Description

The CE-TAP1 is a passive and transparent Ethernet Network TAP designed for traffic capture and monitoring in digital substation networks based on the IEC 61850 standard.

It is installed directly into the network cable between two devices, such as between a protection relay and a switch, between an MMS client and server, or between PTP master and slave clocks. The device copies all traffic passing through that link to a dedicated TAP port without interfering with the original communication.

The result is complete and accurate access to real network traffic without requiring switch configuration, without affecting operating IEDs, and without introducing latency or packet modifications.

A practical solution for network visibility

In IEC 61850 digital substations, network traffic investigation is a routine task during commissioning, troubleshooting, and interoperability testing. The traditional approach relies on switch port mirroring (SPAN), which often presents operational limitations.

Without the CE-TAP1, it is difficult to:

Capture end-to-end traffic between two devices without reconfiguring the switch;
Monitor PTP (IEEE 1588) master-slave communications without adding an extra network hop;
Analyze MMS client-server communications without administrative switch access;
Ensure captured packets are exact copies of the originals;
Operate in unmanaged switch environments where port mirroring is unavailable;
Capture traffic without risking impacts on equipment operating in the substation.

How the network “spy” concept works

The CE-TAP1 operates as a passive hardware TAP. It is physically inserted between two Ethernet devices and silently duplicates all traffic passing through that segment to the TAP port, where a network analyzer can capture and inspect the packets.

Because the device is completely transparent, connected devices remain unaware that monitoring is taking place. This characteristic is essential to preserve the original behavior of the protocol under investigation.

IEC 61850 Applications

Sampled Values (SV)

The CE-TAP1 captures continuous streams of Sampled Values published by Merging Units with byte-level fidelity. Engineers can verify synchronization, data quality, publication rates, and compliance with 9-2LE and IEC 61869-9 profiles directly on the communication link.

GOOSE

GOOSE traffic is multicast and extremely sensitive to latency. The CE-TAP1 enables completely passive capture, preserving actual publication and retransmission timing. This capability is critical for diagnosing protection and automation systems based on GOOSE communications.

PTP – Precision Time Protocol (IEEE 1588 / IEC 61850-9-3)

One of the most important applications of the CE-TAP1 is PTP synchronization analysis. The device allows monitoring of Sync, Follow-Up, Delay_Req, and Delay_Resp messages directly on the master-slave link while preserving original timestamps and avoiding any impact on clock offset calculations.

MMS – Manufacturing Message Specification

MMS is the client-server communication mechanism used for reporting, control, data acquisition, and remote configuration of IEDs. The CE-TAP1 enables direct monitoring of TCP/IP communication between SCADA/HMI systems and IEDs without requiring access to network infrastructure.

Integration with Conprove Solutions

The CE-TAP1 integrates seamlessly with Conprove’s IEC 61850 testing and diagnostic ecosystem:

CE-6707: Monitoring of SV and GOOSE traffic during testing activities;
CE-6710: Validation of GOOSE and SV traffic generated or received during tests;
CE-7012: Simultaneous traffic capture during primary and secondary testing;
CE-MNET4: Enhanced monitoring of specific point-to-point communication segments;
CE-RNET4: High-fidelity traffic recording from critical network segments.