# IEC 60870-5-103

IEC 60870-5-103 is a protocol for power system monitoring and controlling. Mostly used for communication between protection devices and devices of a control system in a substation (RTU) over fiber optics.

[![image-1643031034165.png](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/scaled-1680-/image-1643031034165.png)](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/image-1643031034165.png)

## Info about protocol

### **Telegram Structure**

##### **Telegram format with fixed length**

[![image-1643029019486.png](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/scaled-1680-/image-1643029019486.png)](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/image-1643029019486.png)

##### **Telegram format with variable length**

[![image-1643031086615.png](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/scaled-1680-/image-1643031086615.png)](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/image-1643031086615.png)

- **RES** - Reserved
- **PRM** - 1 if master, 0 if slave

**PRM** = 1

- **FCB** - alternating bit for successive services per station
- **FCV** - (if **FCV**=1 **FCB** enabled)

**PRM** = 0

- **ACD** - access demand (if **ACD**=1 there are class 1 data)
- **DFC** - data flow control (if **DFC**=1 further messages may cause data overflow)

### **Function Code**

#### **PRM=1**

<div id="bkmrk-dec-frame-type-servi"><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="height: 595px;"><tbody><tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="height: 35px; width: 41.7014px;">**Dec**

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 201.51px;">**Frame type**

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 286.58px;">**Service function**

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 42.4479px;">**FCV**

</td></tr><tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="height: 35px; width: 41.7014px;">0

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 201.51px;">SEND/CONFIRM expected

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 286.58px;">Reset of remote link

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 42.4479px;">0

</td></tr><tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="height: 35px; width: 41.7014px;">1

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 201.51px;">SEND/CONFIRM expected

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 286.58px;">Reset of user process

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 42.4479px;">0

</td></tr><tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="height: 35px; width: 41.7014px;">2

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 201.51px;">SEND/CONFIRM expected

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 286.58px;">Reserved

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 42.4479px;">-

</td></tr><tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="height: 35px; width: 41.7014px;">3

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 201.51px;">SEND/CONFIRM expected

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 286.58px;">User data

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 42.4479px;">1

</td></tr><tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="height: 35px; width: 41.7014px;">4

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 201.51px;">SEND/REPLY expected

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 286.58px;">User data

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 42.4479px;">0

</td></tr><tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="height: 35px; width: 41.7014px;">5

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 201.51px;"></td><td style="height: 35px; width: 286.58px;">Reserved

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 42.4479px;">-

</td></tr><tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="height: 35px; width: 41.7014px;">6

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 201.51px;"></td><td style="height: 35px; width: 286.58px;">Reserved

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 42.4479px;">-

</td></tr><tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="height: 35px; width: 41.7014px;">7

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 201.51px;"></td><td style="height: 35px; width: 286.58px;">Reserved

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 42.4479px;">-

</td></tr><tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="height: 35px; width: 41.7014px;">8

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 201.51px;">REQUEST for access demand

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 286.58px;">Expected response specifies access demand

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 42.4479px;">0

</td></tr><tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="height: 35px; width: 41.7014px;">9

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 201.51px;">REQUEST/RESPOND expected

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 286.58px;">Request status of link

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 42.4479px;">0

</td></tr><tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="height: 35px; width: 41.7014px;">10

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 201.51px;">REQUEST/RESPOND expected

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 286.58px;">Request user data class 1

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 42.4479px;">1

</td></tr><tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="height: 35px; width: 41.7014px;">11

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 201.51px;">REQUEST/RESPOND expected

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 286.58px;">Request user data class 2

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 42.4479px;">1

</td></tr><tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="height: 35px; width: 41.7014px;">12

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 201.51px;"></td><td style="height: 35px; width: 286.58px;">Reserved

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 42.4479px;">-

</td></tr><tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="height: 35px; width: 41.7014px;">13

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 201.51px;"></td><td style="height: 35px; width: 286.58px;">Reserved

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 42.4479px;">-

</td></tr><tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="height: 35px; width: 41.7014px;">14

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 201.51px;"></td><td style="height: 35px; width: 286.58px;">Reserved

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 42.4479px;">-

</td></tr><tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="height: 35px; width: 41.7014px;">15

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 201.51px;"></td><td style="height: 35px; width: 286.58px;">Reserved

</td><td style="height: 35px; width: 42.4479px;">-

</td></tr></tbody></table>

</div>#### **PRM=0**

<div id="bkmrk-dec-frame-type-servi-0"><div><div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="height: 630px;" width="570"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 58.0729px;">**Dec**

</td><td style="width: 216.337px;">**Frame type**

</td><td style="width: 294.479px;">**Service function**

</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 58.0729px;">0

</td><td style="width: 216.337px;">CONFIRM

</td><td style="width: 294.479px;">ACK: positive acknowledgment

</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 58.0729px;">1

</td><td style="width: 216.337px;">CONFIRM

</td><td style="width: 294.479px;">NACK: message not accepted, link busy

</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 58.0729px;">2

</td><td style="width: 216.337px;"></td><td style="width: 294.479px;">Reserved

</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 58.0729px;">3

</td><td style="width: 216.337px;"></td><td style="width: 294.479px;">Reserved

</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 58.0729px;">4

</td><td style="width: 216.337px;"></td><td style="width: 294.479px;">Reserved

</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 58.0729px;">5

</td><td style="width: 216.337px;"></td><td style="width: 294.479px;">Reserved

</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 58.0729px;">6

</td><td style="width: 216.337px;"></td><td style="width: 294.479px;">Reserved

</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 58.0729px;">7

</td><td style="width: 216.337px;"></td><td style="width: 294.479px;">Reserved

</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 58.0729px;">8

</td><td style="width: 216.337px;">RESPOND

</td><td style="width: 294.479px;">User data

</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 58.0729px;">9

</td><td style="width: 216.337px;">RESPOND

</td><td style="width: 294.479px;">NACK: requested data not available

</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 58.0729px;">10

</td><td style="width: 216.337px;"></td><td style="width: 294.479px;">Request user data class 1

</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 58.0729px;">11

</td><td style="width: 216.337px;">RESPOND

</td><td style="width: 294.479px;">Request user data class 2

</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 58.0729px;">12

</td><td style="width: 216.337px;"></td><td style="width: 294.479px;">Reserved

</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 58.0729px;">13

</td><td style="width: 216.337px;"></td><td style="width: 294.479px;">Reserved

</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 58.0729px;">14

</td><td style="width: 216.337px;"></td><td style="width: 294.479px;">Reserved

</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 58.0729px;">15

</td><td style="width: 216.337px;"></td><td style="width: 294.479px;">Reserved

</td></tr></tbody></table>

</div></div></div>### **Type identification**

Standard IEC 60870-5-103 data types\[1-255\]

- \[1-31\] - standard definition
- \[32-255\] - for special use

<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="bkmrk-dec-description-dire"><tbody><tr><td>**Dec**

</td><td>**Description**

</td><td>**Direction**

</td><td>**Support**

</td></tr><tr><td>1

</td><td>Time-tagged message

</td><td>Monitor

</td><td>Yes

</td></tr><tr><td>2

</td><td>Time-tagged message with relative time

</td><td>Monitor

</td><td>Yes

</td></tr><tr><td>3

</td><td>Measurands I

</td><td>Monitor

</td><td>Yes

</td></tr><tr><td>4

</td><td>Time-tagged measurands with relative time

</td><td>Monitor

</td><td>Yes

</td></tr><tr><td>5

</td><td>Identification

</td><td>Monitor

</td><td>Yes

</td></tr><tr><td>6

</td><td>Clock synchronization

</td><td>Both

</td><td>Yes

</td></tr><tr><td>7

</td><td>General interrogation

</td><td>Control

</td><td>Yes

</td></tr><tr><td>8

</td><td>End of general interrogation

</td><td>Monitor

</td><td>Yes

</td></tr><tr><td>9

</td><td>Measurands II

</td><td>Monitor

</td><td>Yes

</td></tr><tr><td>10

</td><td>Generic data

</td><td>Both

</td><td>No

</td></tr><tr><td>11

</td><td>Generic identification

</td><td>Monitor

</td><td>No

</td></tr><tr><td>20

</td><td>General command

</td><td>Control

</td><td>Yes

</td></tr><tr><td>21

</td><td>Generic command

</td><td>Control

</td><td>No

</td></tr><tr><td>23

</td><td>List of recorded disturbances

</td><td>Monitor

</td><td>No

</td></tr><tr><td>24

</td><td>Order for disturbance data transmission

</td><td>Control

</td><td>No

</td></tr><tr><td>25

</td><td>Acknowledgment for disturbance data transmission

</td><td>Control

</td><td>No

</td></tr><tr><td>26

</td><td>Ready for transmission of disturbance data

</td><td>Monitor

</td><td>No

</td></tr><tr><td>27

</td><td>Ready for transmission of a channel

</td><td>Monitor

</td><td>No

</td></tr><tr><td>28

</td><td>Ready for transmission of tags

</td><td>Monitor

</td><td>No

</td></tr><tr><td>29

</td><td>Transmission of tags

</td><td>Monitor

</td><td>No

</td></tr><tr><td>30

</td><td>Transmission of disturbance values

</td><td>Monitor

</td><td>No

</td></tr><tr><td>31

</td><td>End of transmission

</td><td>Monitor

</td><td>No

</td></tr></tbody></table>

### **Cause of transmission**

Standard IEC 60870-5-103 cause of transmission \[0-255\]

- \[0\] - not used
- \[1-63\] - standard definition
- \[64-255\] - for special use

<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="bkmrk-dec-description-1-sp"><tbody><tr><td>**Dec**

</td><td>**Description**

</td></tr><tr><td>1

</td><td>Spontaneous

</td></tr><tr><td>2

</td><td>Cyclic

</td></tr><tr><td>3

</td><td>Reset frame count bit ( FCB )

</td></tr><tr><td>4

</td><td>Reset communication unit ( CU )

</td></tr><tr><td>5

</td><td>Start/ restart

</td></tr><tr><td>6

</td><td>Power ON

</td></tr><tr><td>7

</td><td>Test mode

</td></tr><tr><td>8

</td><td>Time synchronization

</td></tr><tr><td>9

</td><td>General interrogation

</td></tr><tr><td>10

</td><td>End of general interrogation

</td></tr><tr><td>11

</td><td>Return information caused by a remote command

</td></tr><tr><td>12

</td><td>Return information caused by a local command

</td></tr><tr><td>20

</td><td>Command "ACK positive"

</td></tr><tr><td>21

</td><td>Command "ACK negative"

</td></tr><tr><td>31

</td><td>Transmission disturbance data

</td></tr><tr><td>40

</td><td>Generic write command with ACK positive

</td></tr><tr><td>41

</td><td>Generic write command with ACK negative

</td></tr><tr><td>42

</td><td>Generic read command data valid

</td></tr><tr><td>43

</td><td>Generic read command data invalid

</td></tr><tr><td>44

</td><td>Generic write conformation

</td></tr></tbody></table>

##  Settings

<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="bkmrk-timeouts-%28ms%29-%C2%A0-%C2%A0-mo" style="height: 505px; width: 993px;"><tbody><tr style="height: 35px;"><td colspan="5" style="width: 808.889px; height: 35px;">**Timeouts (ms)**

</td></tr><tr style="height: 57px;"><td rowspan="3" style="width: 161.771px; height: 149px;">[![image-1643031621517.png](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/scaled-1680-/image-1643031621517.png)](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/image-1643031621517.png)

</td><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 57px;"></td><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 57px;">**Monitor**

</td><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 57px;">**Master**

</td><td style="width: 161.806px; height: 57px;">**Slave**

</td></tr><tr style="height: 57px;"><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 57px;">**Reading data**

</td><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 57px;">Waiting data in serial port buffer

</td><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 57px;">Waiting data in serial port buffer

</td><td style="width: 161.806px; height: 57px;">Waiting data in serial port buffer

</td></tr><tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 35px;">**Pause before send**

</td><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 35px;">Not used

</td><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 35px;">Pause before send data

</td><td style="width: 161.806px; height: 35px;">Pause before send data

</td></tr><tr style="height: 35px;"><td colspan="5" style="width: 808.889px; height: 35px;">**Address**

</td></tr><tr style="height: 57px;"><td rowspan="3" style="width: 161.771px; height: 80px;">[![image-1643031767819.png](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/scaled-1680-/image-1643031767819.png)](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/image-1643031767819.png)

</td><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 10px;"></td><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 10px;">**Monitor**

</td><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 10px;">**Master**

</td><td style="width: 161.806px; height: 10px;">**Slave**

</td></tr><tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 35px;">**Link**

</td><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 35px;">Not used

</td><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 35px;">Remote device address

</td><td style="width: 161.806px; height: 35px;">Own system address

</td></tr><tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 35px;">**ASDU**

</td><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 35px;">Not used

</td><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 35px;">Remote device address

</td><td style="width: 161.806px; height: 35px;">Own system address

</td></tr><tr style="height: 35px;"><td colspan="5" style="width: 808.889px; height: 35px;">**Commands ack.**

</td></tr><tr style="height: 57px;"><td rowspan="3" style="width: 161.771px; height: 171px;">[![image-1643031811132.png](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/scaled-1680-/image-1643031811132.png)](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/image-1643031811132.png)

</td><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 57px;"></td><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 57px;">**Monitor**

</td><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 57px;">**Master**

</td><td style="width: 161.806px; height: 57px;">**Slave**

</td></tr><tr style="height: 57px;"><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 57px;">**Auto ack. system commands**

</td><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 57px;">Not used

</td><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 57px;">Not used

</td><td style="width: 161.806px; height: 57px;">Auto acknowledge system commands

</td></tr><tr style="height: 57px;"><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 57px;">**Auto ack. control commands**

</td><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 57px;">Not used

</td><td style="width: 161.771px; height: 57px;">Not used

</td><td style="width: 161.806px; height: 57px;">Auto acknowledge commands

</td></tr></tbody></table>

## System

For all system functions user can set custom address:

[![image-1643102984838.png](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/scaled-1680-/image-1643102984838.png)](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/image-1643102984838.png)

#### General Interrogation

This function will send telegram Type-identification = 7

[![image-1643103033727.png](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/scaled-1680-/image-1643103033727.png)](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/image-1643103033727.png)

#### Clock synchronization

This function will send telegram Type-identification = 103 (C\_CS\_NA\_1)

[![image-1643036000740.png](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/scaled-1680-/image-1643036000740.png)](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/image-1643036000740.png)

If "PC time" checkbox is checked, then the PC time will be sent. If it's not checked user can set time manually.

Time tag status bits:

- **IV** - invalid time
- **SM** - Summer/Winter
- **SB** - Substitute

#### General Command

This function allows user to send command to slave device.

[![image-1643103076282.png](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/scaled-1680-/image-1643103076282.png)](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/image-1643103076282.png)

## Tags

This function allows user to created named points. After points created user can send it manually or set reply checkbox to automatic reply.

- To export Tags to csv file: **Tags -&gt; Export -&gt; Save file dialog appear**
- To import Tags from csv file: **Tags -&gt; Import -&gt; Open file dialog appear**

There are two ways of creating tags:

1. Create tag button.
2. Double click a signal with the left mouse button in the statistic tab.

Main parameters:

- **Name** - user-friendly tag name
- **Type** - the type of value.
- **Asdu** - Identifier of the device
- **Fun -** function number
- **Info**- Identifier of values from the device.

Here is an example image of the tag window with the **TimeTaggedMessage(1)** type selected. Each type has different options that can be configured when sending data. For example this type depicted in the picture below can send a value **Off** or **On** and it also is time-tagged. The user in this case can either select a specific time that they have in mind or just mark the PC checkbox and The Vinci software will automatically send the current PC time. As you can see the **Value** box in this example is greyed out that is because this tag is created on a **master** simulation, and this type doesn't support writing to slave.

[![image-1643104823051.png](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/scaled-1680-/image-1643104823051.png)](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/image-1643104823051.png)

## Setup

To setup an IEC 60870-5-103 simulation it is fairly straightforward.

1\. Select IEC 60870-5-103 and the mode.

[![image-1643104888959.png](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/scaled-1680-/image-1643104888959.png)](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/image-1643104888959.png)

2\. Select Serial Port settings according to your device specification.

[![image-1643100262054.png](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/scaled-1680-/image-1643100262054.png)](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/image-1643100262054.png)

3\. Select settings in the settings tab according to your device and preference.

[![image-1643104918264.png](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/scaled-1680-/image-1643104918264.png)](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/image-1643104918264.png)

4\. Press the green **START** button and the simulation should start. If everything was done correctly The Vinci software should establish communication with the IEC 60870-5-103 device which you can monitor in the console tab.

[![image-1643104955874.png](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/scaled-1680-/image-1643104955874.png)](https://wiki.elseta.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/image-1643104955874.png)