IEC61850 compliant Ethernet switches network substations throughout Italy

After a major blackout across Italy in 2003, the Italian National Agency for Country Power Management (GRTN) suggested using more sophisticated and automatic systems to manage high voltage electric charges. One of the results was the upgrade of 15 substations, with industrial instrumentation networked over Ethernet using hardened Ethernet switches from GarrettCom. In partnership with both Hi-TEC (producer and installer of Digital Fault Recorder devices) and Italian integrator FORT FIBRE OTTICHE, ENEL developed a strategy to monitor and record fault and events on electrical power lines backbone throughout Italy, in order to improve the service quality.

FORT FIBRE OTTICHE chose GarrettCom’s versatile ES42 range of compact, low cost, 6-port industrial Ethernet switches for their customer ENEL. The ES42 boasts high reliability as shown by the IEC 61850 and IEEE1613 standards compliance. The rigorous testing fulfils the criteria deemed necessary by the power utilities industry to support mission-critical applications that demand high reliability, electromagnetic radiation immunity, and sustained operation under temperature stress among other tough conditions.

Download application note:  IEC61850 compliant Ethernet switches network substations throughout Italy [PDF]