Terminal Servers in Power Distribution

In traditional distribution rooms, equipment such as switch cabinets, transformers, and ring main units may adopt multiple protocols such as Modbus, IEC 60870-5-101/104, and DNP3.0, resulting in the inability of data intercommunication and the formation of “information islands”.

Solution:

The terminal server supports multi-protocol conversion and can unify data of different protocols into MQTT or OPC UA formats and upload them to the master station system. For example, in a certain urban power grid, by deploying terminal servers, the data interconnection between ring main units (Modbus RTU) and transformers (IEC 61850) was achieved, and the fault location time was shortened by 60%.

Traditional distribution rooms rely on wired communication, with complex wiring and susceptibility to environmental interference (such as humidity and electromagnetic interference). Once a fault occurs, manual troubleshooting is required, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Solution:

The terminal server supports 5G/Wi-Fi 6/ optical fiber multi-link redundancy. The distribution room in a certain chemical industrial park uses 5G+ optical fiber dual-link backup to ensure that the reliability of data transmission is >99.99%, and the automatic handover time in case of a single link failure is <50ms.

Traditional distribution rooms rely on manual inspections and are unable to monitor the status of equipment in real time (such as the temperature of switch cabinets and the load of transformers), which can easily lead to the expansion of faults.

Solution:

The terminal server supports edge computing and can locally analyze sensor data (such as vibration and partial discharge signals) to issue early warnings of equipment abnormalities. For instance, the power distribution room of a certain airport, through the AI algorithm built into the terminal server, detected the potential partial discharge of the transformer 72 hours in advance, thus avoiding unplanned power outages.

• Protocol support: The terminal server can simultaneously handle protocols such as Modbus, IEC 60870-5-101/104, DNP3.0, DL/T 645, etc., unify heterogeneous data into standard formats (such as JSON or MQTT), and reduce the parsing pressure of the master station system.

• Data cleaning: Supports data filtering, aggregation and encryption, only uploading key data to reduce bandwidth occupation.

• Local analysis: Built-in edge computing module (such as ARM Cortex-A55 processor), capable of processing sensor data in real time to achieve:

• Fault early warning: By analyzing the temperature and current waveforms of the switch cabinet, potential hazards such as overload and partial discharge can be identified in advance.

• Logical control: Local control is achieved based on preset rules (such as automatically switching capacitors when voltage exceeds the limit), with a response delay of less than 10ms.

• Multi-link backup: Supports 5G/4G/ optical fiber /Wi-Fi multi-link redundancy. The distribution room of a certain data center adopts a dual SIM card + dual power supply design to ensure that the terminal server can still operate continuously for 72 hours when a single power supply fails.

• Industrial-grade protection: Operating temperature -40℃ to 85℃, IP54 protection grade, suitable for high-temperature, high-humidity and dusty environments in distribution rooms.

• Cloud management platform: It supports remote login, firmware upgrade and configuration distribution. Through the cloud platform, a certain power company has achieved unified management of terminal servers in 200 distribution rooms across the country, increasing operation and maintenance efficiency by 80%.

• FOTA Over-the-Air Upgrade: No need to be on-site to update the equipment firmware. A certain port distribution room fixed the security vulnerabilities of 1,000 terminal servers through remote upgrade.

Pain point: Traditional distribution rooms rely on manual inspection, with a fault response time of over 2 hours and an average annual power outage duration of more than 10 hours.

Solution: Deploy terminal servers, integrate 5G communication, edge computing and protocol conversion functions, and achieve:

• Real-time monitoring: Data such as the temperature of the switch cabinet and the load of the transformer are collected through sensors and uploaded to the main station system.

• Self-healing of faults: When a line fault occurs, the terminal server automatically isolates the faulty area and restores power supply to the non-faulty area, reducing the fault handling time to 30 seconds.

Effect: Power supply reliability is enhanced by 99.99%, and operation and maintenance costs are reduced by 40%.

Pain point: There are flammable and explosive gases in chemical industrial parks, and traditional communication equipment in distribution rooms is prone to cause safety accidents.

• Solution: Deploy explosion-proof terminal servers, supporting intrinsically safe (Ex ib) and flameproof (Ex d) designs, and achieve:

• Wireless communication: Data is transmitted through 5G private networks to avoid the risk of electric sparks caused by wired wiring.

Edge security: Built-in firewall and encryption chip to prevent data leakage and network attacks.

• Multi-link backup: Supports 5G/4G/ optical fiber /Wi-Fi multi-link redundancy. The distribution room of a certain data center adopts a dual SIM card + dual power supply design to ensure that the terminal server can still operate continuously for 72 hours when a single power supply fails.

• Industrial-grade protection: Operating temperature -40℃ to 85℃, IP54 protection grade, suitable for high-temperature, high-humidity and dusty environments in distribution rooms.

• Cloud management platform: It supports remote login, firmware upgrade and configuration distribution. Through the cloud platform, a certain power company has achieved unified management of terminal servers in 200 distribution rooms across the country, increasing operation and maintenance efficiency by 80%.

• FOTA Over-the-Air Upgrade: No need to be on-site to update the equipment firmware. A certain port distribution room fixed the security vulnerabilities of 1,000 terminal servers through remote upgrade.

With the development of 5G and AIoT technologies, terminal servers are evolving from “data converters” to “edge decision-making centers” :

1. AI native design: Built-in NPU (Neural Processing Unit), supporting the local deployment of complex AI models, achieving a fault prediction accuracy rate of over 95%.

2. 5G RedCap technology: Power consumption is reduced by 60%, supporting the connection of more low-power devices and meeting the Internet of Things requirements of distribution rooms.

3. Standardization evolution: The integration of ETSI MEC standards and 5G RedCap promotes the maturity of the terminal server ecosystem.

The terminal server, through its four major capabilities of protocol conversion, edge computing, redundant communication, and remote operation and maintenance, has become the “intelligent hub” of the intelligent distribution room. It is not only a bridge connecting devices and systems, but also the core engine driving the power system to transform towards “safety, efficiency and greenness”. In the construction of the new power system, choosing a terminal server with industrial-grade reliability, protocol richness and edge computing capabilities will be a crucial step for enterprises to establish a competitive advantage.

Technology empowerment, intelligent upgrade – Let terminal servers infuse the distribution room with “intelligent genes”, making the power system more reliable and efficient!