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The 2008 Revision of IEEE C37.2 Standard for

Electrical Power System Device Function
Numbers, Acronyms, and Contact Designations
(and why you should care)

John T. Tengdin , OPUS Consulting Group - Life Fellow, IEEE


other numbers not so familiar to most of today’s audiences: 1
Abstract—This paper describes the experiences when revising – master element, 7 – rate of change relay, 10 – unit sequence
and updating a key IEEE Standard for Electrical Power System switch, 19 – starting to running transition contactor, 22 –
Device Function Numbers, Acronyms and Contact Designations. equalizing circuit breaker, 82 – dc load measuring reclosing
The paper cites the historical evolution of this Standard, dating relay (would not reclose on faults, but would on overloads!).
back to 1928. The wide utilization of modern, multi-function,
Not surprisingly, not all the numbers 1 through 99 were
relays and many new functions made clear the need to update
the 1996 verison of this standad. Also, the interweaving of
defined in the 1928 edition. For example, device 16 was
communication facilities into protection and control labeled “not used (reserved for future applications)” and 95-
requirements had to be addressed from function and designation 99 “used only in specific applications if none of the functions
points of view. The paper demonstrates the importance of 1 through 95 are suitable”. Other device number definitions
involvement of IEEE members in the Standards and the need for were added over time, as needs arose. For example, device 24
continuing input from these members to ensure relevance to the – volts per Hertz relay was added in 1962 to cover this brand
present applications, coherence and compatibility with other new function – a relay that was developed to provide
industry standards and practices. protection against transformer overexcitation (generator step
up units had failed on over excitation (excessive volts per
Index Terms—, Device Function Numbers, Device Acronyms, Hertz) when power plants had started to apply field current to
List Box, protective relaying, Trip Circuit Monitor
unit connected generator/transformers at the very early stages
of unit startup without taking the generator voltage regulator
out of service.
I. INTRODUCTION

J UST a little history is appropriate here. IEEE C37.2 is

probably one of the oldest IEEE standard still in regular
use. It was first published in 1928 as AIEE No. 26, and
The standard has undergone numerous revisions (in 1937,
1945, 1956, 1962 and 1979) but these have been relatively
few considering its eighty-year time span. In 1987, Device 11
provided a language to describe “automatic substations” as – multifunction device was added (three or more functions in
well as other applications. These “automatic substations” were one device). The handling of two functions had always been
self contained unattended rotary converter stations (ac to dc) defined – as 50/51 for example – but not for more than two
to provide 600 volts dc for street cars, subway and interurban functions.
rail transit. They had multiple (two, three, even four) rotary
converters that would be brought on or off line as the load There were major changes in 1996. Two methods were added
changed. This automatic sequencing included starting the for defining the contents of a multifunction device 11 – the
rotary converters at partial ac voltage to reduce inrush, then “empty box” and the “filled box” methods. Frankly, neither
changing to full voltage when up to speed. has worked particularly well, as the empty box method
conveyed worked almost no information and the filled box
In order to describe these control systems on elementary method was too cumbersome to use. That 1996 revision did
diagrams, a set of device numbers and contact designations add eight examples for the proper use of the suffixes “N” and
were standardized in AIEE No. 26. That original 1928 version “G” in ground detector relay applications. Then in 2001, IEEE
had many device numbers that are still in use today: 27 – C37.2 was reaffirmed with no changes.
undervoltage relay, 40 – field relay, 49 – machine or
transformer thermal relay, 50 – instantaneous overcurrent II. CHANGES IN THE LAST REVISION
relay, 51 – ac time overcurrent relay, 52 – ac circuit breaker,
At an IEEE Power System Relaying Committee meeting in
72 – dc circuit breaker, 79 – ac reclosing relay. There were
2006, I made the infamous observation that “Nothing has
changed, so we plan to reaffirm C37.2”. Fortunately, Alex
 Apostolov spoke up and suggested that at least we add a
John T. Tengdin is a Life Fellow Member of the IEEE. Chair - IEEE
Power and Energy Society Substations C5 and PSRC I14 Working Groups cross-reference table to IEC 61850 logical nodes. That IEC
(e-mail: [Link]@[Link] ). standard had a cross-reference table to C37.2 device numbers
(he and I had seen to that during the early stages of IEC 61850

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development) but the reverse did not exist. Then Eric Udren protective relaying perspective. It shows all the physical
pointed out that there was no way, in IEEE C37.2, to describe connections and paths.
and document the communications network in a substation
(whether Ethernet or serial RS232/485). He proposed that
Device 16 be used, as it was then labeled “Reserved for Future Protective Relays with Ethernet Communications Devices
Use” in C37.2. So a joint working group was formed – C5 in 16
the PES Substations Committee and I14 in PSRC plus
correspondent members from the IEEE Industry Applications
Society and the IEEE Rail Transit Standards Subcommittee.

Eric Udren’s idea was to label Device 16 as “Communication

Networking Device”, and to create a unique set of suffixes -
applicable only to Device 16. His proposal was adopted, with
the first Devuce 16 suffix letter either S for serial devices or E
for Ethernet devices. The subsequent suffix letters are used to
more completely describe the device – with multiple suffix
letters allowed. The suffixes are:
C – security processing function (VPN, encryption, etc.)
F – firewall or message filter function
M – network managed function (e.g configured via SNMP)
R – router
S – switch (Examples: port switch on a dial up connection is
16SS, an Ethernet switch is 16ES
T – telephone component (Example: auto answer modem)

An example combination: 16ERFCM = Ethernet router /

firewall / VPN / network managed

The following example diagrams also appear in the 2008

update of IEEE C37.2:

Fig. 2. Ethernet Devices 16ESM = Ethernet Switch (Managed)

16ERFCM = Ethernet Router Firewall VPN Network Managed

Be aware that there are limitations in IEC 61850 Part 6 -

Substation Configuration Language. The whole concept of
IEC 61850 is to deal with logical (not physical) devices and
connections within the substation. In addition, Part 6 cannot
show switches, firewalls, or network management devices.
Since redundant paths are identical from a logical node
standpoint, redundancy is also out of scope. But as the
example diagram shows, those devices and connections can be
described using Device 16 with its suffixes.
There are additional functions in the new C37.2 that are
defined not by function numbers but by acronyms. During the
early stages of the revision effort, the joint working group
explored the possibility of retiring and reusing seven of the
old, old function numbers from the “automatic substation” era.
An Email survey, conducted for us by IEEE Strategic
Planning Services, showed these old function numbers were
still in use. So the decision was made to use acronyms for the
Fig. 1. Serial Devices 16SCT = Serial encryption modem additional functions. Note that these are functions that may
16SS = Serial Switch reside in a single function device, or as one of several in a
multifunction device. And device 11 had already been
established as the device number for a multifunction device.
This third diagram describes a dual redundant Ethernet The first suggestion was to define (in C37.2) a number of
relaying configuration, with no single point of failure from a acronyms that were already in regular use. These were DFR
for Digital Fault Recorder, HMI for Human Machine

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Interface, PMU for Phasor Measurement Unit, RTU for C37.2.

Remote Terminal Unit, and SER for Sequence of Events CLK – Clock or timing source - A device/function that
Recorder. As the work continued, we ultimately added receives an accurate timing signal input and distributes an
twelve more acronyms for new functions not previously accurate timing signal output to other devices.
defined in C37.2. Note that these functions may reside in a Note: An example of an accurate timing signal input is a
single function device, or one of several functions in a Device signal received from a GPS (Global Positioning System)
11 – multifunction device satellite clock. An example of an accurate timing output
signal is IRIG-B (Inter-Range Instrumentation Group Type
B).

DDR – Dynamic Disturbance Recorder - A device/function

that records incidents that portray power system behavior
during low frequency (0.1 to 3 Hz) oscillations, and abnormal
frequency or voltage excursions. (Definition from the
Southeast Electric Reliability Council)

DFR – Digital Fault Recorder - A device/function that

records, for analysis purposes, events on the power system. It
records voltage and/or current waveforms replicating the
primary power system voltages and currents when triggered
by a sudden change in the waveforms or by an external event.

ENV – Environmental data - A device/function that measures

and stores variables relating to the environment, such as
weather data, ice buildup conditions, geomagnetic
disturbances, earthquakes, and other similar phenomena.

HIZ – High Impedance Fault Detector - A device / function

that detects high impedance faults on grounded or ungrounded
systems.

HMI – Human Machine Interface - A device/function that

displays data/information to and allows control of a system by
an operator. A HMI may also be local to a specific device for
operator interaction specific to that device.

HST – Historian - A device/function that continuously gathers

states and values from a data concentrator or directly from
protection and control IEDs (Intelligent Electronic Devices),
and may also act as a recorder of data from which trends may
be determined.

LGC – Scheme logic (the function – not a device like a PLC) -

A device/function that provides the programmed logic for a
Fig. 3. Dual Redundant Configuration multi-device control/protective relay scheme, such as a
16ESM =Ethernet Switch Network Managed, Remedial Action Scheme (RAS) or an interlocking scheme.
16ERFCM = Ethernet Router Firewall VPN Network managed

MET – Substation Metering - A device/function that is

III. ACRONYM LABELS FOR NEW FUNCTIONS connected to CTs and VTs, and may calculate and store one or
So there are now seventeen new functions - with acronym several of the following quantities - watts, vars, amps, volts,
labels instead of numbers. Here are the acronyms, titles and power factor, demand, energy.
descriptions that are in C37.2-2008:
PDC – Phasor Data Concentrator - A device/function that
AFD – Arc Flash Detector - A device / function that detects an collects phasor and discrete event data from PMUs (and from
unintentional electrical arc in air. (Arc flash detection in other PDCs) and transmits the data to other destinations.
metalclad switchgear is certainly a hot topic today. This is the PDCs may buffer data for a short time period, but do not store
sensing function that may be a part of a Device 11 the data.
multifunction protective relay.) Notes in italics are not in

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PMU – Phasor Measurement Unit - A device/function that circuit continuity or the presence of tripping voltage on that
samples voltage and current with very accurate time stamps trip circuit.
and calculates phase angles vs. a GPS time reference Now we have the “TCM – Trip Circuit Monitor” whose
(synchrophasors). definition is “A device / function that monitors an associated
circuit breaker’s trip circuit for continuity and for the presence
PQM – Power Quality Monitor - A device/function that of tripping voltage, and sets an externally readable alarm
monitors electrical parameters used in power quality when continuity or tripping voltage is lost (a surrogate for the
measurements. Parameters include (but are not limited to) traditional red light on relay and control panels).” Thus the
RMS variations, frequency variations, unbalance, transients, TCM provides the means, via its alarm contact connected to
harmonics, and inter-harmonics. The storage of historical an RTU, to indicate the traditional red light function to a
values of these measurements may also be performed. remote HMI.

RIO - Remote Input/Output Device - A device/function

interfacing between the power system process (analog or IV. CHANGES TO FIGURES AND SUFFIX
digital) and the substation automation system that serves as a
substation data repository of control and protection system The 2008 update of C37.2 includes the same dc elementary
information, but without connection to a SCADA master diagram that was in the previous versions, and shows
station. independent (separate) fusing for circuit breaker trip and close
circuits. It does show the red light in series with the trip coil.
RTU – Remote Terminal Unit / Data Concentrator - A One of the balloters of the 2008 update of C37.2 observed that
device/function that serves as the primary interface (the data the Power Systems Relaying Committee had published a
concentrator function) between a protection and control working group report titled “Relay Trip Circuit Design”. That
system and a SCADA system to provide operational data report included a diagram with independent fusing, and also
visibility to, and perform command operations from the one with “coordinated trip and close fusing”. That balloter
SCADA control center. suggested we add that “coordinated” example to C37.2, and it
has been done. It is now Figure 5 in the standard (Figure 4 in
SER – Sequence of Events Recorder - A device/function that this paper), With coordinated fusing, the close circuit fuse is
records events (changes of state of equipment or functions) downstream of the trip fuse, so that a breaker cannot be closed
with a time reference (commonly from a GPS or IRIG-B if the trip fuses are not intact.
receiver).
V. IEC CROSS REFERENCE TABLE AND SUFFIX LETTERS
TCM – Trip Circuit Monitor – This new function deserves
some special attention. For many, many (over 50) years, it has At the outset of the updating effort, Alex Apostolov strongly
been a recommended wiring practice on circuit breaker trip urged that, with this revision, we should at least include a
circuits to connect the red panel indication light (illuminated cross reference table to IEC 61850 logical nodes – and he
when the breaker is closed) in series with the circuit breaker’s proceeded to produce the first version. Now that table has
trip coil. Thus the illuminated red light not only showed the grown considerably. Since it now includes all the C37.2-2008
breaker was closed, but it also showed that there was a function numbers and acronyms, it covers almost three pages
tripping voltage source available and that there was continuity in an infromative annex to the standard.
through the breaker trip coil and the 52a contacts (that
interrupt the trip coil current after the breaker opened). This Clause 3.4.5 “Other suffix letters” has also been updated with
wiring practice started in the days of electromechanical relays the addition of ten new (to C37.2) sufixes.
whose tripping contacts were designed to carry (but not • BU - Back up
interrupt) trip coil current until the breaker opened. The • DCB - Directional comparison blocking
breaker’s 52a contact would open at the end of the opening
• DCUB - Directional comparison unblocking
cycle and were designed to interrupt this highly inductive
circuit. (Note: “52a” was defined in the original 1928 version • DUTT - Direct underreaching transfer trip
– an auxiliary contact on an ac circuit breaker [a device 52] • GC - Ground check (This was added at the
that is closed when the circuit breaker is in the closed position request of a manufacturer of mining equipment, who
needed a way to show the presence of continuity in
Then along came microprocessor based protective relays. In equipment grounding cables)
some cases, utilities chose to show the breaker closed position • POTT - Permissive overreaching transfer trip
simply by the position of a 52a contact (and not one in series • PUTT - Permissive underreaching transfer trip
with the trip coil). In an unattended station who could argue,
as there was usually no one near the control panel (or even in
the substation) to look the indicating lights. And the SCADA
system reported breaker position solely based on 52a and 52b
breaker auxiliary contacts, with no remote indication of trip

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Figure 4 – Coordinated Trip and Close Circuit Fusing

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• SOTF - Switch on to fault local control is implemented, and in which devices (to
• TD - Time delay maintain redundancy). Note that automatic reclosing
• Z - Impedance (device 79) is implemented on a per line basis and not on a
per breaker basis (otherwise it would have been listed as
VI. MULTIFUNCTION DEVICE 11 – HOW TO REPRESENT 79-108 and 79-118). The reclosing function is not
CONTENTS? redundant and thus does not have an A or B suffix. To
maintain redundancy for the various close control
functions, synch check (device 25) is redundant (it does
During the balloting, one engineer voted Negative and
have an A or B suffix). The binary I/O and communications
attached a strongly worded statement of how useless the
connections (arrows on the right side of the box) are
existing methods (empty box and filled box) were to
optional, and may be implied (not shown) to reduce the
represent the contents of a muiltifunction Device 11 on
complexity of the diagram. XXXX is a placeholder for the
elementary diagrams. He also attached a copy of a method
manufacture’s model number of this Device 11.
he had been using, which he called the “List Box” Method,
as it provided a way to list all the functions in, and
“Mid breaker 118 may also have a similar multifunction
connections to, a multifunction device. The example he
device 11 associated with the adjacent zone. It is important
provided was for the center breaker in a breaker and half
to know if common functions such as manual control,
scheme with synch check on reclosing from one source and
automatic reclosing, and breaker failure for breaker 118
breaker failure initiate to its back up breakers. That
also reside in that device. This is readily apparent using the
example (see below) is now in the standard. Our thanks to
list box method.”
Mike Thompson – SEL for this great addition.

CT CT

11LA-1209 HMI/SCADA NOTES: VI. BALLOTING

VT 85POTT PILOT TX/RX 1. AC sensing connections are 3-Phase unless
21P/N otherwise marked.
IRIG-B
67N 2. Functions apply to the multifunction device’s The balloting invitation for PC37.2-2008 went to a wider
52a-108 designated zone of protection unless otherwise
SOTF
52a-118 marked.
range of IEEE groups than has been customary for Power
50BF-108
50BF-118 CLOSE 108 3. A/B designate System A and System B of the Engineering Society (oops – our new title is “Power and
fully redundant system.
1 01A-108 CLOSE 118
4. Device 01 is manual control of the
Energy Society”).working groups. In addition to the usual
VT 25A-108
1 01A-118
TRIP TC1 108 designated power system element. Power System Relaying Committee, Power System
TRIP TC1 118 01A is local HMI and panel control.
VT 25A-118
01B is remote SCADA control.
Communications Committee and the PES Substations
79 BFI-108
SER/DFR BFI-118
Committee, the invitation was sent to the IEEE SA balloters
ALARM
TRIP 86F-108 list for the Industry Applications Society Standards
TRIP 86F-118 Committee (responsible for the IAS “color” books), the
XXXX IAS Rural Electric Power Committee and the IEEE Rail
Traction Standards Subcommittee. There were 203 people
Fig. 5. List Box Method in the balloting body. Balloting was completed in May
2008. The document was approved by IEEE SA at its June
Quoting from the standard “The “list box” method is a 2008 meeting, and published in October 2008.
compromise between the empty box method, that forces the
user of the diagram to go to other, more detailed, diagrams VII. REVISION SUMMARY
to determine what functions are provided in the protection
and control system, and the filled box method that can be The 2008 revision of IEEE C37.2 includes:
cumbersome and difficult to generate. In the “list box” - A complete description of the new Device 16 and its
method, the functions in the multifunction device are
suffixes – with example diagrams (including a
simply listed. Figure 5 is an example of the “list box”
method as used in a highly integrated system. The zone of dual redundant configuration)
protection covered by this multifunction device 11 is Line - The addition of seventeen acronyms (many already
1209. The line is connected to a breaker-and-a-half in use elsewhere)
substation via bus breaker 108 and mid breaker 118. This - The addtion of ten new suffix letter combinations
device is the System A multifunction device for line 1209. - A complete cross reference table to IEC 61850
There is also a System B multifunction device 11 on line logical nodes
1209 as well, and would have its own “list box”. - The addition of a new “List Box” method to
describe the contents of a Device 11 -
“Shown are the major functions provided in this device for
the protection, monitoring, and control of line 1209 and its Multifunctional Device
associated breakers. It also shows how remote SCADA and

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- The addition of a “Coordinated Trip Circuit Fusing” specializing in substation automation and cyber security in 1999. He has
received numerous awards from the PES Substations Committee and the
diagram from a PSRC working group report PES Power System Relaying Committee for his work on technical papers
and standards, and from the IEEE SA for rapid standard development. He
VIII. THE IMPORTANCE OF JOINING THE STANDARDS chaired the joint C5 / I14 Working Groups that created this revision to
IEEE C37.2. His 2007 Fellow citation was “for leadership in Ethernet local
ASSOCIATION area network based protective relaying and control in electric power
substations
Are you now a member of IEEE SA? If not, we encourage
you to join and thus be able to ballot on new or revised
standards. Ballot comments do work. Three of the additions
made to C37.2-2008 were as a direct result of ballot
comments – the new TCM (Trip Circuit Monitor) function,
the List Box method of describing the contents of a
multifunction device, and the coordinated trip and close
fusing elementary diagram.

IX. CONCLUSION

So, after all this, why should you care about these changes
in IEEE C37.2? What’s in it for you? Most likely, every
new or updated elementary diagram you create or need to
understand will include a microprocessor based product.
And essentially every one of those is a multifunction device
(Device 11 in C37.2). In addition, you may be installing
Ethernet to link these new relays (and need the new Device
16 to describe the substation network). So, without having
to invent something new, the 2008 version of IEEE C37.2 –
Standard for Electrical Power Device Function Numbers,
Acronyms and Contact Designations should provide the
documentation tools you will need for these new
applications. More details on this update may be found at:
[Link]
And if there are gaps or corrections that need to be made,
please inform the PES Substations Working Group C5.
But most important, if you are creating or using elementary
diagrams that might make use of the many changes in
C37.2-2008, you should have a copy if this standard readily
available until you have learned this new language

REFERENCES
[1] IEEE Standard 37-2, 1996 (R2001) “IEEE Standard Electrical Power
System Device Function Numbers and Contact Designations”
Published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Inc.
NY, 1997

[2] IEEE Standard 37-2, 2008, “IEEE Standard for Electrical Power
System Device Function Numbers, Acronyms, and Contact
Designations” Published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic
Engineers Inc. NY, 2008.

John T. Tengdin (M’1949–SM’57–LS 92- LF’2007) was born in South

Bend, Indiana. He graduated from Purdue University, West Lafayette,
Indiana in 1949 with a BSEE degree. His employment experience includes
Dayton Power and Light Company, General Electric Company, Honeywell
Information Systems, and the Tech Division of American Diversified
Bank. He began work as an independent consultant in 1986, and formed
the predecessor to OPUS Consulting Group as a two man partnership

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