ECI Telecom (News - Alert), a provider of networking infrastructure solutions, has added built-in support for interfacing with teleprotection equipment through optical fiber links.

 

ECI’s BroadGate micro-Multi-Service Provisioning Platform, or “µMSPP,” now supports the IEEE (News - Alert) C37.94 standard for teleprotection to meet the communication networking challenges of power utilities that are moving to smart grid technology.

 

Teleprotection equipments are able to connect directly with the BroadGate platform through optical fiber, reducing system complexity and risk of environmental interference with data transmissions.

 

In the high-voltage environment of an electric power utility substation, teleprotection equipment is used to quickly isolate faults on communication links, protecting the network from damage.

 

Power utilities are working to evolve their communications from copper to fiber IP networks since optical transmission is immune to electromagnetic interference, or “EMI,” radio frequency interference, “RMI,” ground loops and ground potential rise which can cause data errors on electrical copper networks.

 

The smart grid approach to electric power generation and distribution add considerable automation and communications load to the existing network. The smart grid concept employs digital technology in three important ways. The intelligent devices monitor and measure status, and two-way communications enable these devices to talk to one another. Advanced control systems enable computers to automatically make low-level decisions.

 

Alon Moshes, head of ECI Telecom`s MSPP line of business, said that ECI has focused significant research and development resources on learning and addressing the unique networking needs of power and other types of utilities, particularly as smart grids become reality.

 

“With this knowledge and many years of experience building advanced telecom networks, we are able to deliver the benefits of our unified network platform to our utilities customers while addressing their increasingly complex needs,” Moshes said.

 

The BroadGate line delivers features that are optimized for the networking requirements of power and other types of utilities, including smooth migration path to the IEC (News - Alert) 61850 framework with support for Ethernet over PDH/SDH, providing improved integration, plug-and-play functionality and optimal reuse of legacy equipment such as microwave; support for legacy services through existing interfaces such as FXO, FXS ,V11, V24 and V35; V24 point-to-multipoint support; PDH, SDH and Carrier Class; Ethernet within the same platform; and full redundancy.

 

The BroadGate converged end-to-end platform delivers a highly secure network communications infrastructure, reduces points of failure to improve overall performance and is managed by ECI’s LightSoft unified network management system.