There are three main aspects of power system protection: normal operation, prevention of electrical failures, and mitigation of failure effects. Protective relaying is one feature aimed at minimizing equipment damage and service interruptions when failures occur. Relays have evolved from electromechanical to static and digital types. Overcurrent protection is used for phase and earth faults, with inverse-time curves allowing coordination between relays. Adequate grading margins must be provided between relay operations.