Standardisation of a merged process and station bus network

The conceptualisation of IEC 61850 digital substations has typically treated station and process bus as distinct networks, with station bus for station supervisory and control functions, and process bus for bay level communications and interaction with primary equipment. It is possible to utilise Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP) and 1Gbps interfaces (where available) to merge the station and process bus onto the same physical network, while maintaining functional separation. This paper outlines the drivers behind merging the two buses, feasibility studies that were carried out, positive design implications, and the practical realities of implementation with current market devices.