Product overview and engineering role
The FTU mounts on a pole-top switch and on the feeder itself. It samples voltage, current, and zero-sequence current, and it coordinates fault detection, isolation, and restoration (FA). Uplink can be a public or private wireless network or a fiber ring, and the unit meets the access tests of a distribution-automation master station.
Remote open and close stay aligned with the SOE, so the faulted section is easier to judge. SimtoLink supplies a joint-test checklist for the switch CT and PT interfaces, inrush blocking, and the reclose policy, which shortens site acceptance.
Reliability and site fit
CCC test items cover electrical safety and EMC. Ports include surge and reverse-polarity protection. Reinforced grounding and a zoned layout cut ground-loop and common-mode risk. Outdoor and coastal sites can specify a higher ingress rating and a corrosion-resistant coating.
Software accepts a batch parameter import, threshold rules, and event or waveform capture where the model includes them. Configuration and firmware can move over the air. Close acceptance on site in three steps: power-on self-test, time sync, and a sample check. Metering or safety use can add a third-party metrology submission and type-test documents.
Key hardware parameters
Use the table as the typical build when you write a technical schedule. A wider span, redundant power, or an intrinsically safe variant is quoted with the hardware specification and the commissioning guide. Order codes in the family can differ; the nameplate and the papers in the box govern.
| Parameter | Specification | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Telemetry / indications | 64/128 | Configurable point list |
| Control / setpoints | 8/4 | Checkback before execute |
| Uplink | BeiDou short message | Primary/backup switchover |
| Downlink | Multiple RS485 | Isolated |
| Power | DC 24 V solar | Retained through power loss |
| Clock | Holdover <2 s/day | SOE 1 ms |
| Ingress | IP20 inside a cabinet | Lightning protection Level III |
| Safety | IEC 61010 | Type test |
| MTBF | >120,000 h | At room temperature |
| Mounting | Wall | Anti-theft lock |
Typical applications
Four deployments, useful when you design the scheme and estimate payback:
Urban feeder automation
Locates short-circuit and ground-fault sections, and remote isolation shrinks the outage.
Rural and mountain lines
Wireless backhaul cuts the fiber spend. In lightning-prone areas, surge protection and the reset policy are tightened.
Campus dual incomers
Several tie switches work together so automatic bus transfer and load transfer can be proved.
Retrofit of existing switches
The FTU and the point list are cut over in a live window, and older protection trip outputs still fit.
Installation, grounding, and maintenance
- Confirm the supply range and polarity before the breaker is closed. Meter the bus if the drawing is unclear.
- Run communications on shielded twisted pair, bond the shield at one end only, and keep it off long parallel runs with power cable.
- Prove two-way access and a threshold trip in the lab before the FTU leaves for site.
- Outdoors, give water a way out and air a way through, inspect the seal faces, and hold the lightning earth to the local limit.
- While the unit stays in service, pull a sample check and archive logs every 6 months.
Ordering, documentation, and support
SimtoLink supplies the hardware specification, an outline drawing, a wiring table, and a sample project. Volume orders can include a sample review and a factory inspection. Warranty and calibration follow the contract and the papers shipped with the unit.