CDSCC Power System Architecture Design
Canberra, Australia · Jan 2024 – Sep 2024
Overview
The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) in Australia operated its powerhouse systems on independently managed, isolated networks — a legacy of incremental upgrades over decades. Generator controls ran on aging OMRON PLCs and Woodward synchronizers that predated current standards for networked operation and remote diagnostics.
The engagement delivered architecture for two concurrent modernization tracks: consolidating the fragmented networks into a unified, segmented topology and migrating legacy generator controls to a current-generation platform. This fragmentation pattern — isolated networks from decades of incremental upgrades — is common across Tier III/IV data centers approaching lifecycle modernization.
Technical Scope
Network Consolidation
| Aspect | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Topology | Isolated, independently operated networks | Segmented PRP dual-star |
| Redundancy | None (single path per network) | Zero-switchover via PRP (IEC 62439-3) |
| Core switches | Various unmanaged | Managed distribution core |
| Edge switches | Various unmanaged | Industrial Ethernet edge (dual-attached) |
| Management | Per-device, no central visibility | SNMP telemetry, unified monitoring |
The consolidated architecture provides network segmentation — protection traffic, control traffic, and monitoring traffic share physical infrastructure but are logically separated. PRP ensures that any single switch or cable failure is invisible to connected devices.
Generator Controls Migration
| Aspect | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Genset control | OMRON PLCs (legacy) | Woodward integrated genset controllers |
| Synchronizer/load share | Woodward synchronizers (legacy) | Woodward load-share controllers |
| Networking | Hardwired point-to-point | Networked (Modbus TCP + CANbus) |
| Diagnostics | Local panel only | Remote via SCADA/HMI |
The migration replaces end-of-life equipment with the same platform used at Madrid and Goldstone — ensuring operational consistency across all three DSN complexes and simplifying spare parts logistics.
Methodology & Approach
This was a design-phase engagement — architecture documentation, interface specifications, and migration planning delivered before construction. The deliverables included:
- Network architecture drawings: Physical and logical topology, VLAN assignments, IP addressing scheme, PRP redundancy configuration
- Controls migration plan: Phased cutover sequence that maintains generator availability throughout the transition
- Interface specifications: Protocol mapping between new Woodward controllers and existing SEL protection relays, RTAC gateways, and SCADA hosts
- Bill of materials: Equipment lists with model numbers, quantities, and procurement lead times
Each migration phase includes a rollback path — if commissioning reveals an interface issue, the phase reverts without affecting adjacent systems. The construction team doesn’t encounter engineering decisions on site because the design resolves them in advance.
The design follows the same distributed control architecture proven at Madrid and Goldstone — adapted to Canberra’s site-specific layout and existing equipment interfaces.
ARCHITECTURE DESIGN
Get Migration Architecture That Construction Teams Can Execute
Construction-ready documentation: network topology, interface specs, migration sequence, and bill of materials. Your field team builds from decisions — not questions.
Platforms & Integration
Two manufacturer platforms in the new architecture:
- Woodward for all generator controls — integrated controllers for genset management, load-share controllers for synchronization and load sharing
- Cisco for industrial networking — managed distribution core with industrial Ethernet edge, PRP dual-star topology
The design integrates with the existing SEL protection relays and RTAC gateways already installed at the site, extending the unified controls architecture to cover generator management and network infrastructure.
Results
Construction-ready architecture documentation for two modernization tracks — network consolidation and generator controls migration — delivered before construction with no engineering decisions left for the field. The design provides a clear migration path from fragmented, independently operated systems to a modern, standards-based controls infrastructure.
The design deliverables demonstrate architecture capability for brownfield network consolidation and controls platform migration — a common scope for data centers transitioning from legacy systems to unified, maintainable architectures. The design-phase deliverables enable a construction contractor to execute the migration — without re-engineering decisions on site.
For the prime contractor, architecture documentation delivered before construction eliminates the engineering-decision delays that extend commissioning timelines and generate change orders.
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