Interoperability is essential to reliable digital substations. The IEC 61850 Interoperability Testing (IOP) event, hosted by the UCA International Users Group (UCAIug), gives vendors a valuable opportunity to test their products alongside equipment and engineering tools from other manufacturers in a hands-on, multi-vendor environment.
Unlike a traditional conference, the IOP focuses on practical system integration and structured testing. Participants evaluate client/server communications, GOOSE messaging, Sampled Values, time synchronization, Substation Configuration Language (SCL) engineering files, reporting, and control functions.
Why Participate?
Participation offers several important benefits:
- Reduce Deployment Risk: Identify interoperability issues before they become costly field problems.
- Improve Product Readiness: Strengthen implementation consistency, engineering workflows, and configuration validation.
- Accelerate Development: Gain practical insights that help improve product maturity and reliability.
- Collaborate with Industry Experts: Work directly with utilities, vendors, system integrators, and technical specialists.
- Advance Industry Standards: Contribute to interoperability best practices and future testing procedures.
For industry leaders, IOP participation demonstrates a commitment to product quality, standards-based interoperability, and customer confidence.
Utilities and prospective IEC 61850 users can also benefit by attending as witnesses, observing interoperability testing, and engaging with the engineers developing these technologies.
IEC 61850 IOP 2026
Location: Utrecht, Netherlands
Dates: October 7–16, 2026
61850 User Group: October 8–9, 2026
Learn More: IEC 61850 IOP 2026 Event Information
