Types of SCL files

Depending on the purpose of SCL file, it is classified into the following types:

1. IED Capability Description (ICD) file: It defines complete capability of an IED. This file needs to be supplied by each manufacturer to make the complete system configuration. The file contains a single IED section, an optional communication section and an optional substation part which denotes the physical entities corresponding to the IED.
2. System Specification Description (SSD) file: This file contains complete specification of a substation automation system including single line diagram for the substation and its functionalities (logical nodes). This will have Substation part, Data type templates and logical node type definitions but need not have IED section.
3. Substation Configuration Description (SCD) file: This is the file describing complete substation detail. It contains substation, communication, IED and Data type template sections. An .SSD file and different .ICD files contribute in making an SCD file.
4. Configured IED Description (CID) file: It is a file used to have communication between an IED configuration tool to an IED. It can be considered as an SCD file stripped down to what the concerned IED need to know and contains a mandatory communication section of the addressed IED.
5. Instantiated IED Description (IID) file: It defines the configuration of one IED for a project and is used as data exchange format from the IED configurator to the system configurator. This file contains only the data for the IED being configured: one IED section, the communication section with the IED's communication parameters, the IED's data type templates, and, optionally, a substation section with the binding of functions (LNodes) to the single line diagram.
6. System Exchange Description (SED) file: This file is to be exchanged between system configurators of different projects. It describes the interfaces of one project to be used by another project, and at re-import the additionally engineered interface connections between the projects. It is a subset of an SCD file with additional engineering rights for each IED as well as the ownership (project) of SCL data.