New training program

DIMAT has designed a new training program (POWER LINE CARRIER AND TELEPROTECTION SYSTEMS), for the telecom professionals on the electrical sector, who desire to learn or improve their knowledge of power line carrier and teleprotection systems.

Our training programs, delivered by experts, ensure that you receive the most accurate and up-to-date information on our products and their applications.

For more information, please send an email to training@dimat.com specifying “Training course” in the subject line, and you will receive an email with the list of topics and the application form, which you will have to fill in if you are interested in participating.

DIMAT releases the new rugged switch 3SWT for utility environment

Every time there are more and more utilities that are addressing the traffic of the different services inside the substation by means of rugged switches prepared for high EMI environments and it is expected that in the close future with the IEC61850 protocol and IP substations coming in, all the traffic inside the substation will go through the 61850 switch.

In order to suit the present needs and the close future, Dimat has released this new managed switch with the following outstanding features:

• Up to 40 Fast Ethernet ports with 10/100 BaseT or 100 Base FX
• Up to 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports
• IEC61850 certified so that it can be used in 61850 substations where everything is managed by the switch, including the high priority GOOSE messages used by the protection and teleprotection devices.
• Redundant power supply  and POE (Power over Ethernet) in order to provide power to devices accomplishing  802.3af  standar (e.g IP phones).
• Up to 4096 VLANs available to assign different 802.1Q tags (250 VLANs running simultaneously)
• Q in Q. (802.1Q) tunneling; enabling us to assign an additional tag.
• Redundancy Protocols 802.1D STP/RSTP
• QoS (Quality of service) for traffic priorization.
• Port mirroring, Rate control,  IGMP snooping, DHCP relay + Option 82...
• Web management, SNMP and CLI (Command Line Interface)

HVDC Lines

Power line carrier has been used in DC lines since quite a long time ago. In the late 80’s, DIMAT PLC equipment were installed and commissioned in a 600 km link, where 40km were undersea, between the southern and the northern island of New Zealand.

The reason for using direct current technology in HV lines (HVDC) was based on the fact that it was needed to cover a very long distance, and that the capacitance effects between the line and earth could affect the transmission in alternating current line. This effect could produce also losses in the resistance of the conductor, which could be considerable and have a diminution of the useful power delivered.

For short transmission lines, that effect is minimum. But in the case of the 600 km line in New Zealand, they chose the HVDC lines in order to minimize the losses and to deliver as much useful power as possible. The DC line only requires two conductors (positive and negative) and hence a much simpler structure. Although it is expensive to convert AC to DC power, it could be compensated with less losses and reduced costs in construction, furthermore when we are talking about a 600 km link. In the case of the link in New Zealand at that time they used the DIMAT PLC called DVZ. There were 3 systems installed: 2 of 80 W each and another of 40 W.

Whether we are using an HVAC line or HVDC line, DIMAT power line carriers can be used in both applications to transmit information.

What is the IEC 61850?

IEC 61850 is a new standard that defines the basic communications structure between all devices in an electricity substation. It aims to enable interoperability of devices from different manufacturers. This new standard classifies all devices in common definitions, introducing a communication structure based upon fiber optics with star topology and Ethernet switches, with significant savings in terms of cabling.

Thanks to these and many other advantages IEC 61850 is destined to become the substation of the future.

The use of the most advanced technology together with DIMAT´s wide experience in the development of both digital and analog teleprotection terminals has resulted in the universal teleprotection terminal TPU-1, designed to work in IEC 61850 substations. It incorporates the defined sets of data necessary for the teleprotection functionality and translates the incoming Ethernet messages to a teleprotection signal that is transmitted over the communications channel to the remote end.  The received message is then translated back into an IEC 61850 message and delivered to the local protection. It also incorporates traditional relay interfaces so that it can be used in hybrid substations to ease migration from legacy to IEC 61850.

EYSD Module

Thanks to the modular system of the OPC equipment (OPC1 and OPC2), there is the possibility to incorporate different optional modules to increase the features of the terminal. In this section, we present the EYSD module, inputs/outputs combiner.

The main function of the EYSD is to add 4 inputs and 4 outputs, balanced and low frequency, to the PLC terminal, having in total up to 6 inputs/outputs (2 from the own terminal, and 4 from the EYSD).

The forth inputs from EYSD will be multiplexed and will be transmitted to the PLC terminal by means of an internal bus, where will be added to the two inputs from the terminal.

The EYSD has the possibility to use as a simple distributor, where the inputs are connected directly to the outputs, allowing the transit between links.

Easily installable by insertion to the terminal, the module permits an easy configuration by means of the management equipment system. (Pseudo-Web or G-Web). Through the configuration page associated to the EYSD, you can configure the connections inputs/outputs desired, with a nominal level programmable between –20 dBm and +6 dBm.

So the module EYSD will permit the possibility to increment the number of services desired to transmit, being totally adaptable to your needs.

Digital Transit Filter

The FTRD card is one of the available options for the new PLC terminal type OPC-2 as well as for the already existing PLC terminal type OPC-1.

The function of the FTRD card is the selection of a specific band, for transmission and for reception, inside the 4 kHz nominal band of the PLC channel in order to allow the transit of signals to other communication channels.

The bidirectionnality of this filter is specially useful when transiting modem signals because only one single transit card allows the transit in both directions, transmission and reception.

The FTRD card features three different predesigned band-pass filters, and they are selectable by means of straps, being it possible to include other band-pass filters on specific demand.

New Integrated Web Management System

The spectacular growth of Internet in the last few years has motivated DIMAT to develop a new Management System based on Web technology. The main advantage is that it offers a unified method of access to information and a user interface that is user-friendly.

DIMAT’s products are equipped with a Web server module integrating all HTML pages necessary for programming and monitoring. This optional module enables DIMAT products to be fully programmed, monitored and managed from a PC running a standard Web browser, without the need for additional software.

The communication between the PC and the terminals can be established via direct connection or through an IP network (LAN or WAN). In the  latter it is possible for various computers of the IP network to manage various terminals connected to it.

In both cases, an internal data channel allows the remote terminal to be supervised from the terminal connected to the management system.