Firmware validation for power delivery system using simulated power delivery system values

1 . A system, comprising:

a computing device configured to communicatively couple to an intelligent electronic device (IED) of an electric power delivery system, wherein the computing device is configured to:

transmit a signal, to the intelligent electronic device (IED) during normal intelligent electronic device (IED) operation in which the intelligent electronic device (IED) is configured to control one or more components of the electric power delivery system, comprising instructions to cause the intelligent electronic device (IED) to:

pause the normal intelligent electronic device (IED) operation and stop controlling the one or more components of the electric power delivery system; and

apply a firmware update;

transmit a signal comprising simulated digitized analog power delivery system samples to the intelligent electronic device (IED);

receive a signal indicative of simulated digital measurements generated by the intelligent electronic device (IED) based on the simulated digitized analog power delivery system samples;

determine validation of the firmware update based on the simulated digital measurements; and

based on the determination of validation of the firmware indicating that the firmware is not validated, transmit a signal comprising instructions to cause the intelligent electronic device (IED) to restart the application of the firmware update or revert to a prior firmware configuration.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to determine validation of the firmware based on a comparison of the simulated digital measurements and expected digital measurements.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the computing device is configured to determine that the firmware is validated when the simulated digital measurements fall within a threshold of the expected digital measurements.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to send the firmware update to the intelligent electronic device (IED) before transmitting the signal indicative of instructions to pause normal intelligent electronic device (IED) operation and apply the firmware update.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is communicatively coupled to the intelligent electronic device (IED) via a switch.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the switch is configured to transfer authentic digitized analog samples of the electric power delivery system during normal intelligent electronic device (IED) operation and not to transfer the authentic digitized analog samples of the electric power delivery system when normal intelligent electronic device (IED) operation is paused.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to, based on the determination of validation of the firmware indicating that the firmware is not validated, transmit a signal comprising a command to another intelligent electronic device (IED) to change primary, dual primary, or backup protection status.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the intelligent electronic device (IED) is configured to download the firmware update from a source other than the computing device.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to, based on the determination of validation of the firmware indicating that the firmware is not validated, transmit a message to an operator that the firmware is not validated.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the computing device comprises a remote computing device;

the system comprises a local computing device in communication with the intelligent electronic device (IED); and

the remote computing device is configured to communicatively couple, via a wide area network, to the local computing device in communication with the intelligent electronic device (IED) to enable the remote computing device to communicatively couple to the intelligent electronic device (IED).

11 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, are configured to cause data processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:

issuing, to a first intelligent electronic device (IED) during normal intelligent electronic device (IED) operation in which the first intelligent electronic device (IED) is configured to control one or more components of an electric power delivery system, one or more commands to:

pause normal intelligent electronic device (IED) operation and stop controlling the one or more components of the electric power delivery system; and

apply a firmware update;

providing simulated digitized analog power delivery system samples to the first intelligent electronic device (IED);

receiving simulated digital measurements from the first intelligent electronic device (IED) responsive to the simulated digitized analog power delivery system samples;

determining validation of the firmware update based on the simulated digital measurements; and

based on the determination of validation of the firmware indicating that the firmware is not validated, issuing one or more commands to cause a second intelligent electronic device (IED) to change primary, dual primary, or backup protection status.

12 . The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the simulated digital measurements comprise a log of event reports generated in response to the simulated digitized analog power delivery system samples.

13 . The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , comprising instructions that, when executed, are configured to cause the data processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:

providing the firmware update to the intelligent electronic device (IED).

14 . The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , comprising instructions that, when executed, are configured to cause the data processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:

issuing one or more commands to the intelligent electronic device (IED) to download the firmware update.

15 . The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , comprising instructions that, when executed, are configured to cause the data processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:

connecting, via a wide area network, to a local computing system; and

prompting the local computing system to perform the operations recited in claim 11 .

16 . The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , comprising instructions that, when executed, are configured to cause the data processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:

connecting, via a wide area network, to a local computing system; and

performing the operations recited in claim 11 using the local computing system as an edge device.

17 . A method, comprising:

instructing, via a computing device, an intelligent electronic device (IED) of a power delivery system during normal intelligent electronic device (IED) operation in which the intelligent electronic device (IED) is configured to control one or more components of the electric power delivery system, to:

pause normal operation and stop controlling the one or more components of the electric power delivery system; and

apply a firmware update;

providing, via the computing device, simulated digitized analog power delivery system samples to the intelligent electronic device (IED);

receiving, via the computing device, simulated digital measurements indicative of intelligent electronic device (IED) behavior in response to the simulated digitized analog power delivery system samples;

determining, via the computing device, validation of the firmware update based on the simulated digital measurements; and

based on the determination of validation of the firmware indicating that the firmware is not validated:

instructing the intelligent electronic device (IED) to restart the application of the firmware update or revert to a prior firmware configuration; or

instructing one or more additional intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) to change primary, dual primary, or backup protection status; or

a combination thereof.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the firmware update comprises security configuration changes, control changes, measurement changes, or any combination thereof.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the method is performed by a testing device within a local area network of the intelligent electronic device (IED), and wherein the intelligent electronic device (IED) comprises an intelligent merging unit.

20 . The method of claim 19 , comprising:

receiving a test file from a computing device separated from the intelligent merging unit, wherein the test file comprises instructions readable by the testing device; and

generating the simulated digitized analog power delivery system samples based on the instructions.