ANSI Standard Device Numbers

& Common Acronyms

Suffixes Description Suffixes Description
_1 Positive-Sequence TDO Time-Delay Opening Contact
_2 Negative-Sequence TDPU Time Delayed Relay Coil Pickup
A Alarm, Auxiliary Power THD Total Harmonic Distortion
AC Alternating Current TH Transformer (High-Voltage Side)
AN Anode TL Transformer (Low-Voltage Side)
B Bus, Battery, or Blower TM Telemeter
BF Breaker Failure TT Transformer (Tertiary-Voltage Side)
BK Brake U Under or Unit
BL Block (Valve) X Auxiliary
BP Bypass Z Impedance
BT Bus Tie
BU Backup
C Capacitor, Condenser, Compensator, Carrier Current, Case, Acronyms Description
or Compressor AFD Arc Flash Detector
CA Cathode CLK Clock or Timing Source
CH Check (Valve) CLP Cold Load Pickup
D Discharge (Valve) DDR Dynamic Disturbance Recorder
DC Direct Current DFR Digital Fault Recorder
DCB Directional Comparison Blocking ENV Environmental Data
DCUB Directional Comparison Unblocking HIZ High Impedance Fault Detector
DD Disturbance Detector HMI Human Machine Interface
DUTT Direct Underreaching Transfer Trip HST Historian
E Exciter MET Substation Metering
F Feeder, Field, Filament, Filter, or Fan PDC Phasor Data Concentrator
G Ground or Generator PMU Phasor Measurement Unit
GC Ground Check PQM Power Quality Monitor
H Heater or Housing RIO Remote Input/Output Device
L Line or Logic RTD Resistance Temperature Detector
M Motor or Metering RTU Remote Terminal Unit / Data Concentrator
MOC Mechanism Operated Contact SER Sequence of Events Recorder
N Neutral or Network TCM Trip Circuit Monitor
O Over VTFF Vt Fuse Fail
P Phase or Pump
PC Phase Comparison
POTT Pott: Permissive Overreaching Transfer Trip
PUTT Putt: Permissive Underreaching Transfer Trip
R Reactor, Rectifier, or Room
S Synchronizing, Secondary, Strainer, Sump, or Suction (Valve)
SOTF Switch On To Fault
T Transformer or Thyratron
TD Time Delay
TDC Time-Delay Closing Contact
TDDO Time Delayed Relay Coil Drop-Out

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ANSI Standard Device Numbers
& Common Acronyms
Device No. Description Device No. Description
1 Master Element 33 Position Switch
2 Time Delay Starting or Closing Relay 34 Master Sequence Device
3 Checking or Interlocking Realy 35 Brush-Operating or Slip-ring Short Circuiting Device
4 Master Contactor 36 Polarity or Polarizing Voltage Device
5 Stopping Device 37 Undercurrent or Underpower Relay
6 Starting Circuit Breaker 37P Underpower
7 Rate of Change Relay 38 Bearing Protective Device / Bearing Rtd
8 Control Power Disconnecting Device 39 Mechanical Condition Monitor
9 Reversing Device 40 Field Relay / Loss of Excitation
10 Unit Sequence Switch 41 Field Circuit Breaker
11 Multifunction Device 42 Running Circuit Breaker
12 Overspeed Device/Protection 43 Manual Transfer or Selector Device
13 Synchronous-Speed Device 44 Unit Sequence Starting Relay
14 Underspeed Device 45 Atmospheric Condition Monitor
15 Speed or Frequency Matching Device 46 Reverse-Phase or Phase Balance Current Relay or Stator
16 Communication Networking Device Current Unbalance

17 Shunting or Discharge Switch 47 Phase-Sequence or Phase Balance Voltage Relay

18 Accelerating or Decelerating Device 48 Incomplete Sequence Relay / Blocked Rotor

19 Motor Starter / Starting-to-Running Transition Contactor 49 Machine or Transformer Thermal Relay / Thermal Overload

20 Electrically-Operated Valve 49RTD RTD Biased Thermal Overload

21 Distance Relay 50 Instantaneous Overcurrent Relay

21G Ground Distance 50BF Breaker Failure

21P Phase Distance 50DD Current Disturbance Detector

22 Equalizer Circuit Breaker 50G Ground Instantaneous Overcurrent

23 Temperature Control Device 50N Neutral Instantaneous Overcurrent

24 Volts-per-Hertz Relay / Overfluxing 50P Phase Instantaneous Overcurrent

25 Synchronizing or Synchronism-Check Device 50_2 Negative Sequence Instantaneous Overcurrent

26 Apparatus Thermal Device 50/27 Accidental Energization

27 Undervoltage Relay 50/74 Ct Trouble

27P Phase Undervoltage 50/87 Instantaneous Differential

27TN Third Harmonic Neutral Undervoltage 50EF End Fault Protection

27X Auxiliary Undervoltage 50IG Isolated Ground Instantaneous Overcurrent

27 AUX Undervoltage Auxiliary Input 50LR Acceleration Time

27/27X Bus/Line Undervoltage 50NBF Neutral Instantaneous Breaker Failure

28 Flame Detector 50SG Sensitive Ground Instantaneous Overcurrent

29 Isolating Contactor 50SP Split Phase Instantaneous Current

30 Annunciator Relay 51 Ac Time Overcurrent Relay

31 Separate Excitation Device 51 Overload

32 Directional Power Relay 51G Ground Time Overcurrent

32L Low Forward Power 51N Neutral Time Overcurrent

32N Wattmetric Zero-Sequence Directional 51P Phase Time Overcurrent

32P Directional Power 51V Voltage Restrained Time Overcurrent

32R Reverse Power 51R Locked / Stalled Rotor

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Device No. Description Device No. Description
51_2 Negative Sequence Time Overcurrent 76 Dc Overcurrent Relay
52 Ac Circuit Breaker 77 Telemetering Device
53 Exciter or Dc Generator Relay 78 Phase Angle Measuring or Out-of-Step Protective Relay
54 Turning Gear Engaging Device 78V Loss of Mains
55 Power Factor Relay 79 Ac Reclosing Relay / Auto Reclose
56 Field Application Relay 80 Liquid or Gas Flow Relay
57 Short-Circuiting or Grounding Device 81 Frequency Relay
58 Rectification Failure Relay 81O Over Frequency
59 Overvoltage Relay 81R Rate-of-Change Frequency
59B Bank Phase Overvoltage 81U Under Frequency
59P Phase Overvoltage 82 Dc Reclosing Relay
59N Neutral Overvoltage 83 Automatic Selective Control or Transfer Relay
59NU Neutral Voltage Unbalance 84 Operating Mechanism
59P Phase Overvoltage 85 Carrier or Pilot-Wire Receiver Relay
59X Auxiliary Overvoltage 86 Locking-Out Relay
59_2 Negative Sequence Overvoltage 87 Differential Protective Relay
60 Voltage or Current Balance Relay 87B Bus Differential
60N Neutral Current Unbalance 87G Generator Differential
60P Phase Current Unbalance 87GT Generator/Transformer Differential
61 Density Switch or Sensor 87LG Ground Line Current Differential
62 Time-Delay Stopping or Opening Relay 87S Stator Differential
63 Pressure Switch Detector 87S Percent Differential
64 Ground Protective Relay 87L Segregated Line Current Differential
64F Field Ground Protection 87M Motor Differential
64S Sub-harmonic Stator Ground Protection 87O Overall Differential
64TN 100% Stator Ground 87PC Phase Comparison
65 Governor 87RGF Restricted Ground Fault
66 Notching or Jogging Device/Maximum Starting Rate/Starts 87T Transformer Differential
Per Hour/Time Between Starts 87V Voltage Differential
67 Ac Directional Overcurrent Relay 88 Auxiliary Motor or Motor Generator
67G Ground Directional Overcurrent 89 Line Switch
67N Neutral Directional Overcurrent 90 Regulating Device
67P Phase Directional Overcurrent 91 Voltage Directional Relay
67SG Sensitive Ground Directional Overcurrent 92 Voltage And Power Directional Relay
67_2 Negative Sequence Directional Overcurrent 93 Field-Changing Contactor
68 Blocking Relay / Power Swing Blocking 94 Tripping or Trip-Free Relay
69 Permissive Control Device 50/74 Ct Supervision
70 Rheostat 27/50 Accidental Generator Energization
71 Liquid Switch 27TN/59N 100% Stator Earth Fault
72 Dc Circuit Breaker
73 Load-Resistor Contactor
74 Alarm Relay
75 Position Changing Mechanism

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