IEEE C37.94 Optical Modules
Improve Safety and Reliability of Intra-Substation Data Links
Features
- Comply with IEEE C37.94 Optical Interface Standard
- Interconnect Safe and Unsafe Substation Areas
- Eliminate EMI/RFI and GPR Vulnerabilities
- Overcome Limitations of Copper Interfaces
- Improve Reliability and Safety by Providing Isolation
Avoiding Intra-Substation Link Dangers
In high-voltage environments at electric utility plants, teleprotection equipment is used on communication links to quickly isolate faults and protect the network from failure and damage.
Historically, copper interfaces between the teleprotection equipment and multiplexers transferred critical information to the command center. These high-speed, low-energy signal interfaces are vulnerable to intra-substation electromagnetic and radiofrequency interference (EMI and RFI), signal ground loops, and ground potential rise (GPR) – all of which considerably reduce communications reliability during electrical faults.
Optical fibers do not have ground paths and are immune to noise interference, so optical data links provide a superior interface for intra-substation communications between teleprotection equipment and multiplexers. Replacing copper interfaces with optical fiber ensures isolation from dangerous GPR, prevents induced electrical noise, and eliminates the signal ground loops and data errors common to electrical connections.
The IEEE C37.94 Optical Interface Standard
IAB-3000 Integrated Access Banks from Sycamore Networks with optional, IEEE C37.94-compliant Low Speed Optical Modules efficiently resolve intra-substation communications challenges.
The IEEE C37.94 standard defines the communication link between teleprotection equipment and digital multiplexers, via multimode optical fiber, as an interface that supports synchronous data at the rate of N x 64 kilobits per second, where N = 1, 2... 12, up to 2 km distance. Many power utility companies are deploying C37.94-compliant solutions to achieve safer and more reliable data communication links in high-voltage substation environments.
IAB-3000: Flexibility for Evolving Utility Networks
The IAB-3000 is a high performance, multiservice channel bank platform for wide area interconnectivity in public and private access networks. The compact chassis offers a variety of voice and data interfaces, including T1/E1, Low Speed Optical (IEEE C37.94 compliant), OCU-DP, G.703, 10/100BaseT Router, RS-232, EIA530, V.35, V.36, X.21, E&M, FXO, FXS, and Magneto client interfaces.
The IAB-3000 ensures reliable support for voice, low-speed data, and other legacy services that perform essential functions in evolving critical infrastructure networks, and efficiently grooms this traffic onto modernized networks. C37.94-compliant Low Speed Optical Modules, and redundant T1/E1 links, controller, and power supply, make the IAB-3000 an excellent fit in utility environments.
Low Speed Optical Modules Improve Intra-Substation Data Link Integrity — In a typical utility application, an IAB-3000 Integrated Access Bank with IEEE C37.94-compliant Low Speed Optical Modules enhances both safety and reliability by serving as an isolating interface between safe and unsafe substation areas.
