The ambition from the starting to realize the interface directly in the PLC or in a divide processor of communication. Because of constraints from Siemens to contact their expansion environment this was not possible. Consequently the design of PC based gateway is the best option. The operation done by Siemens I&S to realize a client of IEC 61850 based on Step 7, does nevertheless establish that it should be possible to realize the stack of communication applied by IEC 61850 in a PLC of Simatic. If this is efficiently or industrially beneficial instead of basing an implementation of future in the PLC on the code of source IEC 61850 implementations is not responded by this report. The general estimation was that it is not cost efficient to realize this in a PLC Simatic with Step 7 during discussions of requirements with outside experts.
It is still not for convinced that it is industrially possible to realize the application of server in the environment of Simatic with a high-level programming language such as ST. This is somewhat that requires to be extra investigated. In order to acquire the interface directly into the controller the alternative is to transfer the controller of turbine to the Microbox running an environment of WinAC RTX and an application of communication on the environment of Windows. This solution would utilize the Simatic S7-300 for communication by hard-wired I/O’s and the Microbox is operation the controller application and the communication via the bus of Ethernet. Nowadays Siemens Automation and Drives don’t have interest in the IEC 61850 server development for systems of PLC, as there is no market for this application type. Siemens encourages the system of SICAM PAS as their IEC 61850 communications solution, but this computer only characteristic a client of IEC 61850 for communication with shared servers positioned in field devices.
Alternatives that comprise in-house turbine controller development with an incorporated interface comprise automation equipment changing vendor. Automation Direct provides a PLC line DL-205 with a CPU unit based optional on a processor of 100 MHz and RAM of 8Mb, and communication with I/O’s with the bus of backplane. The system of operating the unit of WinCPU is Windows CE, which would be appropriate environment for software of Sisco or Tamarack. Most likely most of the routines controlling for the controller of turbine will need to be reprogrammed to ensemble the new PLC. This still would be a controller with enough resources for controlling jobs and communication tasks of IEC 61850.