Testing With GOOSE Isn’t Hard. You’re Just Doing It Backwards
- EnergyTesting
- Jul 31
- 4 min read
The real issue is how people approach GOOSE testing - or how they avoid it entirely. I've been on sites where engineers stare blankly at relay screens, Ethernet link lights flashing, and everyone's hoping something "GOOSE-y" happens. When it doesn’t? Back to copper wiring.
But here's the thing: GOOSE can be incredibly powerful, fast, and flexible - if you stop treating it like a glorified wire and start testing it on its own terms.
Forget What You Know About Hardwiring
In the traditional hardwired world, we're used to certainty. You close a contact, voltage appears, and you move on. GOOSE doesn't work that way.
GOOSE is a message - a structured Ethernet packet. It’s not just "signal ON" or "signal OFF." It carries information about what is being sent, why, and precisely when it changed. And it transmits this continuously, even when nothing seems to be happening.
The key difference? GOOSE is event-driven. You can't just inject current, wait for a relay to trip, and hope the GOOSE status changes. You must actively trigger the logic yourself, configuring both ends to understand what they're communicating.
Watching GOOSE Isn't Testing GOOSE
I've seen teams "test" GOOSE using nothing more than Wireshark. They open a laptop, filter traffic, watch messages fly, and say, "Looks good."
That’s like listening to relay clicks and assuming your protection works. You're observing chatter - not verifying functionality.
Testing means action. You generate the message, send it deliberately, and verify if the receiving relay reacts appropriately - tripping a breaker, initiating a block, or setting a flag. If you aren't testing the end-to-end effect—from sender logic to receiver action—you're not truly testing.
The Mistake Most People Make: Starting with the Relay
Many engineers approach GOOSE testing backwards. They start by saying, "Let's see if the relay reacts," without knowing what it should react to.
Effective GOOSE testing begins with understanding your configuration clearly:
What message is being published?
Which dataset is attached?
What device is subscribed?
What conditions trigger the publishing?
Without this clarity, you're merely poking around, hoping the relay magically responds.
The right way? Simulate input conditions first—not by applying voltage or dry contacts—but by sending the precise GOOSE message directly.
EuroSMC Solutions Simplify GOOSE Testing
This is exactly where EuroSMC solutions like DigiGOOSE and the Quasar relay tester, along with the ROOTS software, truly shine. DigiGOOSE, specifically, bridges traditional relays with IEC 61850-based equipment, converting physical signals into virtual GOOSE messages effortlessly.
With DigiGOOSE, you no longer have to manually simulate or guess whether a relay sees your input conditions. It lets you define GOOSE messages clearly, send them instantly, and verify how subscribed devices respond—fast and accurately.
Paired with Quasar and ROOTS, this becomes even more streamlined. ROOTS allows visual mapping and easy verification of IEC 61850 datasets and signals, while Quasar brings powerful, real-time testing capabilities. Together, these products turn complex IEC 61850 and hybrid-system testing into something intuitive and reliable.
Mixed Panels Are Where GOOSE Earns Its Keep
Most substations mix modern IEC 61850 relays and legacy gear operating in analog worlds. The default is often reverting to hardwired loops "just to be safe," which adds complexity, delay, and potential risk.
The better strategy: use a GOOSE-to-physical bridge, precisely what EuroSMC’s DigiGOOSE does. It enables older protection schemes to participate seamlessly in GOOSE testing workflows. You simulate a trip on a legacy relay, it flips a contact, DigiGOOSE detects it, converts it instantly to GOOSE, and your modern relay responds accordingly.
Suddenly, your hybrid panel behaves like a unified IEC 61850 system, with no complex wiring required.
Testing Communication, Not Just Protection
Protection schemes rely as heavily on communication as they do on fault detection. If your GOOSE message isn't structured correctly, isn't sent precisely when needed, or isn't received properly, your protection is compromised.
A proper GOOSE test verifies that the message is structured correctly, sent reliably, received by the correct device, and triggers the expected response. Skip any one of these, and you're running blind.
Make it Handheld
Sometimes a small, portable, but straightforward thing is just what you need.
Many relay engineers still rely on standard Ethernet sniffers or generic networking tools to analyze GOOSE traffic. But while those tools can tell you whether traffic exists, they rarely show what truly matters - if the IEC-61850 messages contain the right datasets, signal statuses, or timestamps.
GooseMeter One doesn’t just capture packets - it interprets GOOSE messages directly. That means you can immediately see:
Exactly which messages are being published.
The precise status of individual signals.
The update intervals and delays between message transmissions.
Whether messages match their intended configuration (based on SCL files).
In other words, it answers the question you really have: "Are these messages correct?"
In the end your daily routine with IEC-61850 testing and GOOSE definitely will increase over years when new substations are erected with native support, and older ones are upgraded year over year. In first case - GooseMeter One will be a handy tool for fast verification. In second - DigiGoose-600 a must-have to combine analogue and digital worlds. And of course an advanced relay tester like Quasar would be beneficial to perform tests of any type. Stop waiting - obtain just what you need.
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