The transition to IP can happen in two separate phases, creating different issues. First phase, central servers will move from serial interfaces to Ethernet interfaces within the control center before remote devices using Ethernet are deployed at substations. These Ethernet-based Master systems will assume that remote devices are accessed by remote Serial-IP terminal servers and that the WAN network is based on IP. A serial-IP is not supported non-routable WAN.
DynaStar can resolve the above issue. DynaStar can enable the central server migration to Ethernet without disrupting the Serial-FR non-routable approach to remote substations. A DynaStar network node can act as a gateway between TCP/IP traffic originating from Serial-FR and Master Systems SCADA Frame Forwarding traffic to the remote substation.
The second phase, IP migration occurs at the substation where eventually Ethernet devices will be deployed requiring IP based connectivity to central systems. There will be increasing pressure over time to provide administrative and engineering access to substation of IEDs and RTUs via an IP network, both to serial devices (using Serial-IP) and to substation Ethernet devices. Magnum and DynaStar products integrate Ethernet, WAN and serial interfaces with frame relay and IP routing in a single compact device. Serial devices via Serial-IP, Ethernet-based IEDs, and serial devices via SCADA Frame Forwarding can all be attached to the same DynaStar/DX within a substation.