Standardizing Substation Controller Configuration: A Unified Platform for Power Automation
Industry: Energy / Substation Automation
Client: A global technology company operating in over 100 countries, providing solutions for the energy, industrial, and infrastructure sectors.
The Challenge: Fragmented Tools in Digital Substation Engineering
The client required a modern and scalable tool for configuring substation controllers used in digital substations. The previous approach relied on multiple independent configuration applications, which led to:
- Increased complexity of the engineering process
- Higher risk of errors
- Longer project delivery times
- Difficulties in maintenance and technical team training
With the development of a new configuration platform based on modern architecture (.NET Core, Angular), an opportunity arose to migrate controller configuration to a unified environment. The goal was to simplify engineers’ work and reduce operational costs.
The Solution: A Unified Configuration Plugin based on .NET Core & Angular
The project team provided by TTMS, in collaboration with the client’s engineers, developed a dedicated configuration plugin for the substation controller, based on the existing engineering application core. The plugin enables:
- Configuration of communication protocols (IEC 61850, Modbus, DNP3)
- Management of substation topology and IED devices
- Building and validating automation logic
- Use of templates and deployment automation
The project was one of the first implementations of the unified configuration platform for devices outside the existing product line, confirming the flexibility of the adopted architecture.
Key Technologies: Implementing IEC 61850, Modbus, and DNP3 Protocols
The project required a modern technology stack to ensure high user interface performance while maintaining the stability of engineering data operations. The selected technologies enabled the creation of a flexible environment fully integrated with the client’s ecosystem.
- .NET Core, Angular
- XML-based configuration engine
- Protocols: IEC 61850, Modbus, DNP3
- GitLab CI/CD, automated testing
- Plugin-based architecture
Combining modern web frameworks with a plugin-based architecture allowed for easy future expansion of the tool without the need to modify the application’s core.
Dedicated Team of .NET and Industrial Automation Experts
To execute this technologically advanced project, we dedicated a cross-functional team of experts combining deep .NET proficiency with domain knowledge in industrial automation. The team structure was carefully designed to ensure seamless communication with the client’s engineers and effective management of the development process using Agile methodology. This approach allowed us to respond flexibly to changing requirements while maintaining a high velocity of development work.
- 3 Senior Developers
- Dev Lead / Software Architect
- Automation Tester
- Scrum Master
Close and direct collaboration with the client’s Product Owner ensured the precise replication of complex business logic within the new tool and enabled rapid validation of delivered functionalities.
Key Business Benefits and Operational Efficiency
The implementation of the dedicated configuration plugin delivered tangible business benefits, fundamentally transforming the workflow of engineers responsible for substation deployments. Unifying the work environment significantly optimized processes, eliminating bottlenecks associated with maintaining fragmented legacy tools. Below are the key results achieved through the solution’s new architecture:
- Migration of controller configuration to a single, unified platform
- Simplified deployment process and reduced engineering errors
- Shortened training time and improved technical support
- Confirmation of the platform’s scalability and architectural flexibility
- Accelerated product development – on-time delivery thanks to collaboration with the core platform team and reuse of existing solutions for other devices.
The final product not only resolved immediate configuration challenges but also established a robust and scalable foundation for the future digitalization of the client’s broader energy infrastructure.
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Monika Radomska
Sales Manager