Overview
IEC TR 60870-1-1:1988 is a technical report from the IEC that provides general principles for telecontrol equipment and systems. It introduces the basic concepts needed to design and select telecontrol/remote-monitoring installations, including environmental design classes and the principal functional elements that determine telecontrol system configurations. The report emphasizes issues typical of geographically widespread processes where telecommunications constraints (restricted bandwidth, low signal‑to‑noise ratio) play a dominant role. It is intended as an introduction to the detailed requirements covered in Parts 2–5 of IEC 60870.
Key topics
- Environmental classes: Defines classes for the environmental conditions under which telecontrol equipment must operate (temperature, humidity, vibration, etc.), guiding product selection and site installation.
- Functional elements and architecture: Gives an overall view of the functional blocks that contribute to basic telecontrol structures and the choices affecting system topology and configuration.
- Communications constraints: Highlights practical problems of long‑distance and low‑quality links-limited bandwidth, variable latency and low signal‑to‑noise ratios-and their impact on system design.
- Process monitoring and control functions: Discusses generic functions common to monitoring and control systems, applicable across industries while noting special considerations for widely dispersed processes.
- Design guidance, not detailed specs: Serves as an introductory document; specific technical requirements are contained in later parts of IEC 60870.
Applications
IEC TR 60870-1-1 is useful for practitioners working on systems that require remote monitoring and control, especially where sites are geographically dispersed and depend on constrained communication channels. Typical applications include:
- Electric power system telecontrol and SCADA
- Telemetry for water and wastewater networks
- Remote control of gas and oil pipeline assets
- Industrial remote monitoring and distributed automation
- Utilities and infrastructure asset management
Who should use this standard
- System architects and engineers designing telecontrol/SCADA solutions
- OEMs and equipment manufacturers specifying environmental robustness
- Integration and commissioning teams evaluating communications requirements
- Standards managers and procurement specialists seeking baseline guidance before applying Parts 2–5 of IEC 60870
Related standards
- IEC 60870 Parts 2–5 (detailed standards and recommendations referenced by this TR)
- Industry SCADA and telemetry standards (for protocol and implementation specifics)
Keywords: IEC TR 60870-1-1, telecontrol, telemetry, SCADA, environmental classes, telecommunications bandwidth, signal-to-noise ratio, remote monitoring, telemetering, IEC 60870.