Why PTP PRP/HSR GOOSE/SV and SCL Matter for Substation Networks

IEC 61850-90-4 recommended features map to three core goals for Substation Ethernet networks: real-time performance, reliability, and interoperability.

Design rationale (summary)

• PTP (IEEE 1588v2; TC/BC, hardware timestamping) ensures accurate Sampled Values (SV) and correct event sequencing, reducing path asymmetry and jitter errors.
• PRP / HSR seamless redundancy provides zero-time switchover on link or node failures so protection and control communications remain uninterrupted.
• GOOSE / SV prioritization and multicast capability is the core of real-time multicast; requires low latency, line-rate forwarding, and proper multicast governance (IGMP / static multicast / Storm Control).
• SCL workflow offers a common engineering language for import/mapping and version control across devices, lowering integration cost and improving maintainability.

Need the full checklist? See recommended switch features
Next steps: what to prioritise and trade-offs