ABB and Tropos Networks have announced successful completion of interoperability testing for their products used to create smart grid solutions for utilities.
Deployed together, the companies’ solutions will provide utilities with a reliable, intelligent distribution automation solution. ABB’s Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) -- reclosers, switches and capacitor controllers, remotely located on utility poles, collect critical information such as voltage fluctuations. GridCom connects to ABB IEDs and information is communicated over the GridCom network, back to a local substation where ABB’s COM600 gathers and intelligently analyzes the data.
The interoperability testing validates the interoperability and performance of ABB and Tropos GridCom. Smart grid distribution automation applications require a reliable, secure, multi-megabit, and low latency IP communications network which GridCom delivers.
“We are pleased to have been selected to demonstrate our interoperability with ABB’s market-leading distribution automation solutions, further validating the importance of industry standards,” said Tom Ayers, president and CEO of Tropos. “We look forward to continuing to collaborate with them as we help utilities build smart networks to support a wide range of smart grid applications.”
COM600, the station automation device of ABB, is an all-in-one communication gateway, automation platform and user interface solution for utility and industrial distribution substations.
Tropos’ GridCom is a standards-based mesh network for smart grid WAN communications, incorporating reliability, security, scalability and multimegabit broadband performance to enable aggregation of multiple smart grid applications over a single cost effective network. GridCom solutions are available in 2.4 GHz and other licensed and unlicensed bands.
