Abstract: Distributed feeder automation（FA） requires real-time topology information of feeders to realize fault location,isolation, and power restoration of non-faulty sections. This paper analyzes the requirements of feeder real-time topology information for the application of distributed FA. Based on the modeling method of IEC 61850,new unit topology logic nodes and topology slice nodes are created to describe the feeder topology. Using the topology information configured in the smart terminal unit（STU）and the status information of the current switch device,the real-time topology identification of feeder is realized based on depth-first search to meet the application requirements of distributed FA. The validity of the proposed method is verified through case study.