First PRP tester demonstrated

At the IEEE-1588 Plugfest during ISPCS 2025 in Ottawa, ALBEDO took part both as an Exhibitor and active participant, bringing together our Net.Time clocks and the new ZEUS tester, the WORLD first IEC-61850 PRP  tester in the market. Our Net.Time clocks were successfully connected with other participants’ equipment, including IEDs, Clocks, and appliances, to validate PTP/NTP/IRIG-B interoperability under PRP networks compliant with IEC 61850-9-3.

Fig 1. Few companies worldwide can combine Master Clocks + Network Testers in the same setup, and this dual expertise is what makes ALBEDO unique.

Zeus a PRP enabler

The highlight was ZEUS, which enabled PRP redundancy validation, packet capture, and performance measurements in complex dual-LAN architectures (LAN A / LAN B). This milestone extends our testing capabilities into redundant Ethernet synchronization, a key fault tolerant technology for Utilities, Energy and other mission critical infrastructures.

Fig 2. ISPCS2025. Draft connections between manufacturers to verify PRP with ALBEDO Clocks and Testers.

Zeus provides in-depth insights into the design, installation, maintenance, troubleshooting and engineering of smart grid communications infrastructures. The unit can test the following protocols: Ethernet/IP, PTP, PRP, GbE, IRIG-B, T1/E1, G703, C37.94, GOOSE, SV and MMS. One-way delay tests assisted by GPS are possible at all interfaces. Zeus has a set of programmable filters to capture live data traffic at wire speed. You can now analyse GOOSE, SV and MMS protocols, decoding and saving them in PCAP format, or calculating propagation delay from local or remote substations.

In substation automation many resources require accurate synchronization ranging from microseconds to milliseconds:

• Applications that use SV / GOOSE and need to minimize latency.
• Data acquisition at IED, RTU and MU.
• SCADA and the MMS protocol.
• Line protection schemes.
• Events recording.
• Synchro-phasors deployed across the WAN to monitor the power grid.

Zeus offers a comprehensive range of features for IEC-61850 commissioning, including synchronisation, delay measurements, protocol analysis and event detection. These features ensure an uninterrupted, high-quality service. It is the ideal tool for laboratories and field engineers.

ALBEDO at the Plugfest

In 2025 ALBEDO’s participation in the Plugfest was truly distinctive. While most companies bring only testers or clocks, ALBEDO contribute both:

• Zeus testers: to validate interoperability under realistic conditions
• Net.Time clocks: reliable synchronization in multi-vendor environments

This combination allows us to not only verify interoperability but also to actively measure, diagnose, and push PTP systems to their limits. We’ll test scenarios involving jitter, leap seconds, rogue masters, asymmetry, packet delay variation, and more. By doing so, ALBEDO contributes two perspectives at once: as a device under test (clocks) and as an independent observer and validator (testers). Very few companies in the industry can play this dual role.

Fig 3. Zeus IEC-61850 in operation.

What is ISPCS?

ISPCS is the world’s leading forum for precision clock synchronization in measurement, control, and communication systems. Each year, it brings together researchers, network operators, utilities, manufacturers, and industry leaders to exchange ideas and shape the future of IEEE-1588 and related technologies.