US-12621119-B2 - Communication of network time synchronization

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for configuring time synchronization in a network. The system includes a time signal source to provide a common time signal to multiple configurable communication devices and a network controller in a control plane, in communication with the multiple configurable communication devices. The network controller is configured to receive time signal source information and to receive device configuration information for a first configurable communication device. The network controller is also configured to determine settings for time signal distribution and to transmit the settings to the multiple configurable communication devices to cause the first configurable communication device to transmit the time signal from the time signal source in a data plane for consumption by the multiple configurable communication devices.

Inventors

• Rhett Smith
• Lance G. Dice
• Jason A. Dearien
• Robert Meine
• Daniel B. Rippon

Assignees

• SCHWEITZER ENGINEERING LABORATORIES, INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20230605

Claims (16)

1. 1 . A system for time signal distribution in a programmable communication network, comprising: a time signal source to provide a common time signal to a plurality of configurable communication devices; and a network controller in a control plane, in communication with the plurality of configurable communication devices, configured to: receive time signal source information; receive device configuration information for a first configurable communication device of the plurality of configurable communication devices; determine settings for time signal distribution; transmit the settings to the plurality of configurable communication devices to cause the first configurable communication device of the plurality of configurable communication devices to transmit the common time signal from the time signal source in a data plane for consumption by the plurality of configurable communication devices; determine which of the plurality of configurable communication devices are in the programmable communication network; and determine whether the plurality of configurable communication devices in the programmable communication network is in a correct corresponding clock domain, wherein the network controller is configured to complete configuration of the settings when the plurality of configurable communication devices in the programmable communication network is in the correct corresponding clock domain.
2. 2 . The system of claim 1 , comprising the first configurable communication device of the plurality of configurable communication devices, wherein the first configurable communication device stores the settings for time signal distribution.
3. 3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein determining the settings for time signal distribution comprises determining device capabilities of the plurality of configurable communication devices.
4. 4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein determining the settings for time signal distribution comprises determining whether there are compatible settings among the plurality of configurable communication devices.
5. 5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein determining the settings for the time signal distribution comprises selecting the compatible settings as the settings for the time signal distribution when there are compatible settings among the plurality of configurable communication devices.
6. 6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein determining the settings for the time signal distribution comprises reporting incompatibility of the plurality of configurable communication devices when there are no compatible settings among the plurality of configurable communication devices.
7. 7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein determining the settings for the time signal distribution comprises changing at least one setting of the plurality of configurable communication devices when there are no compatible settings among the plurality of configurable communication devices.
8. 8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the network controller is configured to correct clock domain of at least one of the plurality of configurable communication devices when in an incorrect corresponding clock domain.
9. 9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein determining which of the plurality of configurable communication devices are in the programmable communication network comprises determining which of the plurality of configurable communication devices are in the programmable communication network based on a configuration file.
10. 10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein configuration file comprises an IEC61850 file that conforms to a Substation Configuration Language (SCL) format or a file that conforms to a JavaScript Notation Object (JSON) format.
11. 11 . A method of distributing time signal synchronization signals in a programmable communication network, comprising: determining devices on the programmable communication network; determining device capabilities of the devices on the programmable communication network; determining that there are compatible settings between at least two of the devices on the programmable communication network; selecting the compatible settings; applying the compatible settings to cause a distribution of a time signal from a time signal source to the at least two of the devices on the programmable communication network; and reporting incompatibility of at least one device of the devices on the programmable communication network with the compatible settings, wherein the settings of the at least one device is incompatible with the compatible settings; or changing a setting of the at least one device to be compatible with the compatible settings due to the at least one device being incompatible with the compatible settings.
12. 12 . The method of claim 11 , comprising receiving a configuration file.
13. 13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the configuration file comprises an IEC61850 file that conforms to a Substation Configuration Language (SCL) format.
14. 14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the configuration file comprises a file that conforms to a JavaScript Notation Object (JSON) format.
15. 15 . A system for distributing time signal synchronization signals in a programmable communication network, comprising: a configurable communication device in a data plane of the programmable communication network; and a network controller in a control plane, in communication with a plurality of network devices that includes the configurable communication device, wherein the network controller is configured to: receive a configuration file; determine device capabilities of the plurality of network devices; determine that the configurable communication device is on a correct clock domain of the programmable communication network; and complete configuration of time synchronization settings of the plurality of network devices to cause distribution of a time signal from a time source to the plurality of network devices, wherein the network controller is configured to correct a clock domain issue of another device of the plurality of network devices before completing configuration of the time synchronization settings.
16. 16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein completing configuration of the time synchronization settings comprises completing configuration of Precision Time Protocol (PTP) settings.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/381,018, filed Oct. 26, 2022, entitled, “CONFIGURATION OF SYSTEM-WIDE NETWORK TIME SYNCHRONIZATION,” the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for a communication system that is configured using a configuration file, such as a substation configuration language (SCL) file. More particularly, but not exclusively, a controller uses the configuration file to map communications between devices. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The written disclosure herein describes illustrative embodiments that are nonlimiting and non-exhaustive. This disclosure references certain of such illustrative embodiments depicted in the figures described below. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a simplified block diagram of a communication network architecture including a configuration application, a control plane, a data plane, a time source, and a plurality of data consuming/producing devices in accordance with several embodiments. FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified block diagram of a communication system architecture including a functional block diagram of a communication device of the data plane in accordance with several embodiments. FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of a process using the control planes of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 to configure locations from a configuration file in accordance with several embodiments. FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of a process using the control planes of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 to provision communication devices based on publisher/subscriber lists in accordance with several embodiments. FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of a process using the control planes of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 to track changes from a baseline and report changes/health of the system in accordance with several embodiments. FIG. 6 illustrates functional block diagram of a configurable communications device, controller, and communications network usable in the communication network architecture of FIG. 1 and the communication system architecture of FIG. 2 in accordance with several embodiments. FIG. 7 illustrates a flow diagram of a process for configuring time synchronization settings for using a time signal from the time source of FIG. 1. FIG. 8 illustrates a flow diagram of a process for correcting clock domain issues in the communication network architecture of FIG. 1 and the communication system architecture of FIG. 2 in accordance with several embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Systems of devices for the protection, control, and automation of industrial and utility equipment may use a communication network to facilitate various operations. The communication network may be configured to provide secure and reliable exchange of data among the various devices. Redundancies may be built into the devices as well as the communication network. Modern electric power distribution and transmission systems may incorporate a variety of communication technologies that may be used in the protection, control, and automation of the power system. The communication networks carry information necessary for the proper assessment of power system conditions and for implementing control actions based on such conditions. In addition, such messages may be subject to time constraints because of the potential for rapid changes in conditions in the electric power system. Modern electric power distribution and transmission systems may incorporate a variety of communication technologies that may be used in the protection, control, and automation of a power system. The communication networks carry information necessary for the proper assessment of power system conditions and for implementing control actions based on such conditions. In addition, such messages may be subject to time constraints because of the potential for rapid changes and critical nature of proper evaluation of conditions in the electric power system. In electric power delivery systems, in particular, intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) may be configured to communicate in accordance with a particular protocol such as the International Electrotechnical Commission's (IEC) 61850 protocol that may run over networks utilizing Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) or other local area networks that retransmissions when dropped packets occur. Furthermore, electric power delivery systems may include a large number (e.g., hundreds) of devices with even more (e.g., thousands) of communication circuits. The network(s) using these communication circuits may utilize a deny by default security (or zero trust) ruleset or a plug and play security ruleset. With plug and play security rulesets, new devices may be plugged into the network and allowed access by default. With a deny by default security ruleset, proactive traffic engineering requires that no newly connected devi