ABB REF620 Control Relay

Configured for feeder overcurrent and grounding fault protection in utility and industrial power networks, the ABB REF620 IEC, also cataloged as the REF620 Feeder Protection Relay, provides direct physical/electrical execution. This hardware unit integrates localized protective monitoring, measurement, and multi-switchgear breaker control across radial, ring, and mesh distribution platforms. It translates analog current and voltage waves from conventional instrument transformers or sensors into digital telemetry to drive fast trip logic.

Hardware Specifications

Profinet / EtherNet/IP Deterministic Networks and I/O Density Scaling

The REF620 IEC supports high-performance digital substation integration, executing vertical and horizontal communication profiles over native Ethernet channels. It processes discrete and analog GOOSE messaging alongside redundant HSR and PRP architectures to comply with rigid deterministic networks constraints. When field demands require extensive I/O density scaling, the relay links to external ABB RIO600 remote modules via the internal backplane bus communication velocity framework, while maintaining firmware flash compatibility for local single-line mimic adjustment and multi-frequency admittance grounding configurations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How does the redundant Ethernet interface on the REF620 IEC maintain connection stability during an active hardware line failure?

A: The relay incorporates dual-port Ethernet configurations executing hardware-level High-availability Seamless Redundancy (HSR) or Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP). This setup transmits identical data packets simultaneously over independent paths, ensuring zero-delayed bumpless switchover if a single network branch breaks connection.

Q: Can the internal logic configuration be safely adjusted while the feeder is energized?

A: No. Modifying configuration parameters or changing setting groups via the web-browser user interface resets the non-volatile memory registry, which causes a brief interruption to the backplane bus communication velocity link and leaves the feeder unprotected during the boot sequence.