SIEMENS RUGGEDCOM ELAN SOFTWARE

Siemens Ruggedcom ELAN software solves a wide range of communications and data integration issues, from the substation to the control center and into the enterprise. The RUGGEDCOM ELAN family of products is based on the Linux operating system and includes the Substation Communications Server, Universal DNP Gateway, Remote Interface Gateway, and Front End Processor.

Each product is focused on a specific application within the utility’s communication infrastructure. The central benefit of using RUGGEDCOM ELAN solutions is that a broad range of users within the utility are given secure access to the IED information that they require, made available in a format they understand, whenever they need it. When used with other RUGGEDCOM applications for secure remote access and data presentation and analysis, the user benefits from ease of integration and implementation. Substation Communications Server RUGGEDCOM ELAN SCS typically resides in the substation and has a direct connection to all IEDs.

It provides a single point of access to these devices, over a Wide Area Network (WAN) or modem connection. The strength of the RUGGEDCOM ELAN SCS lies in its ability to support multiple, concurrent host interfaces; each gets the specific data it needs. For example, from a particular relay, SCADA data may be sent to the EMS, using a SCADA protocol; a different subset of data may go to a historian, and fault files may be automatically extracted and distributed to interested users.

Deployed in the substation, the ELAN SCS provides the following functionality:

-Open, flexible access to all substation and distribution devices, from any authorized user or application-Preserves investment in legacy devices and control centre applications

-Protocol conversion/normalization and data concentration

-Automated retrieval of fault file data (sometimes called non-operational data)

-Powerful automation processor-Reliable extraction/presentation of relay target data

-May run on the RX1500 RUGGEDCOM APE Module, eliminating the need for additional substation computers. Universal DNP Gateway RUGGEDCOM ELAN UDG is based on the robust, flexible Linux architecture, and is available on a variety of diskless hardware platforms and I/O configurations.

The ELAN UDG can be deployed in any area from the control center to the substation for smaller systems (25 devices). The ELAN UDG provides the following functionality:

-Flexible, high-performance protocol routing (DNP3, IEC 870-5-104) Device-level configuration

Address masquerading, Protocol conversion/normalization, and data concentration

-Multi-master support-Can be integrated with the RX1500 series ROX2 operating system, eliminating the need for additional substation computers

Remote Interface Gateway

RUGGEDCOM ELAN RIG provides the UDG functionality in a secure DNP environment with support for SSL/TLS connections.

Front End Processor -RUGGEDCOM ELAN Front-End Processor (FEP) is based on the field-proven TIE (Telemetry Integration Environment) module, which was originally developed as the telemetry front end for a major EMS vendor and is currently installed in over 50 utilities worldwide.

-RUGGEDCOM ELAN FEP provides protocol mediation capability in a vendor-neutral configuration, allowing users of a wide range of EMS systems to offload many of the tasks of managing communications with their field devices. FEPs are frequently deployed to provide capabilities not available in native front ends, such as IP network support, security, or simply as a cost-effective way to add additional ports.

Poll Acceleration. Although RTU response latency is rarely a significant issue in the serial world, it is a substantial factor in a networked environment. It is a key factor in determining how many devices can connect to a LAN or WAN. This depends on the desired update rates. The issue is not the volume of data but device latencies.

Network-based RTUs and IEDs often take hundreds of milliseconds to respond to a DNP poll. This is largely due to the extra processing required for the Ethernet, IP, and TCP or UDP layers.

RUGGEDCOM ELAN SOFTWARE

A RUGGEDCOM ELAN FEP polls high-latency RTUs or IEDs and makes the data available to the master in low-latency VRTUs. This results in lower overall latency and better network utilization. Deployed in the Control Center, the ELAN FEP provides the following functionality:

Offloads Energy Management System communication processing
Gathers system and substation data and serves it to enterprise consumers (e.g., EMS, DMS, SCADA, Historian)
Supports redundant masters and control centers
Offers redundancy with true hot-standby databases
Performs protocol conversion, normalization, and data concentration
Provides high throughput for large-scale protocol conversion, supporting up to 1,000 devices and 100,000+ points per instance