

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Creating a new project

Selecting devices:

 The creation wizard helps the user to select the RTU model ( , or expansion
modules) of the system:
 Select the RTU model of the system
 Click over the icon to add the device to the right column list.

Description of the device / module selected

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Creating a new project

Selecting devices:

 In order to remove any of the devices of the right-column list:

 Select the device / module from the right-column list to delete.
 Click over the icon to remove it from the right-colum list of devices.

 Once all the devices have been added, just click over the Finish button.

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Creating a new project

Selecting devices :

 The model selected and added by the user is shown in the right column with the name of the
model followed by '_1'. For example: if an iRTU-B0C1 unit is added, it will be shown in the right column as
'iRTU-B0C1_1'.

 For each unit, the user can add as many

expansions units ( ) as required by the
system, up to a maximum number of 7.

 Each of the expansion units added by the user will

be shown in the right column with the name of the
expansion module followed by a number. For
example, if the user adds seven (7) eS0C1
expansion modules, they will be shown as:
eS0C1_1, eS0C1_2, ..., eS0C1_7.

 These names are initially assigned by the

application. They can later be modified by the user
through the menu.

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iConf main menu
System panel Lists selection tabs Properties panel

Signals lists

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iConf System panel structure
RTU configuration files (.ccx) structure

rtu.ccx ied1.ccx

IED (1)

ied2.ccx

IED (2)

CC1 CC2

E.g.: E.g.:
s101.ccx s104.ccx

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iConf System panel structure
RTU configuration files (.ccx) structure

 rtu.ccx: RTU database configuration file. Definition of the RTU signals (digital inputs, digital
outputs, analog inputs, analog outputs). It makes the call to the rest of the system
configuration files (.ccx files).

 ied1.ccx, ied2.ccx, etc.: configuration files that set the communications with the IEDs of
the system. Definition of the signals from the IEDs.

 s101.ccx, s104.ccx, etc.: configuration files that set the communications with the master
station/s (control centers) of the system. Definition of the RTU signals to be sent/controlled
by each one of the control centers of the system.

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iConf System panel structure

 allows to define the system structure (through the System panel), as follows:

RTU_Model

COM1 port

COM2 port

COMn port

IEDn-1

IEDn-x

COMm port

CCm-1

CCm-y

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iConf System panel structure

 Where:

 COMn,m: communication ports available in the RTU model: COM1, COM2, COM3, EXP422 (for
connection with the expansion units), ETH (Ethernet port), etc.

 Users can add devices (i.e. IEDs and Control Centers) to these communication ports
according to the particular requirements of their systems.

 The following image shows an example of system with

an iRTU-B0C1 unit that communicates with three
IEDs: two IEDs trough the COM2 port using Procome
protocol, and another one through the COM3 port
using Modbus protocol. This RTU unit also includes an
eS0C1i internal expansion module, and communicates
with two external expansion modules (eS0C1_1 and
eS0D1_1) through EXP422 bus.

 The above RTU communicates with two control

centers: one IEC104 control center through the
Ethernet port; and one IEC101 control center through
the COM1 serial port.

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iConf main menu

iConf toolbar :

Add device: adds a device (IED or Control Center) to the system.

Delete device: deletes one of the devices previously added to the system (IED or Control
Center).

Add signal: adds a new signal (digital input, digital output, analog inputs or analog output)
to either the RTU or one of the IEDs of the system.

Delete signal: deletes one of the signals previously added to the either the RTU or one of
the IEDs of the system.

New project: opens a new project.

Open project: opens one of the projects (in .cprj format) located in the Projects
directory.

Save: saves the current project in .cprj format.

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iConf main menu

iConf toolbar :

Validate: validates that the system configuration is correct.

Generate: generates the RTU configuration files (.ccx files) based on the system
configuration set by the user. The RTU configuration files are saved in the GeneratedFiles
directory, sorted by the name of the project. generates .ccx files when the system
configuration is valid. If theres is an error in the system configuration, .ccx files will not be
generated.

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iConf main menu

iConf toolbar:

System: opens the System panel

Properties: displays the Properties panel

Signals: shows the system signals lists (DI, DO, AI and AO panels)

Analog Inputs: opens the Analog Input signals list panel

Analog Outputs: opens the Analog Output signals list panel

Digital Inputs: opens the Digital Input signals list panel

Digital Outputs: opens the Digital Output signals list panel

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iConf options

Adding a new device:

 Users can add a new device (either an IED or a Control Center) to the current system, by
one of these two ways:

 Selecting the RTU communication port the new device will be connected to, and right clicking over the ‘Add
device…’ option.

 Selecting the RTU communication port the new device will be connected to and selecting the ‘Add device…’
icon from the tool bar:

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iConf options

Adding a new device:

 When adding a device to the system, it is necessary to assign a name or label to this new
device:

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iConf options

Adding a new IED:

 As mentioned previously, in order to add an IED to the system, the user must first select the RTU
communication port that the new IED will connect to. This new IED uses a certain protocol to
communicate with the RTU.

 If various IEDs are to be added to the same RTU serial port (COM1, COM2, etc.), the user must
consider that only one communication protocol can be used per serial port; i.e.: all the IEDs
connected to the same RTU serial port must use the same protocol to communicate to the RTU.
The first IED added by the user will determine the protocol that the rest of IEDs added later to the
same serial port should use.

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iConf options
Adding a new signal:

 Users can add new signals either to the RTU database or to the system IEDs signals:

 Select the device (RTU or IED) from the System panel.

 Depending on the type of signal to add, select the Digital Inputs, Digital Outputs, Analog Inputs or Analog
Outputs list panel.
 Select again the device (RTU or IED) from the System panel:

 Right-click over the device and select the ‘Add signal…’ option; or
 From the tool bar, click over the ‘Add signal…’ icon.

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iConf options

Adding a new signal:

 In general, it is possible to add or delete signals of generic IED profiles.

 Certain IED profiles (e.g.: internal RTU expansion modules) does not allow adding or
deleting any of their signals. They may also not allow users to modify some other
configuration parameters (e.g.: type of signal, behavior, etc.)

 In case of doubts, contact for further information.

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iConf options

Validating a project:

 The user can validate that the system configuration is correct prior to generate the .ccx files.

 This validation can be done through the Validate icon of the :

 If the system configuration is correct, the user is informed through the following message:

 If there is an error in the system definition, the application alerts the user through an error
message:

In this example, alerts the

user that there is an error in the
configuration of the IEC870
Address parameter of the
ccIEC101 device (IEC101 control
center).

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iConf options

Generation of the RTU configuration files:

 Through the Generate icon the user can generate the .ccx configuration files of the RTU:

 Prior to generate the RTU configuration files, it is recommended to validate that the system
configuration is correct (Validate option of the toolbar).

 Anyway, will perform an automatic validation when generating the .ccx files.

 When the configuration is validated correctly, the .ccx files are generated and the user is informed
though the following message:

 Once generated, the .ccx files will be available in the GeneratedFiles folder.

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Properties panel

 Users can set the parameters of the RTU

communications (either to control center or to IED)
through the Properties panel.

 Parameters such: baudrate, parity, IP address, etc. are

editable for each of the RTU communication ports.

 Each of the attributes is described in the bottom of the

Properties window:

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Properties panel

 Example of communication settings for connection with a Procome IED:

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Properties panel
 Example of communication settings for an IEC101 master station:

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Properties panel

 Examples of properties of RTU communication ports (COM3 & Ethernet):

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Signals lists

 Example of digital inputs list panel of an IED (internal I/O expansion module of the RTU)

Fits the columns width to the

Filters signals from the list panel width of the screen

Digital inputs signal list of

an IED of the system

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Signals lists

 Users must enter and define all mandatory fields of the signals lists (except for the optional ones;
if not defined will take their default value).

 Each of the columns of the signals list corresponds to a parameter of the .ccx configuration files.

 Users can move through the different signals and columns using either the arrow keys or the tab
key.

 Users can move between the signals panels (Digital Inputs, Digital Outputs, Analog Inputs and
Analog Outputs lists) either using the selection tabs, or the shortcuts:

or through the drop down menu:

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Signals lists

 The 'Linked' field of a signal of an IED indicates whether the signal will be reported to the RTU or
not; i.e. if this signal will be included in the rtu.ccx configuration file of the RTU.

In this example, all Digital inputs of

the IED will be reported (linked) to the
RTU.

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Signals lists
 Users can define and select which signals of the RTU are to be sent to an specific master station
(control center).

 For a system with multiple control centers, the user will be able to select which signals will be
reported to each of the control centers.

 The following example shows a system with two control centers (an IEC101 master station and an
IEC104 master station). The user selects the signals to be reported to each of these two control
centers through the columns 'cc101' and 'cc104':

In this example, all digital input signals will be reported

to 2 control centers (IEC101 CC and IEC104 CC)

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Virtual Ports

 The application allows to define virtual ports needed to set the communication with IEDs
using Modbus TCP or a serial protocol encapsulated in TCP.

 The steps to follow to configure a virtual port are the following ones:

 Select the ETH port from the System panel.

 Add a new device.

 From the wizard, select an IED using Modbus TCP or using a serial protocol encapsulated in TCP (e.g.:
ModbusRTU_E):

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Virtual Ports
 From the wizard, define: label, IP address and IP port of the TCP server:

 User can verify that the virtual port has been correctly defined,
from the Properties panel of the IED:

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