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FS-8700-47 DNP 3.0 Driver Manual Page 4 of 51
FieldServer Technologies 1991 Tarob Court Milpitas, California 95035 USA Web: www.fieldserver.com
Tel: (408) 262 2299 Fax: (408) 262 2269 Toll Free: (888) 509 1970 email: support@fieldserver.com
1. DNP 3.0 Driver Description
The DNP 3.0 Driver allows the FieldServer to transfer data to and from devices over RS-232 or RS-485
using DNP 3.0 Driver protocol. The FieldServer can emulate either a Server or Client.
The following description of DNP is from the DNP User Group internet site.
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“The development of DNP was a comprehensive effort to achieve open, standards-based interoperability
between substation computers, RTUs, IEDs (Intelligent Electronic Devices) and master stations (except
inter-master station communications) for the electric utility industry. Also important was the time frame
and the need for a solution to meet today's requirements. As ambitious an undertaking as this was, we
are reaching this objective.
DNP is based on the standards of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Technical
Committee 57, Working Group 03 who have been working on an OSI 3 layer "Enhanced Performance
Architecture" (EPA) protocol standard for telecontrol applications. DNP has been designed to be as close
to compliant as possible to the standards as they existed at time of development with the addition of
functionality not identified in Europe but needed for current and future North American applications (e.g.
limited transport layer functions to support 2K descriptor transfers for IEDs, RF and fiber support).
Recently DNP 3.0 was selected as a Recommended Practice by the IEEE C.2 Task Force; RTU to IED
Communications Protocol.
Feature Rich
DNP offers flexibility and functionality that go far beyond conventional communications protocols. Among
its robust and flexible features DNP 3.0 includes:
• Output options
• Secure configuration/file transfers
• Addressing for over 65,000 devices on a single link
• Time synchronization and time-stamped events
• Broadcast messages
• Data link and application layer confirmation
DNP 3.0 was originally designed based on three layers of the OSI seven-layer model: application layer,
data link layer and physical layer. The application layer is object-based with objects provided for most
generic data formats. The data link layer provides for several methods of retrieving data such as polling
for classes and object variations. The physical layer defines most commonly a simple RS-232 or RS-485
interface.
DNP 3.0 is very efficient for a layered protocol while ensuring high data integrity.
Suits Any SCADA/EMS Environment
Because DNP 3.0 is based on the IEC 870-5 requirements, DNP is suitable for application in the entire
SCADA/EMS environment. This includes RTU to IED communications, master to remote
communications, and even peer-to-peer instances and network applications.
Being an object-based application layer protocol, DNP 3.0 has the flexibility to support multiple operating
modes such as poll-response, polled report-by-exception, unsolicited responses and peer-to-peer. It
permits multiple masters and encourages distributed intelligence.
Users can expect many benefits from using DNP. In the short term:
• Interoperability between multi-vendor devices
• Fewer protocols to support in the field
• reduced software costs
• No protocol translators needed
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DNP Users Group, PO Box 43075 DVPO, Calgary, AB, Canada T2J 7A7