GE

Digital Energy

SGConfig Configuration Tool v8.3 Product Bulletin

Date: January 5, 2015 Classification: GE Information

Release Notification of SGConfig 8.3

SGConfig is a PC software-based user interface that allows users of GE Substation gateways to efficiently manage
configuration files for the D20, D20MX, D25, iBox and D400 series of substation controllers.
SGConfig 8.3 includes all of the functionality available in the ConfigPro software, provides enhanced visual representation of
your substation hardware configuration and device software configuration.
SGConfig v8.3 is now available for ordering. This product is available for download free of charge from
GEs technical support Website. CDs can be ordered through GEs Grid Automation Online Store under
part number 588-0082 V8.30/00. Version 8.3 supersedes earlier versions of SGConfig software.

SGConfig version 8.3.0 encompasses all of the features of the following software products:
ConfigPro, the previous configuration tool for the GE Digital Energy D20*, D200*, D25*, and iBOX* product lines.
D400 Utilities version 3.0.0
SGConfig 8.2
Earlier releases of the IEC 61850 Loader

SGConfig v8.3 Enhancements

Added support for backing up and restoring configuration snapshots for D400 devices with firmware version 2.75 or later. See
more details in the
D400 Backup and Restore section.
Reduced the time required to open D2x applications for editing.
Added support for D20MX RS232 serial expansion auxiliary card.
Added support for importing firmware definitions from device templates.
Added support for searching for devices in the local repository.
Added support for redundant D400 systems.
Added support for NET3 interface in D400 v5.0 and later.
Added support for specifying D400 IP addresses to be added to the host tables of D2x devices during an iSCS LAN
generate operation.
Added support for displaying the status of iSCS projects in the Navigator.
Removed 8-character limit on the length of device names when opening the LogicLinx editor.
Improved the usability of the LogicLinx editor with both D2x and D400 devices. It is now possible to access the LogicLinx
DTA configuration while the LogicLinx editor is running.
Added support for exporting the xml representation of a D2x application definition.
Improved performance when selecting files/folders in the file system by orders of magnitude.

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Added support for including conformance statements when extracting application documentation for D2x devices.
Added support for recovering from invalid data in D2x application tables.
Improved robustness of IEC 61850 Loader when consuming SCL files.
Added support in IEC 61850 Loader for IEDs that implement Edition 2 of the standard but adhere to the naming limits of
Edition 1.
Added support for detecting tampering with the contents of archives. See more details in the Detect File Tampering
section.
Added support for D25 status input card with 32 channels, 220 Vdc and 165V/140V hysteresis.
Added support for importing and exporting LogicLinx programs from and to the file-system.
Added support for meta-packages.
Improved performance considerably when changing the firmware version of a D2x device configuration.

SGConfig v8.3 Resolved Issue

Addressed problem where data objects that are not available in datasets were exposed when configuring the IEC 61850
Loader.

SGConfig v8.3 Known Issue and Workaround

Issue: The IEC 61850 Loader does not support functional naming as defined in the IEC 61850 standard.
Workaround: Configure any IEDs to use product naming. When using product naming for the UR (i.e., IED Name + LD Inst) in the
IEC 61850 Loader, you need to leave the ldName parameters (e.g., Master functional idName, System functional idName) blank.

Key Features
Detect File Tampering
The contents of a device, project or local repository archive/package can be checked for tampering. When this feature is enabled
and a password has been entered, SGConfig performs integrity checking when restoring an archive/package.
Note: The passwords used when creating a tamper-resistant archive cannot be retrieved by GE Digital Energy. However, if you
forget the password used when creating a tamper-resistant archive, the archive can still be restored without tamper checking.
This feature can be disabled through the Preferences tab > Global System Preferences comand.

D400 Backup and Restore

A snapshot is an archive image of the device configuration, taken at a given time.
The following data can be saved:
Configuration data and network settings
Log files
Hardware, license and diagnostic information
Information required to clone the device

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The following data can be restored:
Restore Configuration data
Restore information required to clone a device
Note: The passwords used when creating a snapshot containing the information necessary to clone a device cannot be
retrieved by GE Digital Energy.
Multiple snapshots may be taken (that is, saved) for the same device configuration, at different times, using different names or
storage paths.
A snapshot file can be restored to the same device or to a different device.
Note: This feature is supported for D400 v2.75 or later, except D400 v3.10 and v4.10.

Microsoft Windows OS Support

SGConfig 8.3 supports the following operating systems:
Microsoft Windows XP Professional 32-bit with 2 GB or more RAM
Microsoft Windows XP Professional 64-bit with 2 GB or more RAM
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate 32-bit with 4 GB RAM
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate 64-bit with 4 or more GB RAM
Support is not provided for versions of this product that are installed on operating systems other than those identified above, as
the operation of this product has not been verified for any other combinations of operating systems.

Firewall Exceptions
Users are notified of, and can approve the creation of any firewall exceptions required for the correct functioning of the SGConfig
8.3 application.
Due to limitations in the functionality of the Windows firewall under Windows XP, the types of firewall exceptions created under
Windows XP are different from those created in other supported operating systems. Specifically, under Windows XP, any firewall
exceptions created are for the entire computer for specific ports, and not limited to specific applications except in the case where
the user selects the option to use iSCS connections for devices containing processors other than the D20MX.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are configuration files created in ConfigPro and earlier versions of SGConfig compatible with SGConfig v8.1?
A: Existing configuration files created using any version of ConfigPro, and earlier versions of SGConfig can be converted to
SGConfig v8.3 format.
Files created in SGConfig cannot be converted to ConfigPro format.
Files created in SGConfig 8.3 cannot be converted to versions of SGConfig earlier than 8.0.
Q: Where are the Application Definitions stored in SGConfig?
A: Application definitions are stored on SGConfigs database. SGConfig is provided with a complete set of the application
definitions for all applications including latest versions as of the date of the release of the SGConfig Software. New
applications and enhancements for existing applications are continuously being developed. Please visit GE Grid Automation
technical support website for information on product updates. New application definitions can be imported using the
Migration Wizard

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Q: Are configurations stored in a single default directory, as they are in ConfigPro?
A: One of the main differences between the legacy ConfigPro Setup software and SGConfig is the internal architecture of the
product. ConfigPro is based on a file system for archival of configuration data. In order to enable long term product
sustainability and expandability of the SGConfig software, the architecture of the setup software was re-designed to operate
using a database architecture for data management. Configurations in SGConfig are stored inside of the repository of the
SQL Database. During runtime, SGConfig extracts the configuration from the database. Upon completion of configuration
updates, SGConfig stores the configuration data back in the SQL Database.
Q: Can a configuration built in SGConfig v8.3 be used in earlier versions of SGConfig?
A: No. The design of SGConfig v8x is slightly different from that of SGConfig v7x. While configurations built in earlier versions of
SGConfig can be restored in SGConfig v8.3, configurations built in SGConfig v8.3 cannot be restored in versions of SGConfig
earlier than 8.0. For example: Configurations built in SGConfig v8.3 cannot be used in SGConfig v7.4, v7.2 and lower. However,
configurations built in SGConfig v7.4 or v7.2 can be used in SGConfig v8.3.

Additional Information
For more detailed information on the SGConfig 8 release, see the SGConfig 8 tool > Getting Started > Release Notes.
Visit GE Substation Automation technical support website for software updates:
http://site.ge-energy.com/prod_serv/products/substation_automation/en/tech_support_login.htm

Product Support
If you need help with any aspect of your GE Digital Energy product, you can:
Access the GE Digital Energy Web site
Search the GE Technical Support library
Contact Technical Support

GE Digital Energy Web Site

The GE Digital Energy Web site provides fast access to technical information, such as manuals, release notes and knowledge base
topics.
Visit us on the Web at: http://www.gedigitalenergy.com/

GE Technical Support Library

This site serves as a document repository for post-sales requests. To get access to the Technical Support Web site, go to:
http://site.ge-energy.com/prod_serv/products/substation_automation/en/tech_support_login.htm

Contact Technical Support

GE Digital Energy Technical Support is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for you to talk directly to a GE representative.
In the U.S. and Canada, call toll-free: 1 800 547 8629.
International customers call: +1 905 927 7070
Or send an e-mail to: multilin.tech@ge.com

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The information contained in this online publication is subject to change without notice. The software described in this online
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Trademark Notice
GE and the GE monogram are trademarks and service marks of General Electric Company.
* Trademarks of General Electric Company. Other company or product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Document Revision History

Version Revision Date Author Change Description
1.00 0 19 December, 2014 M. Koker Initial Release
1 23 December 2014 M. Koker Added SGConfig v8.3 Known Issue and Workaround
2 5 January, 2015 Q. Khalifa Corrected SGConfig version number in Microsoft Windows OS
Support section

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