# mz-automation/libiec61850

Official repository for libIEC61850, the open-source library for the IEC 61850 protocols

Repository: https://github.com/mz-automation/libiec61850
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/libiec61850
Homepage: https://www.mz-automation.de/iec-61850-protocol-library/
Language: C
License: GPL-3.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: iec-61850, mms, goose
Last push: 2026-08-26T11:06:17+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 86/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 62, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3491, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 41, "gap_med": 356, "n_releases_24m": 2}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1212, forks 607 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:00.394911+00:00)

## What it is
libiec61850 is an open-source (GPLv3) C library implementing the IEC 61850 client and server protocols MMS, GOOSE, Sampled Values, and R-Session for substation automation. It is portable C99 code with C, C#/.NET, and experimental Python APIs, usable on embedded systems and PCs running Linux, Windows, and macOS.

## Use cases
- implement an IEC 61850 compliant MMS client or server in C
- publish or subscribe to GOOSE messages in a substation
- handle IEC 61850-9-2 Sampled Values streams
- communicate with IEC 61850 IEDs from a .NET application
- build IEC 61850 protocol support into an embedded device
- download COMTRADE files via MMS file services
- secure IEC 61850 communication with TLS (IEC 62351)

## When to choose
- you need an open-source, portable C implementation of IEC 61850 MMS, GOOSE, or SV
- you are building substation automation devices or testing tools on embedded systems or PCs
- you want a field-proven library used in certified commercial products
- you need C, C#/.NET, or Python bindings for IEC 61850 communication

## When to avoid
- your project is not GPLv3-compatible and you cannot purchase a commercial license from MZ Automation
- you need protocols other than IEC 61850, such as IEC 60870-5 or DNP3
- you require a fully managed pure .NET implementation without native dependencies

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: stable
- function: networking, sdk, embedded
- domain: iot, energy, embedded-systems
- platform: windows, embedded, cross-platform, c, dotnet, python
- tags: iec-61850, mms, goose, sampled-values, substation-automation, smart-grid, industrial-protocols, tls, rgoose, rsmv, automation, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- mz-automation/libiec61850 (main) score 86

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:00.394911+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T06:18:00.874959+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/mz-automation/libiec61850 (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:00.394911+00:00, sha 57083634c822)
  - homepage: https://www.mz-automation.de/iec-61850-protocol-library/ (fetched 2026-08-29T12:26:12.351644+00:00, sha 67ba39fd543b)
  - site_page: https://www.mz-automation.de/about-us (fetched 2026-08-29T12:26:12.398360+00:00, sha f6f6dc1df80a)
  - site_page: https://mz-automation.de/faq (fetched 2026-08-29T12:26:12.453730+00:00, sha 5caf0f32cfac)
  - site_page: https://support.mz-automation.de/doc/libiec61850/c/latest (fetched 2026-08-29T12:26:12.506798+00:00, sha a5408ae294c9)
  - site_page: https://www.mz-automation.de/faq (fetched 2026-08-29T12:26:12.620553+00:00, sha 5caf0f32cfac)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.