---
title: "Set up the Energy module"
---

# Set up the Energy module

Requirements, turning the Energy environment on in a trusted workspace, its entry points, the walkthrough, the log, and what applies on Windows.

**State:** the switch, entry points, status bar item and walkthrough are modelled: covered by Electron tests on Linux. The keys have not been tried on Windows or macOS or with non-US keyboard layouts.

## Requirements

| What | Needed for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| A trusted workspace with your station files | Everything | The module never runs in an untrusted folder, and stops when trust is revoked |
| Your copy of the IEC 61850-6 SCL schema files | Schema validation only | Not shipped with the Editor; download the SCL XSD package from the IEC. See [Validate against your IEC schema](https://neuralinverse.com/docs/modules/energy/schema-validation/) |
| Hitachi Energy PCM600 2.11 or later, on Windows | PCM600 SCD export and import | Driven through `PCM600Cmd.exe`. See [Vendor tools and PCM600](https://neuralinverse.com/docs/modules/energy/vendor-tools/) |
| Wireshark's `dumpcap` (or `tshark`) | Live GOOSE and Sampled Values capture | On Windows also Npcap, installed by IT with administrator rights. See [Live monitor](https://neuralinverse.com/docs/modules/energy/live-monitor/) |
| Network access to a test IED or test server on a test network | Online MMS, records, commissioning | Never a relay in service |
| A PEM or PKCS#12 client certificate and the station's CA certificates | MMS over TLS | See [MMS over TLS and credentials](https://neuralinverse.com/docs/modules/energy/tls/) |

No extra runtime is needed: TLS runs on the Editor's own Node runtime, and nothing is fetched at run time.

## Turn the Energy environment on

1. Open a folder with SCL files (`.scd .ssd .icd .iid .cid .sed`) or COMTRADE records (`.cff`, or a `.cfg` with its `.dat`) and trust it.
2. A notification offers once to enable the Energy environment. Accept it, or run **Neural Inverse: Enable Energy Environment** from the Command Palette. This turns on `neuralInverse.energy.enabled` (off by default, window scope). The Editor never turns it on by itself.
3. **Disable Energy Environment** turns everything off again: views, commands, title bar items, the status bar item, keys, the walkthrough and the agent tools. Online connections are closed and a live capture stops.

Detection for the offer lists folders only, three levels deep, skipping build and dependency folders.

Work on copies of your station files, under Git: the change record can use the version committed at Git `HEAD` as the previous version of a file (see [confRev and the change record](https://neuralinverse.com/docs/modules/energy/change-record/)).

## Entry points

All commands are under **Neural Inverse Energy** in the Command Palette.

| Where | What |
|---|---|
| Title bar, next to search | **Open IEC 61850 System** (Ctrl+Shift+Alt+D) and **Open COMTRADE Record** (Ctrl+Shift+Alt+F); Cmd instead of Ctrl on macOS. Each asks for a file of the workspace and opens it in its editor |
| Empty editor area | The same two actions with their keys |
| Explorer | The **IEC 61850 Station**, **Vendor Tools** and **SCL History** views |
| Status bar | The station, while the workspace has SCL files: the number of SCL files and the errors and warnings that the checks, schema validation and change record put in Problems. The tooltip says how many files could not be read, and that these are the Editor's checks, not a vendor tool's acceptance. A click shows the IEC 61850 Station view |
| Reopen Editor With... | The module's editors for each file type. The text editor stays the default for SCL files, COMTRADE `.cfg` files, captures and CSV files |

## The walkthrough

On the Welcome page (**Welcome: Open Walkthrough...**), **Get Started with IEC 61850 Substations** has eight steps: open your station, check the station, follow the data flow, see the single line, review relay settings, analyse a disturbance record, check a GOOSE and Sampled Values capture, export an IED configuration. A step is ticked only when its outcome is shown (the file in its editor, the Station view with files, a `.cid` file written), not when you press its button.

## The Energy log

The module writes to the **Energy** output channel (View > Output, then pick **Energy**). Its file is `logs/<window>/neuralInverse.energy.log`. It records schema folder loading, imports and upgrades with their changes, vendor tool command lines and output, online associations, browses, confirmed writes and disconnections, and live capture command lines. See [Approvals and the Energy log](https://neuralinverse.com/docs/modules/energy/approvals-and-audit/).

## Settings

| Setting | Default | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| `neuralInverse.energy.enabled` | `false` | Turns the environment on |
| `neuralInverse.energy.sclSchemaFolder` | empty | Your copy of the IEC SCL schema |
| `neuralInverse.energy.paths.pcm600Cmd` | empty | `PCM600Cmd.exe` or its folder |
| `neuralInverse.energy.vendorToolExecutables` | `{}` | The program each **Open in** command starts |
| `neuralInverse.energy.paths.dumpcap` | empty | Wireshark's `dumpcap` (or `tshark`) or its folder |
| `neuralInverse.energy.records.allowDelete` | `false` | Offers **Delete...** for files on an IED online |

Details are in the [reference](https://neuralinverse.com/docs/modules/energy/reference/).

## On Windows

The module is written for a managed Windows laptop: offline, without administrator rights and without an extra runtime. Nothing has run on Windows yet. The code was reviewed line by line for Windows, offline, proxy and no-administrator use, and 18 items were fixed, each tested with Windows rules on Linux. Among them:

- registry values are read with the `reg.exe` Windows ships, through a UTF-16 export so install paths in any language keep their letters; nothing is written to the registry or Program Files;
- tool paths pasted with quotes ("Copy as path") or typed without `.exe` are accepted;
- downloads and exports refuse names Windows treats as devices (`CON`, `COM1`) or changes (a trailing dot or space);
- CSV files written for Excel start with a UTF-8 byte order mark, and **Export Signal List for Excel...** uses your regional list and decimal separators;
- DER `.cer` certificates (the Windows default export) are read;
- COMTRADE records whose names are not UTF-8 open in Windows-1252, with a choice of 14 code pages.

Keys held in the Windows certificate store, on smart cards or in a TPM cannot be used for TLS; export the certificate with its key to a PKCS#12 file (see [MMS over TLS and credentials](https://neuralinverse.com/docs/modules/energy/tls/)).

## Smoke test

With a folder of station files open and the environment on:

1. The Explorer shows the **IEC 61850 Station** view listing your SCL files, and the **Vendor Tools** view.
2. The status bar shows the number of SCL files and the errors and warnings Problems lists for them.
3. Press Ctrl+Shift+Alt+D and pick an SCD: it opens in the **IEC 61850 System** editor.
4. Run **Disable Energy Environment**: the title bar buttons, keys, status bar item and walkthrough go away.