Book excerpt: IEC 61850-Based Smart Substations: Principles, Testing, Operation and Maintenance systematically presents principles, testing approaches, and the operation and maintenance technologies of such substations from the perspective of real-world application. The book consists of chapters that cover a review of IEC 61850 based smart substations, substation configuration technology, principles and testing technologies for the smart substation, process bus, substation level, time setting and synchronization, and cybersecurity. It gives detailed information on testing processes and approaches, operation and maintenance technologies, and insights gained through practical experience. As IEC 61850 based smart substations have played a significant role in smart grids, realizing information sharing and device interoperation, this book provides a timely resource on the topics at hand. - Contributes to the overall understanding of standard IEC 61850, analyzing principles and features - Introduces best practices derived from hundreds of smart substation engineering applications - Summarizes current research and insights gained from practical experience in the testing, operation and maintenance of smart substation projects in China - Gives systematic and detailed information on testing technology - Introduces novel technologies for next-generation substations