Performance Analysis of Different Communication Mechanisms for IEC 61850 Type 1 and Type 4 Messaging Over Wide Area Networks

Substation automation driven by the IEC 61850 standard plays a crucial role in modernizing power systems. As power systems expand, the need arises to extend IEC 61850 services beyond substations to cater to wide-area protection and coordination applications. IEC 61850 standard part 90-1 and 90-5 define different mechanisms such as gateway, tunneling, and routable approach, for transporting IEC 61850 Type 1 and Type 4 messages over Wide Area Networks (WANs). However, performance evaluations of these mechanisms in terms of End-to-End (ETE) delay is unexplored. Filling this gap, this paper presents rigorous performance evaluations using network simulator tools to assess metrics like ETE delay for different mechanisms reported in IEC 61850 standards. The study's findings contribute to advancing substation automation systems, reinforcing the importance of reliable power system communication in the digital era.