xGenius in Australia

Tele-protection schemes

The xGenius combines multiple features into one tester such as C37.94 testing and one-way delay testing making it an ideal tester for Utility companies.

Tele-protection schemes enable substations to communicate with each other to selectively isolate faults on high voltage lines, transformers and other important elements of the electrical plants. This demands for a continuous exchange of critical data which means the telecom network should always be available and be performing at its peak I.E. no delays. Francisco J. Hens, Chief Technical Officer at Albedo Telecom, explains that initially the telecom protection network was also electric but the power environment is characterised by a high level of electromagnetic fields that causes interferences in the communications line. This is why the industry moved to optical fibres to connect the different items installed in the substations.  

Fig 1. Teleprotection Scheme with C37.94

IEEE C37.94 standard

Unlike electrical connections, fibre optics do not require ground and are immune to electrical noise interference, which eliminates most errors associated with electrical connections. In other words, it is convenient to use fully optical links from power relays to Multiplexers as the IEEE C37.94 standard defines. It is possible to upgrade the protection scheme to a more sophisticated architecture by utilising fault-tolerant networks. Furthermore, by using redundant networks instead of direct relay connections and dedicated fibres, the protection procedures process becomes more reliable, making critical data exchanges more accessible.

It is also crucial to understand the asymmetry of the delays because there are devices that protect power networks that are installed at both ends of a power line. These devices continuously read voltage, current and phase at each level, thus they require a very accurate synchronisation in order to compare each sample with its equivalent. If a line fails (caused by a discharge to ground or jump between phases) and the parameters at both extremes are not comparable then the protection disconnects the power flow to avoid shortcuts and overcharges. Suppose there is no jump between power phases, but there is an asymmetric delay of the telecommunications line; this would be a false alarm, but the protection mechanism would also disconnect the power line. This is the reason why it is so important to accurately measure one-way-delay: to assure that the phase impairments are true, not a telecommunications problem. 

Fig 2. ALBEDO xGenius

ALBEDO xGenius

ALBEDO xGenius is a multi-technology tester equipped with all the features you need to install or maintain telecom networks based on Gigabit Ethernet (GbE), Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE), E1, Datacom, Precision Time Protocol (PTP IEEE 1588), Jitter/Wander, C37.94 and One-way-delay test. It is designed especially for network environments such as within Utility, Rail and Defence sectors where a mix of legacy and next generation networks exists.

ALBEDO Telecom is an International manufacturer of telecom synchronisation testers and networking devices. Their vision is to help R&D laboratories, Mobile and Telecom operators to install optical and electrical infrastructures that support any kind of applications based on voice, video and data. ALBEDO’s core expertise range from LTE, 3G, PTP, SyncE, GbE, 10GbE, E1/T1, Jitter/Wander, Cabling measurements, QoS and SLA technologies implemented in WAN emulators, Taps, Testers, Clocks and Systems. ALBEDO also offers consultancy and training services. ALBEDO has direct operations and representatives in more than 82 countries all over the world and CoverTel Telecommunications Group is their Authorised Channel Partner in Australia. For further information, contact Angelo Monteleone at angelo@covertel.com.au 

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