IEC 61850

IEC 61850 is an international standard for communication protocols used by intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) in electrical substations. Developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), it enables efficient and interoperable data exchange for power system automation. The standard defines abstract data models that can be mapped to protocols such as MMS (Manufacturing Message Specification), GOOSE (Generic Object Oriented System Event), and SV (Sampled Values). These protocols typically operate over TCP/IP or Ethernet networks to meet fast response requirements—often below four milliseconds—especially for protection and control functions.