ABB REF620E-F (NBFNAAAANDA1BNN1X) | Feeder Protection Relay | Obsolete IED Spare Parts Risk Assessment
ABB REF620E-F (NBFNAAAANDA1BNN1X) | Feeder Protection Relay | Obsolete IED Spare Parts Risk Assessment - Image 2
ABB REF620E-F (NBFNAAAANDA1BNN1X) | Feeder Protection Relay | Obsolete IED Spare Parts Risk Assessment - Image 3
ABB REF620E-F (NBFNAAAANDA1BNN1X) | Feeder Protection Relay | Obsolete IED Spare Parts Risk Assessment - Image 4

ABB REF620E-F (NBFNAAAANDA1BNN1X) | Feeder Protection Relay | Obsolete IED Spare Parts Risk Assessment

  • Model: REF620E-F
  • Serial/Order Code: NBFNAAAANDA1BNN1X (ABB-specific configuration string)
  • Brand: ABB
  • Core Function: Multifunction feeder protection, control, monitoring, and metering relay for medium-voltage distribution networks
  • Lifecycle Status: Obsolete / Discontinued – superseded by REF620 V2 or REF615 V3+ series; no longer in active production
  • Procurement Risk: High – new units unavailable from ABB; secondary market inventory is limited, often untested, and may lack compatible firmware or configuration files
  • Critical Role: Provides overcurrent, earth-fault, thermal overload, and breaker failure protection; failure leaves feeders unprotected, risking equipment damage or cascading outages
Category: SKU: ABB REF620E_F NBFNAAAANDA1BNN1X

Description

Technical Specifications (For Spare Parts Verification)

  • Model: REF620E-F
  • ABB Order Code Variant: NBFNAAAANDA1BNN1X
    • Breakdown (partial):
      • NBF: REF620E base platform
      • NAAA: Standard I/O configuration
      • ANDA: IEC 61850 Edition 1 support
      • 1B: 1x Ethernet + RS485
      • NN1X: No arc protection, standard firmware, English UI
  • System Family: Relion® 620 series (part of ABB’s substation automation portfolio)
  • Standards Compliance: IEC 61850 Ed.1, IEC 60255, IEEE C37.90
  • Protection Functions:
    • 3-phase overcurrent (definite/inverse time)
    • Earth-fault protection (directional/non-directional)
    • Thermal overload, breaker failure, auto-reclose
  • Communication Interfaces:
    • 1× 10/100 Mbps Ethernet (IEC 61850 MMS, GOOSE)
    • 1× RS-485 (Modbus RTU or SPA bus)
  • I/O: Typically 10 binary inputs, 6 binary outputs, 2 analog inputs
  • Power Supply: 24–250 VDC or 100–240 VAC (universal)
  • Operating Temperature: –25°C to +55°C
  • Firmware: Requires PCM600 or legacy Relion toolset for configuration
  • Physical Form: 4U 19″ rack-mount or panel-mount with front HMI display

System Role and Downtime Impact

The ABB REF620E-F is a critical Intelligent Electronic Device (IED) deployed in utility substations, industrial power plants, and mining facilities to protect outgoing feeders from electrical faults. It acts as the first line of defense against short circuits, ground faults, and abnormal loading conditions.

If the relay fails—due to power supply fault, communication loss, or internal processor crash—the protected feeder loses all automatic protection functions. While upstream breakers may eventually operate, the delay can cause:

  • Severe cable or transformer damage
  • Extended outage duration
  • Violation of regulatory reliability standards (e.g., NERC, ENTSO-E)
  • Safety hazards for personnel during fault conditions

In systems using IEC 61850 GOOSE for inter-relay coordination (e.g., breaker failure schemes), a failed REF620E-F can disrupt the entire protection logic chain, leading to misoperation or delayed tripping.

 

Reliability Analysis and Common Failure Modes

Despite robust design, units manufactured before ~2015 are now experiencing age-related issues:

Common failure modes include:

  • Electrolytic capacitor degradation in the internal switch-mode power supply, causing reboot loops or complete power loss.
  • Ethernet PHY chip failure, resulting in loss of IEC 61850 communication while local protection remains functional (creating a “silent” risk).
  • Flash memory corruption after repeated power cycles, leading to boot failure or loss of settings.
  • Display or keypad wear on front panel, impairing local operation during emergencies.
  • Firmware incompatibility when attempting to replace with a unit running a different software version.

Design limitations:

  • IEC 61850 implementation is based on Edition 1, which lacks modern security features (e.g., IEC 62351) and may not interoperate cleanly with newer IEC 61850 Ed.2 devices.
  • Limited cybersecurity hardening (no role-based access, weak password policies in older firmware).

Preventive maintenance recommendations:

  • Perform annual functional testing per IEEE C37.90.
  • Monitor event logs for unexpected reboots or communication timeouts.
  • Maintain backup copies of PCM600 configuration files (.pcmx) and firmware images.
  • Replace units showing frequent “Watchdog Reset” or “Power Fail” events.
ABB REF620E_F NBFNAAAANDA1BNN1X

ABB REF620E_F NBFNAAAANDA1BNN1X

Lifecycle Status and Migration Strategy

ABB has discontinued the REF620E-F and transitioned customers to:

  • REF620 V2 (with IEC 61850 Ed.2, enhanced cybersecurity, and improved hardware)
  • REF615 V3+ (cost-optimized alternative with similar functionality)

New orders for NBFNAAAANDA1BNN1X are not accepted, and ABB no longer provides firmware updates or repair services for this variant.

Short-Term Mitigation:

  • Source tested spares from ABB-certified surplus vendors with configuration validation.
  • Ensure spare units match exact firmware version to avoid compatibility issues.
  • Use PCM600 v2.x (last compatible version) for configuration backups.

Long-Term Migration Path:

  1. Hardware Replacement: Install REF620 V2 or REF615 V3+ with equivalent protection functions.
  2. Configuration Migration: Use ABB’s Relion Configurator or engineering services to convert legacy settings.
  3. System Integration: Update substation engineering tools (e.g., MicroSCADA, Ability™ Network Manager) to support new IEDs.
  4. Cybersecurity Upgrade: Implement VLAN segmentation, access control, and secure authentication per IEC 62351.

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