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DDX 9101/9121 REMOTE

Software Operating Manual

Document Issue : V1.09

Issue Date : 16/03/2010

Note : This manual relates to V2.8.9.0 of the remote operating software. Features documented in this manual may be superseded in later versions or absent in earlier versions. See the revision history for more information.

Revision History

Version Date By Comments V1.00 13/11/03 TJF Initial Generation of the document V1.01 19/11/03 TJF Notes on systems with external calibrators added. Instructions for upgrading

the software on the detector added. V1.02 09/03/04 TJF Manual updated to include support switching synchronisation source

between line and local mains V1.03 27/01/05 TJF Update For Revisions To Code V1.04 02/02/05 CR Changes for HV Regulator V1.05 06/12/06 CR RIV added V1.06 08/02/07 CR Licence information update V1.07 04/06/07 CR RIV Autorange removed V1.08 29/02/08 RSch Revision of the manual V1.09 15/03/10 RKup Revision of detector control window , RIV calibration procedure

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Table Of Contents

INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................4 IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION.............................................................................4 MINIMUM CONTROL COMPUTER SPECIFICATION........................................................5 CONTINUING IMPROVEMENT POLICY ..........................................................................5

INSTALLATION...........................................................................................................6 NETWORK PLANNING & SETUP....................................................................................6

Basic Requirements .................................................................................................6 Single PC To One Or More Detectors, No External Network..............................7 10BaseT Crossover Cable.......................................................................................9 Multiple PC's To Multiple Detectors, No External Network ..............................10 HV Regulator.........................................................................................................10 Connection To An External Network....................................................................10

CONFIGURING THE DETECTORS .................................................................................11 Configuring the DDX-9101 Detector...................................................................11

INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE ......................................................................................12 STARTING THE SOFTWARE .........................................................................................12

CONTROLLING THE DETECTORS....................................................................15 DETECTOR DISPLAY WINDOW...................................................................................15

Window Size...........................................................................................................15 Hiding Unused Measurement ...............................................................................15 Controls..................................................................................................................17 Setting The Display Shape ....................................................................................17 Taking A Snapshot.................................................................................................18 Showing and Hiding the Display Controls ..........................................................18 Setting the Synchronisation Source ......................................................................18

DETECTOR CONTROL WINDOW .................................................................................20 Available Controls.................................................................................................20 ................................................................................................................................20 Communications Status Indication.......................................................................20

DETECTOR CONTROL WINDOW – PD CONTROLS .....................................................21 Controlling the PD Amplifier................................................................................21 Controlling the Gates ............................................................................................21 Setting Up The Calibrator.....................................................................................22 Voltage Calibration Controls ...............................................................................22 Setting The Failure Threshold ..............................................................................23 Capture Controls ...................................................................................................24

DETECTOR CONTROL WINDOW – RIV CONTROLS ...................................................24 RIV Amplifier .........................................................................................................25 RIV Frequency Controls .......................................................................................25 Calibrate RIV Level...............................................................................................26

RIV CALIBRATION PROCEDURE ................................................................................27 RIV Frequency Calibration –Transformer Testing .............................................27

DETECTOR CONTROL WINDOW – PREFERENCES ......................................................30 Display Measurement Type ..................................................................................30 Display Size............................................................................................................30 Save And Restore settings .....................................................................................30

TOOLBAR CONTROLS...........................................................................................32

SETTING UP TESTS ON THE SYSTEM..............................................................33 GENERAL TEST SETUP................................................................................................34

Selecting And Sequencing The Detectors For A Test..........................................34 Selecting A Detector to use ...................................................................................34 Removing A Detector from the test.......................................................................34

Moving A Detector up the list ...............................................................................35 Moving A Detector down the list ..........................................................................35 Setting The Test Duration .....................................................................................35 Setting The Graph And Table Update Intervals ..................................................35 Setting The Graph Units........................................................................................35

TEST INFORMATION SETUP ........................................................................................36 Test Information Fields .........................................................................................36 PD Failure Threshold ...........................................................................................36 RIV Failure Threshold ..........................................................................................36 Nominal DUT Voltage ..........................................................................................37 Only Autorange In Test .........................................................................................37 Logarithmic PD Chart ..........................................................................................37

TEST SETUP - HTML REPORT....................................................................................37 Show Logo..............................................................................................................37 Show Table Border................................................................................................38 Separate Pages ......................................................................................................38 Show Real Time .....................................................................................................38 Show All Test Voltages..........................................................................................38 Show % Of Nom. Rating .......................................................................................38 Signature Fields.....................................................................................................38

TEST SETUP REGULATOR VOLTAGE PROFILE (DEFAULT NO REGULATOR IS AVAILABLE FOR THE SYSTEM)........................................................................................................39

Selecting The Regulator For A Test .....................................................................39 Selecting the Regulator to use...............................................................................39 Removing the Regulator from the test ..................................................................39 Manual Control .....................................................................................................40 Voltage Profile Steps .............................................................................................40

RUNNING TESTS WITH THE SYSTEM .............................................................41 CALIBRATING THE DETECTORS..................................................................................41

Calibrating A System Without Internal Calibrator..............................................41 Calibrating a System with Internal Calibrator....................................................42 Calibration validity................................................................................................43 Calibrating the Voltage Measurement .................................................................43 Note On External Calibrator Systems..................................................................43

RUNNING THE TEST ....................................................................................................44 PRINTING THE RESULTS .............................................................................................46

MANAGING THE DATA .........................................................................................47 HTML TEST REPORT .................................................................................................47 TABULAR RESULTS.....................................................................................................48 SNAPSHOTS .................................................................................................................49

SET SYSTEM PROPERTIES...................................................................................51 ALLOW VOLTAGE CAL...............................................................................................51 CALIBRATE RIV FREQUENCY....................................................................................51 SNAPSHOT IMAGE SIZE...............................................................................................52 FILE PATHS .................................................................................................................52 ENABLE REGULATOR SEARCH...................................................................................52 ENABLE DETECTOR SETTINGS SAVE .........................................................................52

UPGRADING THE SYSTEM ..................................................................................53 UPGRADING THE REMOTE OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARE......................................53 UPGRADING THE DETECTOR SOFTWARE. ..................................................................53

DDX-9121-RIV ROUTINE CALIBRATION PROCEDURE TRANSFORMER TESTING 55

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Introduction

The software provides a remote control system for the DDX-9101 partial discharge detector instrument and the DDX-9121 partial discharge detector measurement unit. It can manage multiple units to give multiple channels and multiple sample measurement facilities. The results from all the detectors can be combined onto a single test report which can be stored as an HTML file allowing a test report to be loaded into any HTML 3.0 or higher compatible web browser.

Important Safety Information

Warning!

This system is designed to operate with hazardous voltages.

It is imperative that this manual is read and understood before attempting to operate this software with the DDX-9101 or DDX-9121 Partial Discharge Detectors, and an HV regulator. Only persons who are duly authorised to do so, and who have been correctly trained in the safe operation of High Voltage systems must operate this equipment.

It is the responsibility of the customer to ensure that the system is installed and operated in a manner that meets all relevant safety legislation, standards of good practice, insurance or other codes, company regulations and any other limitations pertaining to the installation and operation of high voltage systems.

Warning!

Under transient and or flashover conditions, or where the equipment is operated close to a source of RF interference the PD Calibration of the system may be rendered invalid. It is the responsibility of the user to ensure the unit is correctly calibrated immediately prior to making any measurement and to ensure that after any disturbance to the system, the PD measurement system is recalibrated

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Minimum Control Computer Specification

The minimum specification for the control computer (Windows 98 SE) is:

Processor Pentium II 233MHz Memory 96MB Hard Disk Space 100MB Ethernet Adaptor 10BaseT Operating System Windows 98 Second Edition Web Browser Internet Explorer 5.0

The Recommended specification for Windows 2000 is:

Processor Pentium III 1GHz or better Memory 256MB Hard Disk Space 100MB Ethernet Adaptor 10BaseT Operating System Windows 2000 Web Browser Internet Explorer 5.0

The Recommended specification for Windows XP is:

Processor Pentium IV 1,5GHz or better Memory 512MB Hard Disk Space 100MB Ethernet Adaptor 10BaseT Operating System Windows XP Web Browser Internet Explorer 6.0

Note: even if a different web browser is normally used, it is imperative that Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or better is installed on the system, otherwise the system will not be able to display and print test reports. If a processor below the minimum specification is used, Hubbell High Voltage Test can accept no responsibility for the performance of the system. Contact Hubbell High Voltage Test for individual recommendations of the best specification for your application.

Continuing Improvement Policy

Hubbell High Voltage Test has a policy of continuing improvement on all their products. The design of this instrument will be subject to review and modification over its life. There may be small discrepancies between the manual and the operation of the software, particularly where it has been upgraded in the field. Although all efforts are made to ensure that there are no errors in the manuals, Hubbell High Voltage Test accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of this manual. Hubbell High Voltage Test accepts no responsibility for damage or loss that may result from errors within this manual. We retain the right to modify the functionality, specification or operation of the software and the associated instrument without prior notice.

All rights reserved. No section of this manual may be reproduced in any form, mechanical or electronic without the prior written permission of Hubbell High Voltage Test.

Installation

To achieve the optimum performance from the system and the greatest reliability and protection for the networking system, the installation of the system should be carefully planned. This chapter presents some guidelines and assistance in setting up a network to manage the detectors. The following actions should be performed to set up the system:

o Network Planning and Setup o Configuring the DDX-9101 Detectors o Installing the Software o Licensing the Software o Registering detectors with the software

Additional steps when using an HV regulator:

o Configuring the Regulator o Registering a regulator with the software

The remote control software communicates with one or more DDX-9101 or DDX-9121 detectors over a conventional 10BaseT or 100BaseT networking system. The number of detectors that can be operated by a single PC is limited by the processing power of that PC. The practical limit for most modern systems will be of the order of 8 individual detectors. For older systems, the practical limit on the number of detectors is lower. For example, if a 1GHz Pentium™ processor, or its equivalent is being used (the minimum recommended specification), the practical limit is three detectors. Not all the features described in this manual are available with all detectors (For example RIV measurement). The type and functionality of the detector determines the functions available. For systems without RIV some functions will be hidden.

Additionally, the DDX-9101 remote control software can communicate with an HV regulator over a conventional 10BaseT or 100BaseT networking system. The practical limit when using a regulator with the system is lower. For example, if a 1,2MHz Pentium™ processor, or its equivalent is being used, the practical limit is three detectors and an HV regulator.

The software is designed so that multiple test systems can be accommodated on a single network or sub-net. Each DDX-9101 is provided with a unique identification code. This is registered with the PC that wishes to use the detector, which allows the systems to be set up so that specific DDX-9101 detectors are used by specific PC's only. In this way multiple test systems can share the same network, and still be able to successfully interact with each other.

Network Planning & Setup

Basic Requirements

The DDX-9101 and DDX-9121 communicate with the control software over a conventional Ethernet network using TCP/IP as the communications protocol. The PC and the detectors can be physically separated as long as they exist on the same network and sub-net without travelling through a router or gateway system (unless that is transparent to the two systems).

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The DDX-9101 and DDX-9121 can be configured to operate in a network using either DHCP address allocation from a central DHCP server or using fixed IP Addresses. Consult the DDX-9101 manual for more information on setting this up. Users of the DDX-9121 should discuss their configuration requirements prior to the systems being shipped, so the configuration can be set at the factory.

An HV regulator communicates with the control software over a conventional ethernet network using IPX as the communication protocol. The PC and the HV regulator can be physically separated as long as they exist on the same network and sub-net without travelling through a router or gateway system.

If the detectors (and regulator) are to be connected using a building network infrastructure rather than on their own independent network, the installation should be performed in consultation and cooperation with the Information Technology department to prevent the stability of the network system being compromised. To prevent damage to the network infrastructure in the event of a flash-over, it is essential that an isolation barrier is provided. This should be implemented using either a fibre-optic or wireless connection.

Failure to implement such isolation can result in damage to the building infrastructure and IT systems in the event of a test sample failing under test

Single PC To One Or More Detectors, No External Network

Where a single PC is to be connected to one or more DDX-9101 systems, but not to an external network, the PD and the DDX-9101 units should be connected together using a Hub in preference to a crossover cable. If a crossover cable is to be used, one can be purchased from a computerparts supplier (Alternatively see 10BaseT Crossover cable for details of how to make one).

In this configuration, it is recommended that fixed IP Addressing is used rather than DHCP. If the PC controlling the DDX-9101 systems is within 2M (6ft) of the detectors, a wired network connection can be used. There should be a 1/2" (12mm) wide braided earth connection made between the PC case metalwork to the earth stud on one of the DDX-9101 detectors. If a greater distance than this is to be used, the PC should be galvanically isolated from the detectors as detailed in the instructions for connecting to an external network.

A network card supporting 10BaseT or 100BaseT Ethernet must be installed in the PC. The card must be configured using the "Network" option of the "Control Panel" application to use TCP/IP networking protocol. It is not necessary to install any network clients or services for the system to operate. The TCP/IP properties should be set up to "Specify An IP Address". The IP Address should be set to "192.168.0.100" and the sub-net mask should be set to "255.255.255.0". Once the PC has been re-booted, the settings will take effect.

It is necessary to change the DDX-9101 detectors from the default setting (using DHCP), to using fixed IP addresses. This is detailed in the DDX-9101 manual in the "Configuring the DDX-9101 Detectors" section. All the detectors should be set to using Manual IP Addressing, with a subnet mask of "255.255.255.0". The IP addresses assigned to each detector must differ from the PC and from the other detectors, otherwise a conflict will result and the system will not operate correctly. It is recommended that the addresses used are "192.168.0.101", "192.168.0.102", "192.168.0.103"… "192.168.0.255". While setting the IP address of the detector, the machine ID should also be set. This can be anything, as long as each machine has a

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different ID from other machines on the network. We recommend using the detector serial number, which can be found on the back panel of the instrument.

The DDX-9121 will be supplied from the factory correctly configured to the customer’s specifications. If changes to the configuration are required contact the factory for assistance.

Once the IP address has been set and the detectors rebooted, the communications can be tested. On the PC, (under Windows XP) open up an MS-DOS window by clicking on “Start” , followed by “Run…” and typing “cmd”.

In the DOS-window should be typed "Ping 192.168.0.xxx" where xxx is the last address number for the detector being tested (101 for the 1st detector, 102 for the 2nd detector, 103 …, etc). The display should be similar to the following:

If communication is successfully established the “ping” test should report no lost packets (0% loss).

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If some packets are lost, this may indicate a fault in the network wiring or hardware and the result will look similar to the example given below:

C:\WINDOWS>Ping 192.168.0.101 Pinging 192.168.0.101 with 32 bytes of data: Request timed out. Request timed out. Request timed out. Request timed out. Ping statistics for 192.168.0.101: Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss), Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds: Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms C:\WINDOWS>

If the results are similar to the above shown, then there is no connection established between the detector and the PC. In this case check all connections and ensure that the address and sub-net masks have been set correctly for both units. If the number of packets lost is greater than 0 but less than 4, the connection was established, but the connection is not reliable. The hardware should be checked for faults or damaged cables.

If it is decided to use DHCP to assign IP addresses for the detectors, the PC will still have to be configured to have a fixed IP address. It will also have to run a DHCP server system. These are available off the Internet. The configuration of the DHCP server, and the address range to be used is the responsibility of the user. This is not a recommended configuration and will not be supported by Hubbell High Voltage Test.

10BaseT Crossover Cable

We recommend only manufacturing a crossover cable, if you are unable to purchase a suitable unit and a hub can’t be used for any particular reason. Manufacturing your own cable is not recommended except as a "last ditch" solution where no other possibilities exist. To manufacture a 10BaseT crossover cable, the following wiring arrangement is used:

Connector 1 Connector 2 Pin 1 Pin 3 Pin 2 Pin 6 Pin 3 Pin 1

Not Used Not Used Not Used Not Used

Pin 6 Pin 2 Not Used Not Used Not Used Not Used

Pin 1 on the connector is the leftmost pin with the clip downwards and the contact pins away from you.

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Multiple PC's To Multiple Detectors, No External Network

The PC's and DDX-9101s are connected together using a single network system. They should be interconnected using a switch rather than a hub. This is a more expensive item, but balances the communication load, preventing the network from becoming clogged with traffic. Otherwise the connection is the same as for the Single PC connection.

If the PCs are situated within 2M (6ft) of their respective PC's a wired connection can be used. A 1/2" (12mm) braid should be connected between the case metalwork of the PC and the earth stud of one of the detectors. If the distance is greater than that, a galvanic isolation system should be used.

It is recommended that the range of IP addresses used is 192.168.0.101 to 192.168.0.255, with a sub-net mask of 255.255.255.0, and that the PC's are placed in the lowest address positions (192.168.0.101 and upwards) with the detectors placed in consecutive addresses above the PCs. Once all the addresses have been set, communications between each PC and the detectors to be used should be checked using the "ping" command as described in the previous section. When setting up the detectors, it is essential that each detector is assigned a unique identification string. It is recommended that the unit serial number is used for this, or if the serial number is not used, that a meaningful string rather than random characters or names is used.

HV Regulator

The physical connection of the HV regulator should be treated in the same way as a DDX-9101. The regulator does not use the TCP/IP protocol and IP addressing scheme, as used by the DDX-9101. Instead it uses IPX protocol and the unique physical address (MAC) of the network interfaces. There is no network configuration for the HV Regulator. The PC requires, in addition to the TCP/IP networking protocol, IPX network protocol. This should be configured using the "Network" option of the "Control Panel".

Connection To An External Network

Where the system is to be connected to a building network system, the department responsible for the Information Technology systems must be involved in the planning and implementation of the network system. They must be made aware of the potential risks and steps agreed and undertaken to eliminate those risks.

It is recommended that any connection between the building network is made using a fibre-optic link or a wireless link. If a wireless link is to be used it should be of the "Bridge" type, designed for linking two sections of network rather than the "Infrastructure" type (used to connect individual PC's to a network). If a fibre optic link is used, the cable should be routed to prevent any possibility of "tracking" down the router of the cable. Ideally a minimum length of 2M of cable should be used for the isolation, run in non-conductive trunking or conduit, separate to any cables feeding the High Voltage sections of the system or forming part of it.

The choice of whether to use fixed IP addressing or DHCP will be determined by the IT department. If fixed addressing is to be used, addresses must be defined for each PC and each detector on the system. The addresses for any PC and its corresponding detectors must be on the same sub-net, though different systems can exist on different sub-nets.

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Configuring the Detectors

If DDX-9121 detectors are being used, these are received from the factory ready configured for your requirements. If it is necessary to change the setup, consult the factory for advice. See section 5 "Remote Control Network options" of the DDX-9101 manual for more information on setting up the communication properties of the DDX-9101 detector.

Configuring the DDX-9101 Detector

To enter the remote control setup options window, enter the system configuration screen from "scope" mode. Set a locked mode password; the simplest value to set is "0", though any password will do. When the password has been set, select "Locked" mode. Exit from the configuration screen and select "meter" mode. The system should now be locked and the bottom "soft" button on the screen will read "Unlock".

Press "Unlock" and enter "35421" as the password. The system should now display the remote control properties setup screen:

ID sets the unique identifier code for the detector, this should either be the serial number of the instrument, or some meaningful name that uniquely identifies the detector. The PC software uses this code to identify the detector and to determine whether it is to be used.

Use DHCP sets whether the unit uses DHCP to determine its IP Address or whether it is assigned a fixed IP address. If this option is set to "Auto", the IP address and Subnet Mask boxes will be greyed out. In this mode, the detector will use a DHCP server to assign its IP address. If it is set to "Manual", the DDX-9101 uses a fixed IP address. If Automatic (DHCP) address assignment is selected, it is imperative that a DHCP server is available on the network. Shareware, Freeware and Hardware DHCP servers are readily available on the market.

IP Address sets the fixed IP Address to be used by the system. The recommended range for stand-alone operation is 192.168.0.101 to 192.168.0.255, though other ranges may be used if the system is being connected to a factory network.

Subnet Mask sets the sub-net to be used for the detector. For stand-alone operation, the recommended value is 255.255.255.0, though if the unit is on a building network, other values may be used.

Once all the fields have been set correctly, press "Back" to exit the configuration screen. The detector will ask whether the changes should be saved; respond "Yes". It then warns that the detector must be re-booted for the changes to take effect, press

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"OK". When the detector has returned to the normal operating state, switch it off. The new settings will come into force next time the unit is switched on.

Installing the Software

The software is supplied on CD-ROM. To install the software, place the CD into the CD-Rom drive. The setup application should run automatically. If it does not run "Setup.exe" from the CD-ROM. This will perform the software installation process.

The installation process is largely automatic - unless specific options are required for the location of files, allow the process to run automatically. If there is a problem during installation, or you wish to customise the installation, refer to the setup notes below.

For printing it is necessary to set up the margins. This has to be done from within "Internet Explorer". Start Internet Explorer and select "Page Setup". In this window select the margins and set the left and right margins to the smallest possible amount that is supported by the printer. This will ensure that the test report does not overflow the limits of the page.

Starting the Software

After installation of the 9101 remote software an Icon will appear on the desktop. Double click on this Icon to start the software.

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The Remote Control Software is designed to operate with multiple detectors. It is also designed so that multiple PCs can run the software on the same network, with different detectors. Before the software can run tests, the detectors that it is to be used must be registered in the software. As a standard the registering of the detectors is already done inhouse at Haefely Test AG in Basel, however the customer may want to register separately in order to work with only 1 or 2 detectors at the same time without being bothered by the views of the other detectors.

When there are multiple PCs on a network, they must be set-up to use different detectors. If a detector is registered to two PCs and both try to access it, the last one to make the connection will have control. The other PC will be disconnected from the detector, however if it tries to automatically connect, it will be able to take control - this can result in a “tug-of-war” between the two PC’s.

To register detectors with the software, ensure that the PC and all the detectors are connected to the network. Switch on the detectors and wait for start-up to finish. Once all the detectors running, start the software in Windows and choose from the menu on the PC software "Setup" then "Select Detectors…". This will display the following dialogue box:

The top line of the information indicates how many detectors have been found on the network and which position this detector takes in the sequence. The user moves through the detectors by pressing the "Next" and "Previous" buttons to move forward and backward in the list.

System Name allows the user to enter the title, which will be displayed by the software to identify the detector on test reports, snapshots and result files. This should not be too long, but it should be a meaningful description of the detector and its location/function.

Below the System Name edit box, the System ID (Machine ID) for the detector is shown. This is the unique identification code set in the DDX-9101 configuration (See "Configuring the DDX-9101 Detectors"). Along with this is shown the current IP address of the detector. If fixed IP addressing is used, this value will only vary if it is changed on the detector. If DHCP address allocation is used, this value may change frequently.

NOTE: If two detectors with the same System ID (Machine ID) are on the same network, it is a matter of chance to which machine the software will connect. Set up the IDs to be different to avoid this situation from arising.

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Use This Detector indicates whether this detector is to be used with this machine. Click to set the check-box if this detector is to be used with this PC. If this detector is no longer to be used with this machine, clear the check box. Next to the check box, the system indicates whether the detector is currently connected to this PC or not.

PD Trace Colour and Voltage Trace Colour indicate the colours to be used on test reports for drawing the PD and Voltage traces for this detector on the result graphs. Clicking on the coloured rectangle shows the colour selection dialogue box:

Select the colour to be used for the trace by clicking on the appropriately coloured square. Click OK to close the box and update the colour of the trace. If a colour not shown in the squares is required, clicking on "Define Custom Colours" allows a colour to be selected from a far wider range.

Once all the detectors have been selected and set-up, the changes are saved by clicking OK.

Note: When the system is being set-up for the first time, the system may report errors when the “select detectors” dialogue box is closed. This is because the system goes through an indeterminate state. Close the application and restart it before attempting to perform any tests.

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Controlling the Detectors

Each detector identified on the system and registered to be used by it has both Display and Control windows that allows the user full access to the normal controls for the detector. The Control window can be hidden.

Detector Display Window

Window Size

The Detector Display window can be shown as a large window or a small window. The small window being useful on multi-phase systems where several Detector Display windows are open at the same time.

The size of the window can be changed by either right clicking on the window or by means of the the Small Display tick box that can be found on the Preferences tab of the Display Control window.

Hiding Unused Measurement

The Detector Display window can be set to show both PD and RIV measurements or just PD measurements or just RIV measurements. The Preferences tab of the Display Control window is used to set the visibility of the PD and RIV measurements.

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PD and RIV

PD only

RIV only

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Controls

The Detector Display window for each detector shows the partial discharge magnitude, the measured voltage and the RIV level as recorded by that detector. It also shows a copy of the pulse display that is produced by the detector showing the phase resolved discharge activity.

The caption at the top of the window shows the detector that the window is connected to. It also shows the connection state. For normal operation this will be connected. If it is trying to establish a connection to a detector, it will indicate “Connecting to <detector name>”. In the event of connection being lost, the caption will read “No DDX-9101/9121 Connected”. If no detector is connected, the voltmeter will read “Use Ext. V/M” to indicate that it is unable to show the current output voltage reading.

The PD reading and voltmeter reading are given as both digital and bar-graph readouts. The bar-graph readout is scaled according to the maximum range. For the PD reading this will change according to the amplifier range. The closer the bar is to the maximum, the closer the meter reading is to the limit. If the bar is against the right hand side, the meter is over ranged. The bar is normally coloured blue. When an Over Range condition occurs the bar is coloured red and the red PD Over Range indicator is lit/activated.

The RIV reading is given as a digital readout. When an Over Range condition occurs the red RIV Over Range indicator is lit/activated.

The yellow Over Limit indicator is visible for PD or RIV readings above the set “failure” threshold.

Setting The Display Shape

The button at the bottom left hand of the display indicates the currently selected shape for the discharge display. Pressing the button cycles through the available display shape settings. The available settings are:

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Ellipse - Convention elliptical display ½ Cycle - The display is shown as a line whose length corresponds to a ½ cycle Full Cycle - The display is shown as a line whose length corresponds to a cycle Divided - As ½ cycle by the positive and negative half cycles are separated Sine - The pulses are displayed on a representation of the mains cycle.

Taking A Snapshot

Left clicking “PD discharge display” stores the current discharge activity display to the snapshots window where it can be incorporated into a test report or transferred to another application. If snapshots of all windows are to be taken, the control on the main toolbar should be used.

Showing and Hiding the Display Controls

Pressing the "Show Controls" button causes the Detector Control window to be restored and become the active window. Pressing the "Hide Controls" button causes the Display Control window to be minimised.

Setting the Synchronisation Source

When the detector is running software version V1.25 or greater, the remote control software can control the synchronisation source used by the detector. It is possible to select either HV synchronisation or Line synchronisation. HV synchronisation is the normal mode of operation of the detector. In this mode, if a valid frequency reference is detected on the voltmeter input, the detector synchronises to that. If there is not a valid frequency reference, it synchronises to the local mains. If line synchronisation is

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selected, the unit always synchronises to the local mains - that is to the mains supply powering the unit.

The current synchronisation mode is shown on the legend of the voltmeter display thus:

Voltage (HV Sync) - the unit will synchronise to the HV signal, if present. Voltage (Line Sync) - the unit will synchronise to the mains line only.

The synchronisation source is selected by clicking on the voltmeter legend or the voltmeter readout. The cursor changes to a hand symbol to indicate the correct place to click to change the synchronisation source.

If the detector is running a version of software that does not support changing synchronisation, the voltmeter legend reads “Applied Voltage”. If the detector is running a version of software that supports synchronisation switching, but the hardware modifications have not been installed, the system will always operate in HV synchronisation mode, irrespective of the displayed selection.

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Detector Control Window

Available Controls

The format of the display depends on the features available in the detector. Calibrator and RIV controls will be hidden or unavailable if these features are not fitted in the detector.

Available controls are grouped together as PD Controls, RIV Controls and Preferences.

Communications Status Indication

At the lower right of the Detector Control window is the communications status indicator. This should be flickering between a green ‘T’ on a red background and a red ‘R’ on a green background showing when the remote control software is transmitting data to the detector and receiving data from it. If this stops flickering between the two states, there has been an interruption of communications. If the communications between the remote control software and the detector become disrupted and the connection is lost, the software will automatically try to reconnect to the detector.

Communication messages and the version of detector firmware are shown at the bottom of the Display Control window.

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Detector Control Window – PD Controls

Controlling the PD Amplifier

The PD amplifier controls are shown above. Amplifier gains are automatically set by the detector.

The low pass and high pass filter settings of the detector are selected by clicking the “Low Pass Filter” and “High Pass Filter” buttons. The caption on the button indicates the currently selected filter setting.

If the test system is subject to short bursts of transients, setting the PD meter to “Slow mode” can help to alleviate the problems. If the box is checked, slow mode is enabled and the system is less responsive to changes in the PD level.

Controlling the Gates

The controls for the gating system are shown above. The width (i.e. the proportion of the cycle that is not measured for PD magnitude) of the gate is set in degrees using the “Gate width” slider. If a single gate is selected, the width can be between 0 and 359 degrees. If dual gate is selected, the width is between 0 and 179 degrees. The position of the gate on the HV cycle is likewise set using the Gate Position slider. Again the limits depend on whether single gate or dual gate is selected. For single gate the range is 0 to 359 degrees, for dual gate the range is 0 to 179 degrees.

The gate mode is selected using the radio button on the right. Clicking the appropriate button sets the gates to off, single or dual. When gates are activated, the gated out section of the HV cycle is shown on the pulse display in red.

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Setting Up The Calibrator

The calibrator controls are only shown if a calibrator card is installed on the detector. If there is no calibrator installed, only the “Run Calibration” button and the calibration value edit box will be displayed.

The three buttons on the left hand side control the pulses produced by the calibrator. The top button controls the magnitude of the pulses. The caption on the button indicates the output magnitude of the calibrator. The actual values depend on the setting of the injection capacitance in the detector configuration.

Below the calibrator pulse magnitude button is the calibrator pulse number button. This sets the number of calibrator pulses per cycle produced by the calibrator. This can be set at 2, 4, 8 or 16. Below that is the button to switch the calibrator pulses on or off. The current state of the calibrator is indicated on the button.

To the right of the buttons is the slider to set the position of the calibrator pulses on the HV cycle. Changing the position of the slider moves the calibrator pulses around the HV cycle.

The operation of the “Run Calibration” button depends on whether the detector has an internal calibrator board installed or not. See the section on calibrating the detectors for more information. The calibration state of the detector is shown below the calibrator controls.

Voltage Calibration Controls

The voltage calibration controls allow the user to change the voltage calibration of the detectors if required. For instance if the system is being used to measure transformers where the PD signal is taken from a bushing tap, the divider capacitance may vary from transformer to transformer. In this case it is necessary to re-calibrate the voltage against a reference voltmeter before each test. The voltage calibration controls are only enabled when the Allow Voltage Calibration option is set. This is normally not the case and these controls are disabled by default.

Calibration is performed by selecting whether to use RMS or Peak/√2 measurement, entering the value of the applied voltage into the edit box and clicking the “Calibrate (RMS)” button to calibrate and use RMS measurement or “Calibrate (Peak Mode)” to calibrate and use Peak/√2 measurement.

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Setting The Failure Threshold

The PD failure threshold is set by entering the required value, in pico-coulombs, into the PD Limit edit box. Any reading above this level will cause the “Over Limit” warning to be displayed. If a test profile is loaded, the failure threshold in the loaded profile will overwrite the threshold currently set for each detector.

Note: This failure threshold does not affect the Acceptance Level set on the DDX-9101 system. The two are totally independent and one is not used by the other. If it is necessary to set the Acceptance Level on the DDX-9101, this will have to be done from the front panel controls.

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Capture Controls

The capture controls allow the user to adjust the effective update rate of the display. Increasing the number of cycles to display increases the effective persistence of the display, but reduces the update rate. A value between 1 and 10 gives the best results, though the actual value used will depend on personal preference to some extent. The capture rate is set by adjusting the required number of cycles using the up and down buttons and then clicking the “Set” button. This will set the new update rate. If the number of cycles is being increased, there may be some disruption of the display as the memory on the capture board is reallocated and re-filled with data, but this only lasts for one capture cycle.

Detector Control Window – RIV Controls

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RIV Amplifier

The RIV amplifier controls are shown above. The amplifier gain control has a slider, which can be adjusted by the user. The RIV Coarse Gain slider controls the attenuation of the signal. The RIV Fine Gain slider controls the amplification of the signal The current range setting of the amplifier is shown above the slider.

RIV Frequency Controls

The RIV frequency controls are used to adjust the frequency at which the RIV measurements are made and are also used during the RIV calibration process. The RIV frequency controls are used with the RIV tuning graph.

The current RIV frequency is shown in the centre of the RIV frequency controls. It is also shown on the associated Detector Display window. The RIV measurement frequency can be increased or decreased from its current value by means of the Decrease or Increase buttons to either side of the RIV frequency reading. The frequency can be set to a specific value by entering a required frequency in the Frequency Edit box and pressing the Set Frequency button.

Status and information messages are shown below the RIV frequency reading. (As indicated by the arrow “Messages”)

The Tune Around button starts a frequency scan to find the frequency at which there is the maximum RIV reading. The frequency scan is centred on the value in the Frequency edit box and covers the range set in the Frequency Range edit box. In the picture above the frequency scan would be from 950 kHz to 1050 kHz.

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Associated with the RIV Frequency controls is the RIV Frequency graph. The graph is a visual aid used during the RIV calibration process. On the right is a gauge showing the current RIV level. The main graph shows a plot of maximum recorded RIV level against frequency.

When the Tune Around button is pressed the graph is cleared and the RIV systems starts recording the RIV level as the frequency is swept from the lowest to the highest frequency. The scan may restart from the lowest frequency several times as the gain of the RIV system is automatically changed. The graph below shows a typical display

when a RIV calibration signal injected into the system is being measured.

alibrate RIV Level

ed by entering the required value, in micro-volts, into the RIV Injected Level edit box. The current RIV level is then rescaled to the entered value.

C

The RIV level is calibrat

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RIV Calibration Procedure

RIV Frequency Calibration –Transformer Testing

This procedure should only be followed if the standard operating frequency used for RIV measurement is altered or if a specific frequency has to be used for a test. If the operating frequency is altered for a test, the frequency recalibration procedure should be performed the first time the system is operated using the standard frequency.

1. Connection of AQS Quadripoles

- The quadripole is connected between the bushing tap on the bushing to be tested and the ground connection on the bushing flange. Connect the red terminal to the bushing tap and the black terminal to the ground on the flange.

- Switch on the AQS and ensure that the LED flashes green. If the LED flashes yellow or red, replace the batteries in the AQS

- Connect all the bushings to be tested to the channels on the DDX in a known fashion. This will make it easier to determine which phase is faulty.

i. Connect bushing 1 to the channel 1 (Phase 1) AQS

ii. Connect bushing 2 to the channel 2 (Phase 2) AQS

iii. Connect bushing 3 to the channel 3 (Phase 3) AQS

iv. Continue the sequence if there are more than 3 phases to be tested

2. RIV calibration

- Connect the RIV calibrator between the bushing output and ground. Connect the red lead from the calibrator to the bushing output and the black lead to the ground on the bushing flange.

- Switch the calibrator on and set it to 1mV at the new measurement frequency

- From the DDX-9121 remote select the “RIV Controls” tab

- Enter 100 into the box on the left of the “Tune Around” button

- Enter the required frequency into the box on the right of the “Tune Around” button

- Click the “Tune Around” button

- Wait until the display indicates “Tuning Completed”. You get

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- Select the “Set System Characteristics” option from the “Setup” menu

- Enter 35421 into the box to the right of “Allow Voltage Cal.”

- Click on the “Calibrate RIV Frequency” check box and ensure it is checked.

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- Click OK

- Select the detector control window

- The “Tune Around” Button should now be labelled “Cal. Frequency”

- Enter the new measurement frequency in kHz into the box to the right of the “Cal Frequency” Button

- Ensure the frequency indicates the new measurement frequency +/- 2KHz

3. Repeat the above two steps for each of the other phases to be calibrated. It should not take more than about 10 minutes to complete steps 2 and 3. If problems are encountered or the calibration process is taking longer, assistance should be sought.

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Detector Control Window – Preferences

Display Measurement Type

The Display Measurement Type options are used for setting the visibility of the PD and RIV measurements shown on the Detector Display window. See the section Controlling the Detectors -> Detector Display Window -> Hiding Unused Measurement

Display Size

The Display Size option can be used for setting the size of the Detector Display Window. See the section Controlling the Detectors -> Detector Display Window -> Hiding Unused Measurement

Save And Restore settings

The Save and Restore Settings allow the detectors current settings, including calibration values, to be saved or for previously saved settings to be restored. Care must be taken when restoring settings that the calibration and configuration is valid. The settings saved and restored are for the detector associated with the active Detector Control window and not for all of the system.

The Settings dialogue is shown when the Settings... button is pressed.

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At the top of the dialogue a list of save settings is shown. The date column shows when the settings were saved. A description of the highlighted settings is shown below the list in the description window.

To save the current configuration press the “Save As...” button. The Save Settings dialogue is shown below.

Enter a Name and Description for the settings. Press Save to save the settings. Enter the same name as an existing set of settings to overwrite them.

To delete a set of settings highlight the entry in the list and press the Delete button.

To restore a set of settings highlight the entry in the list an press the Restore... button.

Toolbar Controls

The toolbar provide simple access to the majority of functions on the system:

The controls are:

1. Edit Test Profile. This brings up the dialogue box to edit a test setup.

2. Load Test Profile. This loads a previously stored test profile from disk.

3. Save Test Profile. Save the current test profile to disk for use later.

4. Run Test. This runs the current test profile. It is only enabled when there is a loaded test profile and no other test is running.

5. Stop Test. This stops the current test running ready for the test report. It is only enabled if a test is running.

6. Print Results. This prints the HTML test report. It is only enabled when test results are available.

7. Export Results. This exports the test results to a text file for use with other applications

8. Add Measurement. This adds an extra measurement to the result when running a test

9. Take Snapshot. This takes a snapshot from all currently connected detectors if a test is not running or all selected detectors if one is running

10. Show Test Control Window. This brings the test control window to the front

11. Show Test Results. This brings the test results window to the front

12. Show Snapshots. This brings the snapshots window to the front

13. Show HTML Report. This brings the HTML report to the front

14. Show Detector. This brings the requested detector window to the front. If the

detector is shown in the window thus: double clicking on the detector name will bring the detector control window to the front and select it. If the required detector is not shown, click the arrow button on the right; this will drop down a list of all the available detectors. Click on the one to be viewed to bring its control window to the front and select it.

Between the Export Results button and the Add measurement button, the system displays the current status of the test system.

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Setting Up Tests On The System

Before a test can be run using the remote control system, it is necessary to setup the test procedure. This involves identifying the detectors to be used for the test, the duration of the test, the data to be gathered and how that data is to be reported.

The test setup procedure is divided into four stages:

o General Test Setup (Test duration, update intervals, time units) o Test Information Setup (Sample identification, failure threshold, nominal voltage) o Test Report Setup (How the data is displayed). o Test Voltage Profile (Regulator voltage output).

The important parameters in setting up a test procedure are the test duration, the graph update interval and the result table update interval. These need to be setup with some consideration. It is recommended that an update interval of no less than one second is to be used for the table and graphs on the result form. If they are set to less, there is a possibility that the processor may not be able to keep up and the system will deadlock. Where the test duration is long, it is recommended that the number of graph points and table entries are limited. Ideally, no more than 1000 data points or table entries should be gathered from a test. More than that and there is the danger that the update intervals will get too long for the system to cope with. Where a long test is being set up, there will need to be some experimentation to get the optimum compromise between update rate and quantity of data for the particular installation.

To set up a new test or to edit a test loaded on the system, click the button on the toolbar on the main window or select "File" then "Edit Test" from the menu. If the current has not been saved, the system will request confirmation:

Select "Yes" to edit the current test. Note that if a test is running, the "Edit Test" menu option and button are disabled; a test can only be edited when it is not running. Once the test has been edited, it can be made the current test by clicking "OK". Clicking "Cancel" will discard the changes.

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General Test Setup

The general test setup is selected by clicking on the "General" tab towards the top of the window. This displays the general test setup parameters:

Selecting And Sequencing The Detectors For A Test

The first stage in setting up a test is to select the detectors to be used for the test and the sequence in which they appear in the test report. The "Available Detectors" box and the "Detectors To Use" box between them show all detectors that are registered for use with this software (See "Registering Detectors With The Software") and that are currently connected to it. If a detector to be used for a test is not shown, it may be necessary to perform a "Disconnect" and then "Reconnect" to find it. If it still is not detected, check the detector is operational and connected to the network.

The "Available Detectors" box show the detectors that are not allocated to the test being set up. When a new test is being set up this will be all connected detectors. The "Detectors To Use" box shows the detector to be used for the test. For a new test, this box will be empty. If no detectors are selected for use with a test, when the 'OK' button is pressed, the system automatically selects all the detectors listed in the “Available Detectors” window.

Selecting A Detector to use

To select a detector to use for a test, click on the detector in the "Available Detectors" box and then click on the right arrow button at the top right of the "Available Detectors" box. This will move it to the bottom of the list in the "Detectors To Use" box.

Removing A Detector from the test

To remove a detector from the test, click on the detector in the "Detectors To Use" box and then click on the left arrow button at the bottom left of the "Detectors To Use Box" . This will move it to the bottom of the list in the "Available Detectors" box.

The sequence of the detectors in the "Detectors To Use" window indicates the order in which the detectors will appear on the test report form. The detector at the top of the

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list will appear first in the report (left hand side) with second down in the list next to it and so on.

Moving A Detector up the list

Click on the detector to be moved up in the "Detectors To Use" box and click the "Move Up" until it is in the desired position.

Moving A Detector down the list

Click on the detector to be moved up in the "Detectors To Use" box and click the "Move Dn" until it is in the desired position.

Setting The Test Duration

The test duration is set by entering the required duration in hours, minutes and seconds into the test duration boxes. The values entered must be greater than zero. For the hours and minutes, only a whole number can be set, though fractional seconds can be set. The values entered for the minutes and seconds must be less than 60. Errors will be reported if invalid values are set. If the test is intended to run for an unlimited or undefined duration, the "User Halts Test" box must be clicked, in order to stop the test. This disables the test duration edit boxes. When the test is run, it will continue until the user stops it. If the 'OK' button is clicked when no test duration has been set, the system automatically selects "User Halts Test"

Setting The Graph And Table Update Intervals

The update intervals for the results table and the results graph are set in the same way as the overall test duration. Care must be taken in selecting the values, as described on the "Test Setup" page. If an update interval greater than the test duration is set, no data will be recorded during the test. If a duration of zero is set, the graph or table will be updated as soon as the processor has time available to do the update. This is not recommended, as it will very quickly begin to slow down the system

Setting The Graph Units

The user can decide how the graph scales the time axis. By default it uses seconds, though by clicking on one of the "Graph In:" buttons, this can be changed to hours or minutes or back to seconds.

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Test Information Setup

The test information screen is selected by clicking on the "Test Info" tab towards the top of the window. It displays the test information setup screen:

Test Information Fields

The user can set max. six test information fields for a test. These allow the user to enter parameters or identifiers for the test such as the test component type or the serial number of the unit under test. For each filed there is an edit box where the title of the field is entered. This title will be shown on the Test Control Window and on the Test Report generated at the end of a test. Next to each field is a box which indicates whether that information field is to be used for the report, or whether it is to be hidden.

PD Failure Threshold

The Failure PD Limit indicates the maximum acceptable level of discharge that can be tolerated on the device under test. This value is set in pC (pico-Coulombs). When the level recorded on a detector exceeds this threshold, the corresponding value in the test results table is shown as a negative value, while in the final test report it is shown in red.

RIV Failure Threshold

The Failure RIV Limit indicates the maximum acceptable level of discharge that can be tolerated on the device under test. This value is set in µV (micro-Volts). When the level recorded on a detector exceeds this threshold, the corresponding value in the test results table (txt-file) is shown as a negative value, while in the final test report it is shown in red.

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Nominal DUT Voltage

The nominal DUT voltage is used to set the rated operating voltage of the Device Under Test (DUT). If this is set, and the "Show % of Nom. Rating" box is checked, the system displays the voltage of each measurement as a percentage of the nominal rated operating voltage of the system.

Only Autorange In Test

Setting this checkbox disables autoranging on all detectors when a test is not running. It can be overridden by setting the auto-range on the detector control window. Use this option for short tests where the time to auto-range the detector would be significant with respect to the test time. With this option set, the range is held while the testing is not in progress.

Logarithmic PD Chart

Setting this checkbox produces a test report where the PD magnitude is recorded on a logarithmic scale rather than a linear one.

Test Setup - HTML Report

The HTML report screen is selected by clicking on the "HTML Report" tab towards the top of the window. It displays the HTML report setup screen:

The settings on this window determine how the test result grid is set up and how the data is displayed on the HTML test report.

Show Logo

When this option is checked, the logo indicated by the "Logo File" edit box will be displayed at the top of the test report. If this box is not checked no logo will be displayed.

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Show Table Border

When this is checked, a line will be drawn around all entries in the test report to make them easier to separate.

Separate Pages

When this is checked, the results table, graphs and snapshots will all be printed on separate pages.

Show Real Time

When this is checked, the first column of the results table will show the actual time that each measurement was taken. If it is cleared only the time elapsed since the start of the test is shown.

Show All Test Voltages

When checked, the voltage recorded on each detector at each measurement will be shown. If it is cleared, only the voltage recorded on the detector that is at the top of the "Detectors To Use" list will be displayed on the results table. This control is dependent on the "Show % Of Nom. Rating". If the "Show % Of Nom Rating" is checked, "Show All Test Voltages" is cleared and disabled.

Show % Of Nom. Rating

When checked, the percentage of the nominal rating shown on the test information screen for each reading is displayed in the table. If this option is selected, it only allows the display of a single test voltages, it cannot be used with "Show All Test Voltages". When it is checked, the "Show All Test Voltages" is cleared and disabled.

Signature Fields

For each test, it is possible to have up to four signature fields. These are titles placed at the bottom of the test report for the test to be signed off by those responsible for performing the test and administering and issuing the results.

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Test Setup Regulator Voltage Profile (Default no regulator is available for the system)

The regulator voltage profile test setup is selected by clicking on the "Voltage Profile" tab towards the top of the window. This displays the voltage profile test setup parameters:

Selecting The Regulator For A Test

This stage of setting up a test is used when you have regulator whose voltage profile you want controlled automatically by the software, and/or whose voltage you want recorded by the software during the test. The first step is to select the regulator to be used for the test. The "Available Regulator" box and the "Regulator To Use" box between them show the regulator that is registered to be used with this software (See "Registering Regulators With The Software") and that which is to be used in the test. The voltage of the selected regulator in "Regulator To Use" will be recorded in the test results.

The software can be used to manually control the regulator without recording the voltage. In which case simply do not select a "Regulator To Use".

Selecting the Regulator to use

To select the regulator to use for a test, click on the right arrow button . This will move it into the "Regulator To Use" box.

Removing the Regulator from the test

To remove the regulator from the test, click on the left arrow button . This will remove it from the "Regulator To Use" box.

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Manual Control

If a tick is entered in "Manual Control" then the selected regulator in "Regulator To Use" will be under user control and the test duration will be controlled from the "General" test Setup. The voltage of the selected regulator will be recorded in the test results.

If the tick is cleared from the "Manual Control" then the selected regulator in "Regulator To Use" will be under software control. The software will use the test voltages and dwell (duration) times setup in the "Voltage profile steps". The voltage of the selected regulator will be recorded in the test results.

Voltage Profile Steps

The voltages and dwell times for the test are entered in the "Voltage profile steps" grid. The software will apply the voltages for the given dwell time in the order shown in the list starting from the top. Test voltages are entered in kV. For example '40' or '15.5'. Dwell times are entered in hours, minutes and seconds. Hours can be from 0 to 10000. Minutes can be from 00 to 59. Seconds can be from 00 to 59. For example ten hours five minutes and fifteen seconds should be entered as '10:05:15'.

Running Tests with the system

Once a test procedure has been defined, it is possible to run tests on samples. If a test procedure has just been created or edited, it will be available for use.

If a new test has been defined or a test edited, it must be saved by clicking the "Save

Test" button on the main tool bar or by selecting "File" then "Save Current Test" from the menu. This will ensure that the test is stored ready for recall at a later date.

If previously defined test is to be loaded from disk, click the "Load Test" button on the menu or select "File" then "Load Stored Test" from the menu. The test to be used can then be selected from the list of test profiles. Once the test has been loaded, it is ready to run.

NOTE: Before running a test, especially if the test samples have been changed it is recommended that the discharge detectors are calibrated. Failure to perform a calibration could result in erroneous or invalid test results being obtained.

The stages of running a test are:

1. Calibrating the detectors 2. Running the test 3. Printing the results

Calibrating the Detectors

Before running a test, each detector to be used for the test should be calibrated. Failure to do so may result in erroneous or invalid measurements. It is the responsibility of the user to ensure that the instruments are correctly calibrated.

The calibration procedure must be performed on each instrument in turn. The method for calibration depends on whether the detector has the internal calibration step-wave generator installed or not. To calibrate a detector, bring its display/control screen to the front. This can be done using the detector select box on the toolbar

If the detector to be calibrated is shown in the window: , double clicking on the detector name will bring the detector control window to the front and select it.

If the required detector is not shown, click the arrow button on the right:

this will drop down a list of all the available detectors. Click on the one to be calibrated to bring its control window to the front and select it. If the controls for the detector are not displayed, click the "Show Controls" button.

Calibrating A System Without Internal Calibrator

If the detector has not got the internal calibrator option fitted, calibration must be performed using an external calibrator. In this case, only two controls are shown in the calibration window:

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To perform the calibration, connect an external calibrator across the sample to be measured and switch it on. Ensure that the calibration pulses are clearly visible. If not make appropriate adjustments to the system (The use of auto-ranging is recommended); especially ensure that the system is not over-range. When the reading on the discharge meter has settled (this may take a minute or so if "Slow" mode is being used), enter the value the external calibrator is switched to into the edit box in the bottom box on the screen. (Note - this value must be entered in pico-coulombs). When the value has been entered, press the "Run Calibration" button. Once this has been done, check that the reading on the magnitude meter matches up with that on external calibrator - if not repeat the process until adequate agreement between the two is achieved.

Calibrating a System with Internal Calibrator

Where a system has an internal calibration system, a full set of controls are shown for the calibrator:

To perform a calibration, enter the required calibration value into the edit box to the right of the "Run Calibration" button and press "Run Calibration". The calibration value will be set to the closest possible value that the calibrator will generate. Alternatively, click on the calibration value button to force the contents of the box to a value produced by the calibrator. Clicking "Run Calibration" will run the automatic calibration procedure. While this is running, the "Run Calibration" button is greyed out. When the calibration procedure has completed, check the discharge meter reading against the calibrator output to verify the calibration and repeat the process if the difference is excessive.

At the bottom of the calibration controls box is a label that indicates the current status of the calibration system. It will be one of the following:

Remote Calibration Not Yet Run The system has not been calibrated yet Calibration Process Running The calibration process is underway Calibration Process Finished The calibration process is completed

If there is an error during calibration, the system will still report that the calibration is finished. Because of this, it is essential that the PD magnitude reading is verified against the calibrator output before any measurements are taken. To do this, turn on the calibrator and adjust the output until the pulses are clearly visible on the display. To meet the requirements of IEC-60270, the reading on the PD meter must be within 5% of the set output of the calibrator.

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Calibration validity

Once the PD level has been calibrated the Calibration Complete message appears.

The system may be closed down and restarted with the same setup and the calibration will still be valid even if the Check Detector Calibration message appears.

Changing filter settings or the test setup will invalidate the calibration.

The test configuration, the DUT, the filter settings etc. must all amongst other things be considered before determining that the calibration is valid.

Calibrating the Voltage Measurement

Voltage measurement can only be performed if this function has been enabled from the System properties dialogue. If voltage calibration hasn’t been enabled, the voltage calibration controls will be disabled.

To calibrate the voltage, it is essential that a suitably calibrated reference voltmeter is used. With the detector and the reference voltmeter connected to the HV system apply voltage and raise it to approximately 50% of full scale on the detector. Select whether the meter is to operate using RMS measurement or Peak/√2 by clicking the appropriate button”. Enter the voltage read from the reference voltmeter into the edit box and press the “Calibrate Voltage” button. The voltmeter reading should match the reference voltmeter once the calibration has been performed. Verify the calibration at 25% and 75% of full-scale.

Note On External Calibrator Systems

The way the system is operated with external calibrators depends on the configuration of the detectors connected to the software. If a detector does not have an internal calibrator installed it is essential that an external calibrator is used to establish the partial discharge calibration for the system. If the detector has an internal calibrator, it is assumed that this is used as the primary calibration reference for the system. If an external calibrator is supplied with the system, it is intended to provide a confidence check on the internal calibrators.

Where a system has no internal calibrators, the external calibrator is used to set the discharge magnitude level. For each channel in turn the discharge calibrator is connected across the sample or phase being tested. The calibrator is switched on and the “Run Calibration” button is pressed after the size of the calibration pulse is entered in the edit box. This sets the magnitude meter for that detector from the

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calibrator. To meet IEC-60270 the reading on the magnitude meter should be within 5% of the nominal value of the reference calibrator.

Where a system has all the detectors equipped with internal calibrator units, it is assumed that the internal calibrator provides the reference discharge pulse size for calibration. It is not possible to calibrate the detector from the external calibrator. This does not mean that the external calibrator is redundant. The calibrator provides a confidence check on the internal calibrator. Once the detector has been calibrated from the internal calibrator, the external calibrator is connected across the sample for that detector. The reading on the magnitude meter should be within 5% of the nominal pulse output level of the external calibrator to meet IEC-60270. If the error is outside this limit, the detector may need re-calibration, or there may be another problem with it.

Where a system has internal calibrators fitted to some channels, those channels without an internal calibrator can be calibrated from the external calibrator of from the internal calibrator of one of the channels that has an internal calibrator installed. In this case that calibrator is treated as an external calibrator by the channel being calibrated. If a channel has an internal calibrator, it can only be calibrated from that internal calibrator - in this case the external calibrator is used to provide a confidence check on the calibration.

NOTE: Calibration to 5% is only guaranteed in a band from 25% to 400% of the nominal calibration value.

Running the Test

Once the detectors have been calibrated, the test can be run. This can be done by

pressing the "Run Test" button on the menu bar. This button will not be enabled until the system has a test procedure loaded, or until the user has edited a test procedure. Alternatively the "Start Test" button on the test control window can be used:

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The test control window can be brought to the front of the display by pressing the button on the main toolbar.

If there is no test defined the user information fields on the test control window will be blank, and the test status window will show "No Test Loaded". The fields will be displayed according to the setup defined in the test procedure (See Test Information Setup). The contents of these fields can be set up at any time during a test, though a warning will be generated if any are left blank when the test is started.

Below the user information fields is a box where the user can enter any comments on the test. These are included at the bottom of the test report when it is generated. Once the test procedure is started running, the start buttons are disabled and the stop buttons enabled. Pressing the button will stop the test, and cause the system to request whether it is to generate a test report. The stop buttons are next to the start buttons on both the tool bar and the test control window.

Toolbar Stop Button:

Control Window Stop Button:

During the test, it is possible to take snapshots of the activity on each detector by bringing the appropriate detector window to the front using the selection box on the

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toolbar and then clicking the “Take Snapshot” button. If a snapshot of the activity on all

the detectors being used for the test is to be taken, click the button on the toolbar.

It is also possible to add an additional line onto the results table and additional points

onto the graph using the button.

Printing The Results

Once the test procedure has completed, a message box is displayed requesting whether a test report is to be generated:

If the test is to be re-run or the results discarded, then click "No". If the results are to be kept, click "Yes", this will generate a test report on the HTML report window, which can be printed out. This can be done by clicking the button on the toolbar, or by selecting the "File" then "Print HTML Report" options from the menu. The user can then select the printer to be used for the report. (If there are problems with the printout, refer to page 13 of this manual:”Installing The Software”). It is also possible to export the results to a comma separated variable file with a .TXT file extension that can be imported into a database or spreadsheet for custom reporting. To do this, select "File"

then "Export Results Table" or click the button on the toolbar.

Managing The Data

The software produces data that can be used to produce test reports or to export to other applications for more detailed analysis or to accumulate a database of partial discharge information.

The system produces three types of data report:

1. HTML report of discharge activity. This is a test report for the sample under test detailing the test performed and the results. It is intended for printing to provide a permanent record of test

2. Tabular Results. The tabular results table is used as part of the HTML report. It can also be exported to a spreadsheet or database for analysis by an external system.

3. Snapshots. A snapshot gives an instantaneous picture of the discharge activity on a particular detector. It shows the activity on the display as well as the PD and voltage. The shot of the activity can be copied to the clipboard for transfer into a document or report.

HTML Test Report

At the end of a test the system produces a test report whose format is determined by the test setup (See Test Setup - HTML Report) is generated. This report is stored automatically into the directory set for data storage. This is set on installation of the program or it can be reset using the Set System Properties dialogue box.

If tabular data is shown on the test report, any discharge reading that was over the threshold set for that detector are displayed in red to warn the user that they were over threshold. All other readings are displayed in black.

The test report consists of a number of files, all sharing a common root filename of the form "Test_hh-mm-ss_yyyy-mm-dd" where "hh-mm-dd" indicates the time at which the test report was generated (the end time of the test" and "yyyy-mm-dd" indicates the date on which the test report was generated. So for example a root filename of "Test_10-05-11_2002-01-06" indicates a test report generated at five past ten (plus 11 seconds) on the sixth of January 2002. The main report file will have a name of the form:

Test_hh-mm-ss_yyyy-mm-dd.HTML

This can be displayed by opening the file using any web browser compatible with HTML 4.0. If the test profile calls for the report to display graphs, the graphs shown on the results window are stored as JPEG files with the names:

Test_hh-mm-ss_yyyy-mm-ddPD.JPG for the discharge graph Test_hh-mm-ss_yyyy-mm-ddV.JPG for the voltage graph

If any snapshots were taken during the course of the test, these are also stored as JPEG files with the names

Test_hh-mm-ss_yyyy-mm-ddSnapshot0.JPG Test_hh-mm-ss_yyyy-mm-ddSnapshot1.JPG Test_hh-mm-ss_yyyy-mm-ddSnapshot2.JPG

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... There will be as many snapshot JPEG files as there were snapshots taken during the test. If the test report is to be moved to another location, all the files with the same root filename must be copied to the same directory, otherwise it will not be possible to reproduce the test report correctly.

Tabular Results

When a test has finished, the tabular results on the test report form can be exported as a text file that can be imported into a spreadsheet, database or other external package. The data is stored as ASCII test in a tab delimited format.

To generate a tabular result file click the export button on the toolbar or select "File" then "Export Results Table" from the menu. This displays a dialogue box that allows the name and location of the file to be set. Once the dialogue box has closed, the file is written and can be accessed from other packages.

The format of the test report is determined by the test setup used to gather the data. The data in the results table is exported along with the user information fields defined for the test and the date and time of the test.

Note: when the system is recording partial discharge levels, any results that exceed the failure threshold set for that detector will be recorded as negative values, so they can be picked out from the test record without having to know exactly what failure threshold was set.

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Snapshots

The system allows the user to take snapshots of the discharge activity as displayed on the detector screen. This can be done whether a test is running or not. Any snapshots taken while a test is not running will be deleted as soon as a test is started.

There are two ways of taking a snapshot. A snapshot can be taken for an individual

detector by clicking the "Take Snapshot" button. Alternatively, clicking the button on the toolbar will take a snapshot of all the detectors connected to the system, or selected for the current test (which depends on whether the test is running or not). The snapshots that have been taken can be viewed by bringing the Snapshot display

window to the front. This is done by clicking the "Show Snapshots" button , which brings the snapshot window to the front:

This shows all the snapshots that have been gathered. Below the snapshot image, the number of snapshots gathered and the details of this snapshot are shown.

To view the different snapshots, press the "Next" and "Prev." buttons to move through the list. "Next" is disabled when the end of the list is reached. "Prev." is disabled when the start of the list is reached. Both buttons will be disabled if there is only one snapshot in the list. If a snapshot is not required in the list, it can be removed using the "Delete" button. This removes the currently displayed snapshot from the list.

To export the currently displayed snapshot, double click on the PD display image; this will transfer it to the Windows clipboard. It can then be transferred to another application as a bitmap. The size of the snapshots taken can be adjusted using the

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System Properties dialogue. If the snapshot size is changed, the new size will not be used until the next time the software is run.

Set System Properties

The system properties are set up using the System Properties dialogue box. This is selected from the menu by selecting "Setup" then "Set System Characteristics".

Any changes made to the settings are stored when "OK" is clicked and will be used next time the system is run. To make the changes current, close the system dialogue properties box with "OK" then close the application. The new settings will come into force when the application is restarted.

Allow Voltage Cal

The “Allow Voltage Cal” checkbox enables or disables the voltage calibration controls in the detector control window. If the box is checked, then it is possible to recalibrate the voltage. If the box is unchecked, recalibration of the voltage is not possible.

The check box is normally disabled. To enable it, the password has to be entered into the password edit box. As soon as the password has been correctly entered, the check box is enabled and can be changed. It will be disabled as soon as the text in the password entry box is changed, or when the dialogue box is exited.

Calibrate RIV Frequency

The “Calibrate RIV Frequency” checkbox enables he RIV Frequency calibration on the Detector Control window. If the box is checked, then the Set Frequency button changes to Cal Frequency and it is possible to recalibrate the RIV frequency. When Cal Frequency button is pressed the checkbox is automatically cleared.

The check box is normally disabled. To enable it, the password has to be entered into the password edit box. As soon as the password has been correctly entered, the check box is enabled and can be changed. It will be disabled as soon as the text in the password entry box is changed, or when the dialogue box is exited.

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Snapshot Image Size

The snapshot image size determines the dimensions of the image used for snapshots. The required size in pixels for the width and height are entered into the edit boxes. The larger the size entered, the more memory it will consume.

File Paths

The File Paths set the default locations for the storage of test profiles and results. These must point to valid and accessible paths, though they can be on network drives or an external server if required. The paths should be set so the application can write to them as well as read from them. This is particularly important for the Report Files, which are generated automatically with no option to relocate them within the program.

Enable Regulator Search

The Enable Regulator Search checkbox shows/hides the Select Regulator... option from the Setup main menu.

Enable Detector Settings Save

The Enable Detector Settings Save checkbox shows/hides the Save and restore settings controls on the Preferences tab of the Detector Control window.

Upgrading the System

As part of Hubbell High Voltage Tests policy of continuing improvement, revisions and upgrades to the software will be released to registered users of the system whose system is under a maintenance agreement or warranty. It is recommended that the system and the detectors are running the latest version for the best performance.

Upgrading the Remote operating system software

Before upgrading the remote operating software, the license must be transferred to a floppy disk for security. To perform the upgrade, the following instructions should be followed:

1. Run the remote software and from the menu select "Setup" then "License 9101 Remote". This displays the licensing control dialogue box. Insert a blank, formatted floppy disk into the drive and click the “Export License To Disk” button.

2. Insert the upgrade installation disk into the CD-ROM drive, the setup utility should run automatically. If it does not, using explorer open the CD-ROM root directory and double click on “Setup.exe” to run the file.

3. Follow the instructions to install the software.

4. Once the installation has finished, the remote software can be run. It will warn that the license has expired and ask if you wish to license the software. Insert the floppy disk with the license on it into the drive. Click on “Yes” and select “Import from Drive A:”. This will re-license the software ready for use.

Upgrading the Detector Software.

The remote control software provides the means to upgrade the DDX-9101 internal software. When a new version of DDX-9101 software is released, power up all DDX-9101 detectors and check the version number. This can be found at the top of the system configuration screen. It is also shown on the remote software on the detector control window when the controls are shown, just to the right of the “Hide Controls” button. An upgrade is only required if the version number is less than the version number of the latest release. If any do not require upgrade, switch them off.

To perform the upgrade, power up all the detectors to be upgraded and run the remote control software. Ensure that all detectors to be upgraded have been detected by the software. Select "Setup" then "Upgrade DDX-9101 Detectors"; this will display a file selection box. Select the upgrade file, this will have a title of "DDX-9101.EXE".

DO NOT SELECT ANY FILE THAT YOU ARE NOT SURE ABOUT. IF AN INVALID UPGRADE FILE IS SELECTED THE DDX-9101 DETECTORS WILL BE RENDERED INOPERATIVE AND MUST BE RETURNED TO THE FACTORY FOR REPAIR.

Once the upgrade file has been selected, the system displays a message box:

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If the file is correct and an upgrade is required, click "Yes", other wise click "No" to exit the procedure. The software then displays a second confirmation message:

To perform the upgrade click "No"; to cancel the operation click "Yes". If "No" is clicked, the upgrade operation is performed. This will take a few seconds to complete. Each detector will report the status of the upgrade. If there was a problem, a message box will be displayed reporting "<detector_name> reported an error during upgrade. Please try again". The detector will still run correctly but will not have the latest version of software in it.

If the upgrade was successful, "<detector_name> has been successfully upgraded. Please reboot the detector" is displayed. Click OK to clear the message box then shut down the remote control software and the detector. When they are restarted the detector will be running the latest software.

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DDX-9121-RIV Routine Calibration Procedure Transformer Testing

This procedure must be used every time a different transformer is tested on the system, or if the current transformer is to be re-tested after it has been disconnected from the system, the configuration has been changed or it is more than 24 hours since the system was last calibrated. Before the calibration is performed ensure that both the PD and RIV calibrator have fully charged batteries

1. Connection of AQS Quadripoles

- The quadripole is connected between the bushing tap on the bushing to be tested and the ground connection on the bushing flange. Connect the red terminal to the bushing tap and the black terminal to the ground on the flange.

- Switch on the AQS and ensure that the LED flashes green. If the LED flashes yellow or red, replace the batteries in the AQS

- Connect all the bushings to be tested to the channels on the DDX in a known fashion. This will make it easier to determine which phase is faulty.

o Connect bushing 1 to the channel 1 (Phase 1) AQS

o Connect bushing 2 to the channel 2 (Phase 2) AQS

o Connect bushing 3 to the channel 3 (Phase 3) AQS

- Continue the sequence if there are more than 3 phases to be tested

2. PD calibration of the detector

- Connect the PD calibrator between the bushing output and ground. Connect the red lead from the calibrator to the bushing output and the black lead to the ground on the bushing flange.

- Switch the calibrator on and set it to 100pC

- From the DDX-9121 remote select the detector connected to the bushing with the calibrator connected and display the control panel for it. Select the “PD Controls”

- Click the “Autorange” check box if it not already checked

- Wait until the reading on the PD meter has been stable (varying by less than 5%) for about 15 seconds

- Enter 100 into the edit box next to the “Run Calibration” button

- Click the “Run calibration button”

- Switch off the PD calibrator and disconnect it

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3. RIV calibration

- Connect the RIV calibrator between the bushing output and ground. Connect the red lead from the calibrator to the bushing output and the black lead to the ground on the bushing flange.

- Switch the calibrator on and set it to 100uV at 835KHz (or the required frequency)

- From the DDX-9121 remote select the “RIV Controls” tab

- Enter 50 into the box on the left of the “Tune Around” button

- Enter 835 (or the required frequency) into the box on the right of the “Tune Around” button

- Click the “Tune Around” button

- Wait until a screen pops up with the message display – “Reminder: RIV calibration may be required”.

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- Ensure the frequency indicates 835KHz (or the required frequency) +/- 5KHz

- Enter 100 into the box labelled “Injected Level”

- Click the “Calibrate” button

- Ensure the RIV meter reading on the display reads between 90uV and 110uV

- Switch off the RIV calibrator and disconnect it

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each of the other phases to be calibrated. It should not take more than about 10 minutes to complete steps 2 and 3. If problems are encountered or the calibration process is taking longer, assistance should be sought.