Protection & Controls

Protection & Control Systems

Field commissioning, inspection, and troubleshooting of complete protection and control systems: relay logic, IEC 61850 communications, time synchronization, and the schemes that tie them together.

Request a Quote

Call (321) 550-1192

Scope

Logic · communications · timing · schemes

Deliverable

Documented system validation reports

Standards

IEC 61850 · IEEE 1588 · ANSI/NETA

Protection & Control Systems – NewEra Testing

Service Overview

Relays, logic, and networks verified as one system.

Modern protection depends on more than the relay. Logic, communications, and time sources must perform together. NewEra Testing validates the full protection and control system in the field: programmable logic, GOOSE messaging integrity, time synchronization, and communication architecture. We diagnose protocol-level issues, analyze fault events, and inspect panels and wiring, then document each finding with verified results.

Equipment covered

Multifunction protective relays

Relay and control panels

Bay controllers and RTUs

Substation gateways and data concentrators

Station Ethernet networks

GPS clocks and time servers

Lockout and auxiliary relays

DC control and trip circuits

Transfer and interlock schemes

Testing & Capabilities

System-level validation, from logic to network

Protection schemes depend on logic, messaging, and timing working together. We test each layer in place and prove the interactions between them.

Logic & Scheme Commissioning

Logic applied as issued by the engineer of record or client; transfer, interlock, and breaker-failure schemes proven with simulated faults.

Logic & Scheme Commissioning

Logic applied as issued by the engineer of record or client; transfer, interlock, and breaker-failure schemes proven with simulated faults.

IEC 61850 & GOOSE Validation

Publisher/subscriber mapping, GOOSE messaging integrity, quality flags, and message-loss alarms confirmed against the substation configuration (SCD) file.

IEC 61850 & GOOSE Validation

Publisher/subscriber mapping, GOOSE messaging integrity, quality flags, and message-loss alarms confirmed against the substation configuration (SCD) file.

Time Synchronization Validation

Clock sources, IRIG-B distribution, and IEEE 1588 PTP timing verified so event records and sequence-of-events data align across every device.

Time Synchronization Validation

Clock sources, IRIG-B distribution, and IEEE 1588 PTP timing verified so event records and sequence-of-events data align across every device.

Communication Architecture Assessment

Network topology, redundancy, and device addressing reviewed; protocol-level diagnostics isolate traffic, configuration, and interoperability faults between relays, gateways, and SCADA.

Communication Architecture Assessment

Network topology, redundancy, and device addressing reviewed; protocol-level diagnostics isolate traffic, configuration, and interoperability faults between relays, gateways, and SCADA.

Fault Event Analysis

Relay event reports and oscillography reviewed to reconstruct the fault, confirm correct operation, and identify misoperations tied to settings, wiring, or logic.

Fault Event Analysis

Relay event reports and oscillography reviewed to reconstruct the fault, confirm correct operation, and identify misoperations tied to settings, wiring, or logic.

Inspection & Troubleshooting

Panel, wiring, and DC control-circuit inspections, plus point-to-point troubleshooting of trip, close, alarm, and interlock circuits.

Inspection & Troubleshooting

Panel, wiring, and DC control-circuit inspections, plus point-to-point troubleshooting of trip, close, alarm, and interlock circuits.

Applicable Standards

Performed to recognized industry standards.

IEC 61850

Communication networks and systems for power utility automation

IEEE 1588

Precision Clock Synchronization Protocol for Networked Measurement and Control Systems

IEEE C37.2

Standard for Electrical Power System Device Function Numbers, Acronyms, and Contact Designations

ANSI/NETA ATS

Acceptance Testing Specifications for Electrical Power Equipment and Systems

ANSI/NETA MTS

Maintenance Testing Specifications for Electrical Power Equipment and Systems

From the Field

Methodology

How every job runs.

Scope & Review

We review drawings, one-lines, and the settings issued by the engineer of record or client before mobilizing.

Scope & Review

We review drawings, one-lines, and the settings issued by the engineer of record or client before mobilizing.

Safe Mobilization

Job briefing, hazard awareness, arc flash precautions, and proper PPE are in place before any test begins.

Safe Mobilization

Job briefing, hazard awareness, arc flash precautions, and proper PPE are in place before any test begins.

Test & Verify

Relay settings are applied and verified; equipment is tested against ANSI/NETA and manufacturer acceptance criteria.

Test & Verify

Relay settings are applied and verified; equipment is tested against ANSI/NETA and manufacturer acceptance criteria.

Document & Deliver

Detailed technical documentation records results, as-left settings, and deficiencies — ready for your records and the next test cycle.

Document & Deliver

Detailed technical documentation records results, as-left settings, and deficiencies — ready for your records and the next test cycle.

Related Services

Related services

All Services

Protective relay testing and commissioning

Protective Relay Testing & Commissioning

Field testing and commissioning of protective relays: settings applied and verified, protection functions proven by secondary injection, and trip paths confirmed end to end.

View service →

Relay testing equipment and laptop in a switchgear lineup

Secondary Injection Testing

Three-phase secondary injection testing of protective relays. Pickup, timing, and logic verified across overcurrent, differential, and distance elements, documented to ANSI/NETA test specifications.

View service →

Troubleshooting & Fault Analysis

Field troubleshooting and fault event analysis for protection, control, and power distribution systems. We isolate root causes, verify corrections, and document every finding.

View service →

FAQs

Answers to common questions

How is this different from protective relay testing?

Relay testing proves each device against its settings. Protection and control system work proves how devices perform together: logic across relays, GOOSE messaging, time synchronization, and the control schemes that depend on them. Complex installations typically need both.

What does IEC 61850 communication validation include?

We confirm GOOSE publisher and subscriber mapping against the substation configuration, verify messaging integrity and quality flags, test message-loss alarms, and prove that protection and interlocking signals exchanged over the network produce the intended trips and blocks.

Why does time synchronization matter for protection systems?

Event records can be compared only when every device shares the same time reference. Without accurate synchronization, sequence-of-events data cannot be correlated across relays, and fault analysis loses its reliability. We validate the clock source and its distribution to each device.

Can you troubleshoot an existing system that’s misoperating?

Yes. We analyze relay event records and oscillography, inspect wiring and control circuits, and run protocol-level diagnostics on the communication network to isolate the cause, whether settings, logic, wiring, or messaging.

How is this different from protective relay testing?

What does IEC 61850 communication validation include?

Why does time synchronization matter for protection systems?

Can you troubleshoot an existing system that’s misoperating?

Request a Quote

Schedule testing, commissioning, or emergency field support.

Share your scope and schedule — a field service technician is dispatched on request. Call (321) 550-1192 or email nelson@neweratesting.com. Hours 7:00 am – 7:00 pm.

Request a Quote

Call (321) 550-1192

nelson@neweratesting.com

Switchgear lineup with protective relays and control devices

Request a Quote

Schedule testing, commissioning, or emergency field support.

Share your scope and schedule — a field service technician is dispatched on request. Call (321) 550-1192 or email nelson@neweratesting.com. Hours 7:00 am – 7:00 pm.

Request a Quote

Call (321) 550-1192

nelson@neweratesting.com

Request a Quote

Schedule testing, commissioning, or emergency field support.

Share your scope and schedule — a field service technician is dispatched on request. Call (321) 550-1192 or email nelson@neweratesting.com. Hours 7:00 am – 7:00 pm.

Request a Quote

Call (321) 550-1192

nelson@neweratesting.com