IPv6 for Automatic Circuit Reclosers

Australian Switchgear Engineers NOJA Power today announce the addition of IPv6 protocol capability to their range of Automatic Circuit Reclosers. Driven by field demand for expanding address space in the proliferation of electricity distribution network Internet of Things (IoT) and Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs), NOJA Power RC Series Controls are now well equipped to handle future networking requirements for these field devices.

Available as a firmware update free of charge to users of NOJA Power OSM Reclosers, the addition of IPv6 provides added flexibility for communications network design for distribution assets.

NOJA Power OSM Reclosers are commonly deployed throughout distribution networks with SCADA communications. Whilst traditional implementations used serial communications for data transfer, the increase in numbers of field devices with communications back to utility control room creates a demand for more scalable network topologies that have proven performance in other mission critical applications. Using VPNs with secure IP communications is a popular emergent solution for applying IT network management and security control techniques to a large volume of data sources/control devices – problems which have long been solved by IT teams for mission critical network applications.

As utilities transition to using SCADA Protocols such as DNP3, IEC60870 or IEC61850 over IP networks, the NOJA Power OSM Recloser system is well equipped for current and future distribution network control demands.

“Utilities are more and more developing secure private IP networks to increase connectivity securely for IEDs including our reclosers. IPV6 supports this customer demand,” reports NOJA Power Group Managing Director Neil O’Sullivan.

The addition of IPv6 augments the exhaustive list of communications and SCADA capabilities of NOJA Power RC series controllers and the NOJA Power OSM Recloser system.