IEC 61400-25-6:2016

Overview

IEC 61400-25-6:2016 is part of the IEC 61400-25 series for communications for monitoring and control of wind power plants. This part specifies the information models (logical node classes and data classes) related to condition monitoring and the rules for information exchange of data values tied to those models. It is intended to be used together with other IEC 61400-25 parts to enable interoperable condition monitoring across wind turbines, SCADA systems, and condition monitoring systems (CMS).

This second edition (2016) introduces major updates:

• Restructured data model to improve flexibility
• Removal of UFF58 format
• Access to data via standard reporting and logging functions
• Recommendations for creating datanames to support flexible naming and mapping

Key topics and technical content

• Information modelling for condition monitoring: Defines logical node(s) (e.g., WCON for wind turbine condition monitoring) and common data classes that describe sensors, measurements and metadata.
• Common data classes: Examples included in the standard are Condition Monitoring Measurement (CMM), Condition Monitoring Bin (CMB), Scalar Value Array (SVA) and Complex Measurement Value Array (CMVA).
• Measurement description attributes: Attributes for sensor identification, measurement type, shaft/bearing location and binning of operational states.
• Operational state bin concept: Mechanism to categorize measurements into bins (e.g., by power or speed ranges) to facilitate trending and alarms.
• Reporting & logging: Standardized use of IEC 61400-25 reporting and logging mechanisms for accessing condition monitoring data.
• Dataname recommendations: Guidance to create consistent, flexible names for data mapping and integration.

Practical applications

IEC 61400-25-6 enables:

• Interoperable condition monitoring between OEM turbine controllers, third‑party condition monitoring vendors, and SCADA/asset management systems
• Consistent definition and exchange of vibration, temperature, oil analysis and other CM measurements
• Structured alarm/threshold definition and bin-based trending for predictive maintenance
• Reduced integration time and costs through standardized data classes and naming guidance

Who should use this standard

• Wind turbine OEM engineers and controls developers
• Condition monitoring system vendors and integrators
• SCADA and fleet asset management teams
• Wind farm operators and maintenance planners
• System architects designing communications and data models for wind power plants

Related standards

• IEC 61400-25 series (all parts) - general communications framework
• IEC 61400-25-2 - logical node classes and data classes common to the series (referenced and extended by Part 25-6)

By specifying clear logical nodes and data classes for condition monitoring, IEC 61400-25-6 helps standardize data exchange across wind farms, enabling better predictive maintenance, interoperability and scalable monitoring deployments.