IEC 61850 for power system communication

The international standard IEC 61850 has been published between 2003 and 2005. The first use of the standard was for the communication within a substation automation system. In the mean time, the standard is as well used in other domains like as an example, the control of hydro power plants. It is the strategy of the standardization community, that IEC 61850 will in the future provide the basis for collecting all information in the different field devices of a power system. This paper provides an overview on IEC 61850 concepts, its use in the different areas of the power system and an outlook on future developments related to IEC 61850.