Texas Instruments announced a low-cost solution at DistribuTECH 2014 that eases the learning curve for developers needing to implement the IEC 61850 standard. The substation automation solution is a collaboration between Texas Instruments and Triangle MicroWorks, which uses TMW's IEC 61850 Stack, optimized for TI's SitaraAM335x processors and other TI system-on-chips. The optimized substation automation solution shortens the development cycle, while reducing system cost and complexity by replacing traditional ASIC or FPGA solutions with a Sitara-processor-based industrial communication subsystem.

TI's Sitara AM335x processors create a reliable smart grid network through its industrial subsystem that supports flexible, real-time communication. In addition to Triangle MicroWorks' IEC 61850 stack, Sitara AM335x processors can also support PROFINET, EtherCAT, PROFIBUS and other industrial protocols on the same processor, making it a strong option for many industrial platforms. Triangle MicroWorks IEC 61850 Protocol Stack is optimized to work well in embedded environments by using advanced protocol parsing techniques. More than just an MMS communication stack, the TMW 61850 Library provides full services out of the box.

TMW supports object models for Edition 1, Edition 2, Hydro, DER, and Wind. Available features include GOOSE, Sampled Values, tracking, external references, mixed edition systems, and IEC 62351 security.