IEEE 1379:1997

New IEEE Standard - Superseded.
A uniform set of guidelines for communications and inter-operations of Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) and Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) in an electric utility substation is provided. A mechanism for adding data elements and message structures to this recommended practice is described.

A common documented protocol and defined data objects to permit uniform interface among intelligent electronic devices and remote terminal units in a substation.
No common communications protocol has been widely adopted for interchanging data among Remote Terminal units (RTUs) and other intelligent electronic devices (IED) in substations. To create the Recommended Practice, the Task Force will examine in detail many existing protocols and profiles, with the goal of adopting (as is) or selecting 1 or more from elements of several others, in order to best meet the evaluation criteria. The evaluation criteria will be determined by consensus among participating utility engineers (users), RTU vendors, IED vendors, and consultants in the field of substations. The recommended practice will also include a basic set of data objects for the application layer of the adopted protocol. A method to allow adding future data objects will be defined and included. The recommended practice will be designated "trial use" because it is intended as a near-term solution which will be incorporated in a larger standards-making effort for utility enterprise-wide communication.