The scope of the new working group will be methods for testing relay protection and automation schemes in digital substations, implemented using IEC 61850 standard (hybrid solutions will not be considered). The main prerequisite for creation of this group is the lack for such methods as a result of operation of existing groups – ТВ 159, ТВ 401, B5.45.

It will be of the aim of this group to cover all stages of digital substation equipment lifetime:

• Selection of analogue signals transducers (NCIT, SAMU, SCU).
• Interoperability testing.
• Factory acceptance tests.
• Commissioning tests.
• Regular testing procedures.

The group will also be responsible for the development of the following guidelines:

• Testing of relay protection and automation systems using different analogue signals transducers (NCIT, SAMU, SCU).
• Testing of protection functions accepting values from several independent sources.
• Use cases for LAN operation failures (loss of samples, delays, loss of time synchronization).

Working group 53 will not cover questions of metrology.

The final report will be formed by 2016. The one to take over the group is Alex Apostolov from OMICRON electronics. [CIGRE]