Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
This is a divisional application of Canadian Patent Application Serial No.
2,337,728
filed on February 22, 2001.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to electrical distribution systems and
specifically to a
system for incorporating energy management circuit breakers (EMCBs) in new or
existing
electrical distribution panels. It should be understood that the expression
"the invention" and
the like encompasses the subject matter of both the parent and the divisional
applications.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Lighting directly accounts for about 40% of the electricity consumed in a
typical
building. Leaving lights on after hours or during long periods when they are
not being used
is a tremendous drain on energy and profits. Turning them off, on the other
hand, is an
instantaneous cost reduction. Reducing the amount of time that lamps burn each
day can
substantially increase the amount of time between replacements, saving on
labor, material
and disposal costs. Controlling electrical loads such as lights-turning them
off when not
needed-conserves energy, saves money, and helps the environment. This is not
only cost
effective, but is often required by federal and state laws in new or renovated
buildings.
One of the oldest and simplest lighting control systems is the wall switch.
Depending
on people to flip a switch, however, is not an effective way to ensure that
lights are turned off.
Relay-based systems were developed to provide remote lighting control-and
assurance that
lights are turned off-but they are complex and bulky. In addition to a
conventional circuit
breaker panelboard, they require a separate relay cabinet, control system and
the extra
conduit, wire gutters and wall space to connect everything. Space for such new
equipment in
buildings is often limited. Modifying existing circuit runs is labor
intensive. The installation
may be very expensive, time-consuming and disruptive to occupants.
To overcome such limitations of relay-based systems, the instant assignee
developed a"POWERLINKTM AS' energy management system that combined all of the
components necessary to monitor and control lighting, as well as other types
of electrical
loads, within the space of a single, standard panelboard enclosure. Little
additional
equipment is required, thereby eliminating the need for extra space, modifying
existing
circuits, or disrupting operation. The POWERLINKTM AS system comprises four
modular
components, including motor-operated circuit breakers, plug-on control busses,
a power
I
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
module, and microprocessor-based control electronics. Each of the modules is
designed
to mount to a conventional panelboard- Wiring is kept to a minimum, and no
additional
wall space is required.
TM
The intelligence of the POWERLINK AS system comes from its iesident
microprocessor-based control module. It can process signals that originate
externatly
from control devices, such as switches or sensors, or provide time-based
control
according to predefined daily schedules set up by the user in the module. The
power
module furnishes the power for the circuit breakers and system electronics,
and reports
the status to the control inodule_ In addition, it contains input and
communications
io terminations for connection to external control devices such as wall
switches, motion
TM
sensors, and photo-cells- The remote-operated circuit breakers in the
POWERLINK AS
system combine the protective features of conventional circuit breakers with
the switching
functions of a contactor. This eliminates the need for separate relays or
contactors and
associated enclosures, wiring, schedules, and installation labor_ Finally, the
plug-on
1s control busses attach to the panelboard and provide interconnect wiring
between the
circuit breakers and the power module. The busses conduct switching power and
control
signals from the power module to switch individual circuit breakers, and
report circuit
breaker status back to the control module. Some innovative features of the
POWERLINK AS system are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 5, 180,05 1; 5,184,278;
2o 5,231,565; 5,233,511; 5,249,115; 5,253,159; 5,315,499; 5,323,307;
5,455;760;
5,532,660; 5,892,449; and 5,909,180,
TM
Although the POWERLINK AS system provides a significant advancement in the
art of energy management systems, there is a continuing need to develop new
features for
25 such systems to satisfy the demands of building owners, operators, and
plant managers.
The present invention is directed to satisfying these needs.
One of the difficulties encountered with control systems is that some level of
programming is required to set up the system. This programming requires some
type of
human interface in which associations can be described. Quite often this
interface is not
30 built in, since programming is only needed at installation time. While this
lowers product
cost, access to this device is occasionally needed and one must be purchased
for each
location or by each contractor. This is not practical for areas in which a
contractor may
only install a few systems.
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
Also, some electricians are not comfortable with the concept of programming,
requiring system integrators to perform this task, again increasing cost.
The present invention, as more fully described below, eliminates the need for
conventional programming by providing a way in which input signals and output
actions
s are learned by manual actuation of a few simple control buttons. When this
concept is
TM
applied to POWERLTNK, a contractor would simply press the learn button,
manually set
his breaker handles to their desired positions and turn the input on, then he
would then set
the affected breakers to the opposite state and turn the input off. The input
activity is used
to take a"snapshot" of the breaker status. From this activity, the system can
collect
1o information as to which breakers are affected by which input, what type of
input device is
connected (momentary, maintained, or push-button switch), breaker states
associated
with the first input event, and breaker states associated with the second
input event. All
of the essential programming information is collected, stored, and activated.
An additional benefit is that input wiring errors are reduced since it is no
longer
15 necessary to wire a switch to a specific input.
Remotely operated circuit breakers provide both protection and switching in a
convenient package. Most devices on the market use lengthy external wires to
connect
the switching means to an external control means. When Square D Company
developed
TM
the POWERLINK AS system, a companion device, known as a control bus, was
20 introduced to eliminate this wiring. This existing control bus provides a
self-contained
wiring means to connect the remotely operated circuit breakers to the control
means.
Connectors deployed along the length of the bus correspond to each branch
circuit.
While the existing control bus provides a great advantage over other wiring
methods, there are improvements that can be made to the control bus concept.
One issue
2s that this invention addresses is the existing requirement to provide a
complete set of
electronics within each panel_ A secondary issue is that the existing control
circuitry
within this set of electronics is designed to operate a fixed number of points
(42).
This invention, as more fully described below, overcomes these limitations by
providing an intelligent wiring bus with its own internal controller. This
results in two
30 major improvements: first, since this new bus can be made in a variety of
lengths, the
number of control points can be optimized for a panel; and second, this new
concept
breaks the 42-point boundary by associating the control means with the number
of
breakers controlled, not with the panel.
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
Following this logic to the extreme would result in the conclusion that the
optimal
arrangement would be to place the control means at or within the breaker
itself.
However, the cost of such an arrangement is still prohibitive.
The foregoing as well as other advantages and features of the invention are
more
fully described hereinbelow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a programmable control system
comprises a plurality of inputs for connecting to external sensors, a
plurality of outputs
jo for connecting to external actuators capable of manual override and
providing status
feedback signals to the control system, means, operable in a learn mode and
responsive to
the status feedback signals, for learning associations between the inputs and
the outputs
and recording the associations in a memory in response to a human operator
selecting one
of the inputs and manually toggling selected ones of the external actuators
between first
is and second positions; and means, operable in a run mode, for commanding the
selected
ones of the external actuators to one of the first and second positions in
response to a
change in state of the external sensor connected to the one of the inputs,
whereby the
human operator has programmed an output response to input activity by manual
manipulation of the connected sensors and actuators.
20 In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method of programming
a
control system including a plurality of inputs and outputs, the inputs being
connected to
external sensors, the outputs being connected to external actuators capable of
manual
override and providing status feedback signals to the control system, the
control system
including a memory for recording associations between the inputs and the
outputs, the
2s method comprises switching the control system to a learn mode, selecting
one of the
inputs, and manually toggling selected ones of the external actuators between
first and
second positions.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a control bus for an
electrical
panelboard having a plurality of actuator device locations, said control bus
comprises a
30 plurality of connectors arranged such that a connector is adjacent to each
of said plurality
of actuator device locations, whereby the control bus means is capable of
coupling to one
or more actuators occupying one or more of said plurality of actuator
locations, a
controller circuit capable of accepting a control signal from an external
device, which a
4
CA 02483295 2006-12-20
control signal is used to command the position of one or more actuator devices
occupying
said one or more actuator devices locations, a drive circuit capable of
causing said one or
more actuator devices to actuate between at least two positions in response to
said
control signal.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a
circuit
breaker device with an internal impedance, connected between the load terminal
and an
external detection circuit, iuhich internal impedance provides both isolation
and level
reduction.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a
circuit
breaker device with an internal wire-jumper identification circuit, in which
at least the
following conditions are encoded l-pole, 2-pole, 3-pole, device not present.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a control module
comprising:
a housing;
a processor in said housing capable of accepting and interpreting one or more
externally
originating control signals provided directly from at least one of a sensor
and a control device;
said processor being further capable of providing actuator control signals for
one or more
actuator devices located external to said housing;
said processor being further capable of interpreting said externally
originating control signals
for use in developing said actuator control signals for said one or more
actuator devices;
a memory disposed within said housing wherein mapping of said externally
originating control
signals to said one or more actuator devices is stored, said processor being
capable of acquiring
said mapping information and loading said mapping information into said
memory; and
an informational display mounted to said housing, on which a plurality of
statuses of at least one
of said externally originating control signals, said actuator, control
signals, said one or more
actuator devices,:and said control device are displayed.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a power supply, mountable
within an electrical panetboard with a plurality of circuit breaker locations,
comprises a
housing dimensioned such that it can be inserted into a location normally
occupied by a
circuit breaker, a means for connecting to AC power, and a circuit means
within said
housing providing a regulated source of DC electrical power to output
terminals,
converted from said AC power, in which said conversion circuitry. is adaptive
to a range
of voltage from at least l20 Vac to 277 Vac and the adaptive frequency range
is adaptive
from at least 50 to 66 cycles per second.
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
FIG. I is a simplified elevation of a panelboard incorporating components of
an
energy management system in accordance with one form of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a simplified elevation of a pair of breaker panels similar to FIG. I
connected to form an energy management system in accordance with the
invention;
FIG. 3 is a simplified elevation of a number of breaker panels connected in an
energy management system including a multiple device network or Ethernet;
FIG. 4 is a diagramntatic showing of one aspect of operation of a control
module
ao of the energy management system of the invention;
FIGS. 5a-5f are timing diagrams illustrating input object operation in
accordance
with one aspect of the invention;
FIGS. 6, 7a-b, and 8 are timing diagrams illustrating operation of a timer in
accordance with one aspect of the invention;
rs FIGS. 9a and 9d illustrate blink notice logic in connection with output
operation in
accordance with one aspect of the invention;
FIG. 10 is a,diagrammatic plan view of an address select module in accordance
with one aspect of the invention;
FIG. 11 is a simplified circuit diagram of the address select module of FIG.
10;
20 FIGS. 12a-12c indicate possible control bus numbering schemes;
FIG. 13 is an elevation of one example of a control panel or front panel of a
control module of the invention;
FIG. 14 is a side elevation, partially in section showing connection of a
circuit
breaker to a control bus in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;
25 FIG. 15 is a plan view of one embodiment of an intelligent control bus of
the
invention;
FIGS. 16, 17, and 18a-b are schematic circuit diagrams of portions of a
circuit of
the intelligent control bus of FIG. 15 in accordance with one embodiment of
the
invention;
30 FIGS. 19a-c and 20 illustrate further portions of a circuit of the control
bus of
FIG. 15;
FIG. 21 illustrates a simplified circuit for operation of a motor contained in
a
circuit breaker under the control of the intelligent control bus;
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
FIG. 22 illustrates a further portion of a circuit of the control bus;
FIG. 23 is a simplified functional block diagram illustrating coupling of a
circuit
breaker with the circuitry of the intelligent control bus, in generally the
manner indicated
in FIG. 14;
s FIG. 24 is an alternate embodiment of the showing of FIG. 23;
FIGS. 25 and 26 illustrate positive voltage supply and power failure monitor
circuit portions of the control module of the invention;
FIGS. 27a-32 illustrate circuitry of the control module;
FIGS. 33a-c and 34a-c illustrate further circuits of the control module;
FIGS. 35a and 35b illustrate control panel circuits;
FIG. 35c illustrates one embodiment of a control panel display in associated
circuits;
FIG. 36 illustrates an alternate embodiment of a control panel display and
circuits;
and
FIGS. 37a-c illustrate additional circuits of the control module of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT
The drawings and the following descriptions are not intended to representthe
only
forms of the invention in regard to the details of its construction and manner
of operation.
Changes in form and in the proportion of parts, as well as the substitution of
equivalents,
are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient; and
although specific
terms have been employed, they are intended in a generic and descriptive sense
only and
not for tl-~ purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being
delineated in the
claims.
1. Overview
FIG. I depicts an electrical distribution panel 10 of an energy management
system
embodying the present invention. The basic components of the system include
remotely-
operable circuit breakers 12, a pair of control busses 14, a power module 16,
and a
control module 18. These components plug into a panelboard 20 for ease of
installation
3o and operation. The control busses 14 may also accommodate conventional
(i.e., not
remotely-operable) circuit breakers 12a.
The circuit breakers 12 perform both overcurrent protection and remote
switching
functions on AC voltage systems. They may have a 1-, 2-, or 3-pole
construction_ The 2-
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
and 3-pole circuit breakers are common trip. An overcurrent condition on any
given pole
of the circuit breaker will cause-all poles of the circuit breaker to open.
The core of each circuit breaker 12 is a highly effective trip mechanism. A 24
VDC motor, along with a drive train and linkage, provides remote operation
capability.
This motor is located in the left pole of the 2-pole circuit breaker and the
center pole of
the 3-pole circuit breaker. When the circuit breaker handle 15 (see also FIG.
14) is in the
ON position, the motor and drive train can open and close the contacts. When
the handle
is in the OFF position or the circuit breaker is tripped, the contacts cannot
be closed
remotely. An auto/manual switching mode selector on the front of the circuit
breaker
provides mechanical override capability. In manual mode, the motor drive train
is
disconnected from the contacts. The circuit breaker handle then operates the
contacts like
a conventional circuit breaker. A sensing device determines the presence or
absence of
voltage on the loadside terminal, and reports circuit breaker contact position
back to the
control module 18. Thus, a true-positive-closed-loop feedback of actual
contact status is
1s achieved.
Each circuit breaker 12 has a permanent trip unit that contains a factory
preset
thermal (overload) trip element and a magnetic (short circuit) trip element in
each pole.
The thermal trip element is rms sensing and is calibrated to carry the
continuous current
rating of the circuit breaker at about 40 C free air ambient temperature.
Each circuit breaker 12 has an over-center toggle mechanism that provides
quick-
make, quick-break operation and a trip indicator. The operating mechanism is
trip-free
such that the circuit breaker will trip even though the operating handle may
be restricted
to the ON positi- n. Without any restrictions, the operating handle moves to a
position
between ON and OFF when the circuit breaker is tripped. An internal crossbar
provides
common tripping of all poles on 2- and 3-poles circuit breakers. The trip
indicator
includes an indicator window that display one of three colors to show circuit
breaker
contact status. For example, the color white indicates that the circuit
breaker contacts are
closed; green indicates that the contacts are open; and red indicates that the
circuit
breaker is tripped.
The control busses 14 provide a functional interconnect between the circuit
breakers 12 and the control module 18. Specifically, they conduct 24VDC
switching
power and control signals from the control module 18 to switch individual
circuit breakers
12, and report circuit breaker status back to the control module I8. Using
surface mount
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
technology, the busses 14 preferably include some intelligent switching
circuitry that in
prior systems was incorporated in the power interface module 16 and/or control
module
18. These "smart" busses 14 reside on panelboard interior mounting channels.
Each bus
14 provides secure plug-in connectors for mounting a plurality of circuit
breakers 12 and
s either the power module 16 or the control module 18. The power module 16 is
mounted
to one of the busses 14, while the control module 18 is mounted to the other
of the busses
14 generally opposite to the power module 16. A bundle of wires 22 extend
between the
power module 16 and the control module 18 to allow these components to
communicate
with each other and to provide 24 VDC power from the power module.
The power module 16 contains a power supply that furnishes 24VDC power for
remote circuit breaker for use in deriving regulated switching and 5VDC and
other DC
power for the control module system and smart bus electronics, and reports the
status of
the 24VDC to the control module 18 via one of the wires 22. The power module
16
plugs directly to a connector on one of the busses 14.
The microprocessor-based control module 18, which is plugged to a similar
connector on the other bus 14, provides most of the intelligence of the
electrical
distribution panel 10. The control module 18 can process signals that
originate externally
from control devices, such as switches or sensors, or provide time-based
control
according to predefined daily schedules set up in the module. In addition, the
control
module 18 contains input and communications terminations for connecting to
external
control devices. These terminations can accept a plurality of dry contact
inputs with the
following characteristics: 2-wire maintained, 2-wire momentary, and 3-wire
momentary.
The control module 18 provides optional network communications, multi-channel
time
clock functions, 365 day calendar control, and optional local display
operations. If the
control module 18 is provided with a local display, such a display may show
system status
and program information The control module 18 may turn one or more of the
circuit
breakers 12 ON and OFF based on an event or events programmed into the control
module. Events can be on automatic control, such as time-of-day, or signaled
by an input
change (e_g., moving a light switch from ON to OFF)_ Output signals are sent
from the
3o control module 18 to the circuit breakers 12 via the smart bus 14.
Referring to FIG. 2, the energy management system allows for multiple
electrical
distribution panels l0a and 10b to share a common control module 18 and a
common
power module 16 thereby greatly reducing the cost of jobs where multiple
panels are
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
involved_ Operability between panels is accomplished through the use of a
device level
network 24 that provides a communications data path'and control power to the
various
components over interpanel network wires 25. The respective modules 16, 18 may
be
designed such that the wires from the first panel connect to either the power
module 16 or
s the control module 18; however, the former is indicated in FIG. 2. In one
embodiment,
each device level network 24 is designed to accommodate up to eight smart
busses 14. In
one network embodiment, these smart bus components can be distributed in one
to eight
different panels. Each bus 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d may have a unique bus address,
one
example of which is indicated in FIG. 2. The circuit breakers 12 can be
controlled by a
io single control module 18, and be powered by a single power module 16.
Referring to FIG. 3, connection of multiple device level networks 24a, 24b,
and
24c may be achieved on systems containing more than eight smart busses 14.
Such
systems typically require these panels to share common inputs located
throughout the
building. The control modules 18 in the respective device level netWorks can
be furnished
15 with an Ethernet option (indicated schematically by components 19, 21 and
23) which
allows the control modules 18 to be tied together and inputs shared across the
network.
2. Object Representation
Referring to FIG. 4, operation of the control module 18 can be shown
2o diagrammatically as a series of processes. These processes can be naturally
grouped into
objects, with each object representing a major function of the module. There
are four
major control functions, or types of objects, within the control module 18.
They are:
input objects 26, time scheduler objects 28, group objects 3'0, and output
objects 32. The
input object 26 combines the physical hardware activity with the configuration
attributes
25 to create a single logical state representative of the input. This hardware
activity may
include input and timer inhibit controls 25, remote latched input/input sinc
control 27 and
contact closure 29. The scheduler object 28 compares the current time, day and
date,with
the schedule configuration, and computes a single logical state. The group
object 30
takes all logical states that are configured to it, including inputs from the
time scheduler
3o objects 28 and one or more input objects 26 (26a, 26b, ete.) logically
combines them
according to the logic type configuration, and creates a single group state.
It then uses
this group state to set the desired states of any circuit breakers 12 mapped
to that group_
The group object 30 may also receive an override group input 31 and provide a
status
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
feedback 33. The output object 32, each representing a circuit breaker 12,
combines this
desired state (from the group object 30) with the configuration attributes to
determine and
control the physical state of the circuit breaker 12 (via the modbus) as
indicated at 35.
One embodiment of the control module 16 allows custom configuration in which
s any single bit status may be used as a source for the group logic, through a
system of
pointers_ The choice of a particular status is referenced by using either a OX
or I X
input/coil number, as included in the register list. These pointers are pre-
loaded with
typical default values, but may be changed by the user to meet special
applications.
jo 3. Input Object Operation
The input object 26 produces a logical output based on the status of a dry-
contact
input 29, in conjunction with the configuration parameters for that input. The
behavior of
an input is interpreted according to the input type parameter and, based on
this activity,
will update the corresponding input object state for use by other processes. A
timer can
is effect this status, if configured and enabled.
The input task is comprised of two parts: the hardware interpretation process
periodically scans, debounces, and interprets the status of connected devices.
The result
of this process updates the latched input state. The input control process
combines the
affect of timers with changes of the latched input state, and updates the
input object state_
zo Latched input states and accumulated timer values are held during power
loss.
3.1 Hardware Interpretation Process
3.1.1 Scanning and Debouncing
The control module I8 physically has eight dual inputs in the illustrated
embodiment (see also FIG. 28, reference numeral 326) of which one-half are
used for 2-
25 wire switch applications, or both halves are used for three-wire switch
applications. It is
required that a contact close or open action be valid for at least 50 ms
before it is
recognized_ To provide de-bouncing, the inputs are polled about every 10 ms
and the
contact state is valid for at Ieast 5 consecutive samples (50 ms) before the
logic state is
updated.
30 3.1.2 Input Interpretation
Contact activity is interpreted according to the input type configuration. For
example, the status of a momentary switch is interpreted according to the
hardware type
setting and is latched, since the event is transient. The latched input state
may also be
11
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
changed from either communications or another process. This latched state is
remembered
through a power cycle to prevent an unknown condition from occurring. (On a
new
installation, the default state when the condition is unknown is assumed OFF.)
When the
input hardware type is Maintained, the latched input state equals the contact
state
interpretation, since the switch is "self-latching"_
Input configuration types are described as follows:
= Maintained N.O. (FIG. 5a) - The latched state is the same as the contact
state.
= Maintained N.C. (FIG. 5b) - The latched state is the opposite of the contact
state.
io = Momentary Toggle (FIG. 5c) (2-Wire Momentary) - The latched state
alternates between ON and OFF on subsequent contact closures.
= Momentary ON (FIG. 5d) - The latched state is commanded ON when the
contact is closed.
= Momentary OFF (FIG. 5e) - The latched state is commanded OFF when the
contact is closed-
= Dual Momentary (FIG. 5f) (3-Wire Momentary) -- The latched state is
commanded ON or OFF according to which contact is closed.
These types are illustrated in FIGS. 5a through 5f. Not shown on these
diagrams
is an "Update" flag for each input. This flag will be set whenever there is
any valid
2o activity on the input, even if there is no change in state. The update flag
is required for
use with timers, which is discussed below. Also discussed below is the
"manual" flag
which is used to indicate that the change in object state was the result of a
contact
closure.
3.2 Input Processing / Input Timers
A timer may be used to delay a change from the latched input state to the
input
object state. A typical use is to automatically provide an OFF signal some
time after a
physically initiated ON action. If a timer is not configured or is inhibited
for an input, the
input object state is always equal to the latched input state and any
remaining timer value
is zeroed-
3o When an input is configured as either Momentary ON or Dual Momentary it is
possible to create successive ON contact closures, without any OFF occurring-
In these
cases, the update flag indicates that the timer needs to restart with the
initial value. The
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
update flag is cleared after the processing of the input timer. The manual
flag is set
whenever the update flag is set, but is cleared when the timer expires and the
output state
is updated_
Below is a description of different timer types:
s 31.1 Timed ON (AKA Off-Delay Timer)
Referring to FIG. 6, when the update flag is set and the latched input state
is ON,
the timer will restart, and the input object state is set to ON. The input
object.state
remains ON until the timer expires. On expiration both the latched input state
and the
input object state are reset to OFF. If the latched input state changes to OFF
at any time,
io the input object state is reset to OFF. (Not intended for use with the
Maintained input
hardware type.)
3.2.2 OFF Delay (AKA Delayed-OFF Timer)
Referring to FIGS. 7a and 7b, when the latched state changes to OFF, the timer
will restart and the input object state will remain ON until the timer
expires. If the latched
15 state changes to ON at any time, the input object state turns ON. (Used for
egress path
lighting or occupancy sensors without internal time delay.)
3.2.3 Sensor Delay
Referring to FIG. 8, when the latched input state changes to OFF and the input
object is ON, the timer will restart. The input object state will remain ON
until the timer
2o expires. When the latched state changes to ON and the input object state is
OFF, the timer
will restart and the input object state will remain OFF until the timer
expires. This results
in any change of input state being ignored unless the change lasts longer than
the timer
duration. (This prevents excessive circuit breaker cycling due to input state
changes of
short duration, i.e. from a light level sensor exposed to headlights or an
occasional
25 shadow. Use with Maintained, Momentary On, or Momentary Off hardware
types_)
3.3 Manual Flag (Signal to Bypass Blink Notice)
The change in state of an input object can be the result of either a manual or
automatic event. For an input, a manual event results from a contact closure.
An
automatic event would be a state change resulting from a timer time-out.
30 This information is useful for the group object's management of blink
notice. A
manual event, such as a contact closure intended to turn the lights OFF
immediately,
should result in an immediate action. However, it is desirable to notify a
user, via blink,
that an automatic event has taken place and delay the OFF event. "
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
Every input object has a manual flag in addition to the state flag. This flag
will
indicate the reason for the input state (manual = 1), and will be updated
whenever the
group state is updated. The state does not always change when the manual flag
changes,
i.e. the timer has timed out (state = OFF, manual = false), and the user then
pushes the
OFF switch (state = OFF, manual = true.)
3.4 Input Synchronization
As discussed in the descriptions above, the latched input state may be changed
by
either the contact scanning/interpretation routine or a timer associated with
the input.
There are other processes thaL may aiso affect input operation. All of these
processes
io employ a similar polling mechanism that monitors a state at a configurable
location, and
uses this information to affect the input operation.
An exception to the polling mechanism is the ability for a communications
command (i_e. a register/coil write to latched input state) to write to any of
these
locations. While this is allowed and desirable in many instances, any update
to one of
1s these synchronized control points occurs on a last-eveiit basis, as there
is no priority or
arbitration between potential sources. If a point is configured for automatic
synchronization any status from communications will be overwritten. This will
be
discussed below.
Automatic polling is disabled by setting the configuration pointer to a value
of
20 00000. (Invalid coil #.) The location of the manual flag associated with
each source is
assumed by the arrangement of the register/coil numbers.
3.4.1 Input Synchronization ControU Remote Latched Input/Event Filter
This polling process automatically monitors the control source at the pointer
location and updates the latched input state and input manual flag on the
change of either
25 item at the pointer location. This process will synchronize the input state
to the source at
the pointer. A change in either state or manual bits at the pointer location
will cause a
synchronization update, and the input update flag is also set.
If the latched input state is written from an external source, i_e. via a
register/coil
write, this event is considered as well. The latched input state may or may
not change in
30 this instance. However, on this instance, the update flag is still set, and
the manual flag
will be set to automatic. The manual flag is assumed to be false in this
event, since this
change is most likely to originate from an automated source, such as a
building
automation system_
14
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
In some applications it is desirable to respond to certain changes, such as
OFF or
ON events. To accommodate this, each input also has an everit filter. The user
may
choose from update on: ANY, ON, or OFF, plus Direct or Invert. For example, if
the
event filter is set to OFF, the input state and manual flags will be updated
only when the
s source changes from ON to OFF or if the source is OFF and the manual status
at the
source changed. The event filter applies to changes written to the latched
input state from
the input synchronization control or communications only. Changes from a
contact
closure are unaffected by the source filter. A second part of this filtering
process is the
ability to invert the signal before it is applied. Typically, the bit state is
directly written,
zo but if Invert is selected, the state of the bit is flipped before it is
applied. For example, if
ON/Invert is selected, the latched input state will be commanded OFF whenever
the
remote source turns ON.
While most control scenarios do not need to use these features, below are some
application techniques that are possible:
1s Three-wire Momentary Switch from 2 Inputs
Input I is set to Momentary On operation. Input 2 is set to Momentary Off
operation. The Input I sync pointer is set to Input 2, and vice-versa. When
Input 1 turns
ON, Input 2 detects the change of state, and sets the Input 2 latched state
equal to Input
1, ON. Subsequent pushes of the input I button continue to command Input I ON,
but
20 Input 2 will not detect a change in state. When the Input 2 button is
pushed, Input 2 turns
OFF. This is detected by Input 1, which. updates its latched state to OFF.
Linked Momentary Toggle Pushbuttons
Arither example where this feature is useful is in linking two different push-
button switches. Inputs I and 2 would be set to Momentary Toggle operation.
The Input
25 1 synchronization pointer would be set to Input 2, and vice-versa. When
Input I toggles
ON, the change of state would set the Input 2 latched state equal to Input 1.
A
subsequent push of either button will result in both outputs turning OFF.
Interlocked Cleaning Switches
This application is used for cleaning crews. The crew turns on Input 1, which
30 turns on the associated circuit breakers. The Input I synchronization
pointer is configured
to Input 2, and the source filter is set to ANY/Invert. As the crew finishes
cleaning the
first section, they turn on Input 2. The associated circuit breakers for that
section turn on,
and Input I is commanded OFF.
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
BAS Control
A building automation system commands the remote input register. The event
filter is set to OFF. When the BAS writes an OFF to the remote input register,
it will
result in the output state = OFF and the manual flag = false (automatic). The
group
control will provide a blink notice and delay in response to this OFF event.
3.4.2 Input Inhibit Control and Timer Inhibit Control
Similar to the Input Synchronization Control capability described above, each
input also has an Input Inhibit bit. When the Input Inhibit bit is set,
contact activity is
ignored and will not change the latched input state. This bit is available as
a read/write
ao coil in the register list so.that it may be commanded from an external
source, such as a
building automation system.
Like the Input Synchronization Control, it may subscribe to a control source
via a
pointer- Since this is an OFF/Release type of feature, the input is inhibited
whenever the
control source state at the pointer is true. The change in control source
state does not
1s need to be monitored. The manual flag of the control source is not used.
Nearly identical in operation, the Timer Inhibit control is used to inhibit
the input
timer operation. When the Timer Inhibit bit is set, from communications or
automatic
polling, the input object state is always equal to the latched, input state
and any remaining
timer value is zeroed as if no timer was selected.
20 Example of control scenarios that use these features are:
Conditional Input Switch
Input I is configured with a Timed On timer and a 2-hour delay. The Timer
Inhibit.pointer is -t to follow Schedule I, which is ON during the normal
business 'Iay.
The switch will operate as a normal wall switch during the day, but will
convert to a
25 Timed ON switch after hours.
Disabled Wall Switches
The cleaning crew switches are located in a public area_ The Input Inhibit for
these switches are set to follow schedule 1, which disables them during
business hours.
3.5 Input Numbering Scheme
30 Inputs 1- 8 (see also FIG. 28 - reference numeral 326) are dual inputs
located in
the wiring compartment of the control module 18. These inputs may be used as
either 2
or 3 wire inputs, depending on the input switch type configuration. A three-
wire input
(dual momentary) uses both sides of the dual input, while a two-wire input
does not
16
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
require the second half. The second half input uses a combined input/output
terminal that
is shared with the feedback output feature. If a two-wire input type is chosen
for inputs I
- 8, the feedback status will automatically appear at the third terminal.
Input numbers 57 - 64 are used to independently access the second half of
inputs
s 1- 8 and configure them for two-wire switch operation. If the input 57 - 64
type is set
for dual momentary, the type is considered to be not configured. If any input
57 - 64 is
configured, the status feedback will not appear on the third terminal. Inputs
9 - 56 are
reserved in the numbering scheme for expander inputs, when necessary, desired
or
available.
jo 3.6 Status Feedback Output
As mentioned in the input numbering discussion, each input ]- 8 has a status
feedback output terminal that is shared with the second half of the input
circuit. If this
terminal is not consumed as an input, then an output status will appear. The
output status
will typically represent the group state corresponding to that input_ However,
the status
15 represented may be redirected to another source via the pointer scheme. A
status
feedback process monitors the state of the information referenced by each
pointer, and
updates the status feedback according to the state of the referenced source.
The pointer
may be loaded with a reference to any valid Oxxxx or lxxxx bit. (A 00000 value
disables
this feature.) If configured, the process polls the logic state of the bit at
the pointer
20 location and the status feedback will be set equal to this state.
3.7 Input Object Pointer Defaults
The same type of pointer scheme is used in the Input Object for Timer Inhibit,
Input Inhibit, Input Synchronization control, and the Status Feedback output.
A single
process could be created to manage this scheme, if desired. While these
pointers allow
25 custom configuration of the system, most applications can be defaulted to
standard
pointer locations. A pointer of 0 indicates not used. In one embodiment, this
capability is
hidden to keep the device simple for the user. If memory resources are not
sufficient, it is
acceptable to eliminate the pointer scheme entirely and hard-code the
operation.
17
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
Input Input Sync Input Event Input Timer Status Feedback
Number Control Filter Inhibit Inhibit Pointer
Pointer Pointer Pointer
1- 8 00000 Any 1 Direct 00000 00000 Group State 1-
8
9- 56 00000 Any / Direct 00000 00000 Group State 9 -
56
57 - 64 00000 Any / Direct 00000 00000 (Not Applicable)
Input Object Pointer Defaults
3.8 Response Time Requirements
The time from a wall switch contact closure to the response of the light
connected
to the circuit breaker is critical in user perception of system operation. The
following
times are worst-case benchmarks:
= Local Input Switch close to first circuit breaker operation - 250ms
= Local Expander Input close to first circuit breaker operation - 500 ms
= Remote Switch Change (via Ethernet) to first circuit breaker operation -
500ms + Local Delay (assumes no network traffic)
4. Group Object Operation
4.1 Group Object Overview
The group object 30 (see FIG. 4) consists of two parts: the group logic
process
determines the state of the group, based on controlling source states,
communication
time-out, and group overridt. Controlling sources are defined using the same
type of
pointer scheme as used by the input object_ The group mapping process
determines the
desired state of each circuit breaker, based on the calculated group state and
the circuit
breaker mapping configuration for that group.
2o In one embodiment, the control module 18 allows only one controlling source
for
a group. The source pointer is either defaulted or fixed so that the group
number
automatically references the same input number. (i.e. Group I follows Input
Object 1,
etc.) In another embodiment, the control module 18 considers a time schedule
source in
addition to the input object source. The source pointer for both sources is
either
defaulted or fixed so that the group number automatically references the same
input and
18
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
schedule number. (i.e_ Group I follows Input Object I and Schedule 1, etc.) In
yet
another embodiment, the control module 18 may use up to five sources for the
logic in
each group. Each source pointer for all sources is defaulted for typical
situations, but may
be changed by the user for special applications. Groups may even be cascaded
by setting a
source pointer to the group state of another group. Sources may even be
located in other
panels, via the external reference register. The location of the source state
and manual
flag is identified by a pointer to the source state. The location of the
associated manual
flag is known via register number arrangement.
4.2 Group Logic Process
io Each group object has a set of logical inputs that are evaluated to
determine the
output state of the group_ To create a desired control scenario, the operation
can be
described by boolean expressions that define the conditions when the group
output state is
to be ON.
A group can have up to five controlling sources. These sources are referenced
by
is pointer and are obtained when the group logic is calculated. Any source
pointer with a
value of 0 is invalid and therefore ignored. In addition to the source
pointer, the group
logic can be configured to the modes listed below.
= OR - The states of all valid sources are OR-ed together to compute the group
state. If any input source is ON then the group is ON.
20 = AND - The states of all valid sources are AND-ed together to compute the
group state. The group is ON only if all input sources are ON.
= XOR - The states of all valid sources are XOR-ed together to compute the
group state.. The group is ON only if one source is ON. If either no valid
source or more than one valid source is ON then the group state will be OFF.
25 = Last Event - The group state will be controlled by a change in source
state.
A change in any valid source from OFF to ON will cause the group state to be
ON. A change in any valid source from ON to OFF will cause the group state
to be OFF.
= Custom - The group state will be evaluated according to the programmed
30 boolean expression. (Additional explanation below.)
The group logic process will not update any group state when the control
module
18 is in the learn mode. This allows the user to manually toggle a group state
from the
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
front panel without a coincidentally changing source confusing the process.
The
calculated group state will be applied again after exiting the learn mode.
4.2.1 Custom Logic
Each group object has a set of logical inputs that are evaluated to determine
the
output state of the group. To address special situations, exotic control
scenarios can be
created through one or more boolean expressions that describes the conditions
when the
output is to be ON_
lllustrating this concept, below are all the possible combinations for five
inputs.
(25 or 32 possible combinations.) When the states of the inputs match the
"True"
io conditions, the output is ON. The table below shows the configuration for
desired
operation in which the output should be ON if A or B or C or D or E is ON.
A+B+C+D+E= Group State
00000 = 0 01000 = 1 10000 = I 11000 = I
00001 = 1 01001 = 1 10001 = 1 11001 = I
00010 = 1 01010 = 1 10010 = 1 11010 =l
00011 =1 01011 =1 10011 =I 11011 =1
00100 = 1 01100 = 1 10100 = 1 11100 = I
00101 =1 01101 =1 10101 =1 11101 =1
00110 = 1 01110 = 1 10110 = 1 11110 = I
00111 =1 01111 = 10111 = 1 11111 =1
2s Using this common framework one can implement a technique that allows the
simplest to most complex boolean expressions. Suppose we have an application
in which
the lights to be ON when the schedule is ON, unless the Load Shed signal is
ON.
However, if the photocell says it is too dark, ignore the l.oad Shed signal
and turn the
lights ON. But do not turn the lights ON in the middle of the night when the
schedule is
zo OFF. Of course, turn the lights on anytime the timed Manual Switch is ON.
To illustrate this, the output should be ON when any of the following
conditions
are true: (X = Don't care.)
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
Schedule Load Shed Photocell Manual Switch Lights
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)
X X X ON X ON
ON OFF OFF OFF X ON
ON ON ON OFF X ON
The pointers are configured so that Schedule = Input A, Load Shed = Input B,
Photocell = Input C, Manual Switch = Input D, and Input E is not used. The
logic
configuration loaded for this group would be:
00000 = 0 01000 = 0 10000 = 1 11000 = 0
00001 = 0 01001 = 0 10001 = 1 11001 = 0
00010 = 1 01010 =1 10010 = 1 11010 =l
00011 =1 01011 =1 10011 =1 11011 =1
00100 =0 01100 =0 10100 =0 11100 =l
00101 =0 01101 =0 10101 =0 11101 = 1
00110 = 1 01110 =1 10110 = 1 11110 = I
00111 = 1 01111 =1 10111 = 1 11111 =I
These 32 combinations can be compressed into four bytes by using the highest
two bits as a byte pointer and the lower three bits as a bit pointer to find
the proper state
in the table.
4.2.2 Communications Time-out Feature / Group Default Action
Communications Time-Out is typically applied when there is an externaI
building
automation system used in conjunction with the energy management system of the
present
invention. The time-out period is globally configurable, and refers to the
amount of time
that has elapsed since either the last successful communication transaction on
the ModBus
1s slave port or that a message has been received by the Ethernet port. If the
external
automation system fails to communicate at least once during this time period,
either local
control is maintained, or the group can automatically assume a known state.
The
response of each group is individually selectable. If the communications time-
out is
active, the group state will automatically be changed to a user-configured
default action,
either Maintain Last Group State, Continue Normai Operation, Group ON, or
Group
21
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
OFF. When communications is restored the group resumes normal operation. If
Group
ON or OFF is activated, this is considered an automatic change and the group
manual flag
will be updated accordingly. Otherwise, it will not be affected.
4.2.3 Group Override
Overrides may be used to force a state_ Overrides may be controlled from the
front panel or remotely from system software such as CMS, or an external
building
automation system executing its own control strategy. Group override has
priority over
the communications time-out feature.
Overrides can be disabled (re;eased) or enabled ON or OFF. For example, if the
jo Group Override were enabled and the override state set to ON, the Group
State would be
ON, regardless of the calculated state. It would remain in that state until
either the
override state was changed to OFF or the override was disabled (released).
Individual
overrides are available for all groups.
Calculated Group Learn Resulting Group
Group State Override Mode State
State State
OFF Disable Run OFF
ON Disable Run ON
X Enable+ON Run ON
X Enable+OFF Run OFF
X X Learn (Toggled by TEST
key on front panel)
Group Override Timer
Each group override has an independent timer. This timer has a setpoint
designating a number of minutes. When the override is activated (enabled) this
timer will
begin to count down, from the setpoint, value to zero. When the timer reaches
zero, the
override will be automatically released (disabled). A timer setpoint of 0
indicates that the
timer is disabled, and the override will remain on until manually released.
Override Effect on Group Manual Flag
When the group override is enabled, this is considered a manual change, and
the
group manual flag is set. If the group override is already enabled and the
group override
22
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
state. is changed, this is considered a manual change, and the group manual
flag is set.
When the group override times out, this is considered an automatic change, and
the group
manual flag is cleared. Otherwise, the manual flag is not adjusted.
4.2.4 Group Pointer Defaults
The same type of pointer scheme is used with group objects and input objects.
A
single process could be created to manage this scheme, if desired. While these
pointers
allow custom configuration of the system, most applications can be defaulted
to standard
pointer locations. This capability may optionally be hidden or kept available
to keep the
device simple for the user. If memory resources are not sufficient, it is also
possible to
eliminate the pointerscheme entirely and hard-code the operation. A pointer of
0
indicates not used.
Group No. Source A Source B Source C Source D Source E
1- 8 Input 1- 8 Schedule 1- 8 00000 00000 00000
9-16 Input 9- 16 Schedule 9- 16 00000 00000 00000
17 - 24 Input 17 - 24 Schedule I- 8 00000 00000 00000
25 - 32 Input 25 - 32 Schedule 9- 16 00000 00000 00000
33 - 40 Input 33 - 40 Schedule I - 8 00000 00000 00000
41 - 48 Input 41 - 48 Schedule 9- 16 00000 00000 00000
49 - 56 Input 49 - 56 Schedule 1- 8 00000 00000 00000
57 - 64 Input 57- 64 Schedule 9- 16 00000 00000 00000
4.2.5 Actual Group State
1s Status feedback may require knowledge of the "true" state of a group. Since
circuit breakers may belong to more than one group, the actual group state may
be
different than the calculated group state. Actual group state is calculated by
OR-ing
together the actual circuit breaker states of all members assigned to a group.
If any
circuit breaker in a group is ON, then the group is ON.
4.2.6 Blink Notice and Delay Control
Each source has an associated manual flag. This flag is used by the group
logic
process to determine if the resulting group state was caused by automatic or
manual
activity. These individual manual flags are combined into a group manual flag.
This is
desirable so that the circuit breaker management routine knows whether to
provide
23
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
immediate response to a manual OFF action by canceling the blink notice and
delay. (The
group state and group manual flags are also available as a source to another
group if
cascading groups in special control situations.)
This is preferably done in several steps. First, it is assumed that the group
state has
s. already been calculated per logic type configuration, as discussed above.
Next, the group
manual flag is updated to reflect whether the group state is the result of
manual or
automatic operation. The final step is to determine whether the blink notice
for an
individual circuit breaker should be cancelled, considering other groups that
may be
controlling that circuit breaker. This final step is discussed in the mapping
section below.
To The group manual flag is mostly static. The only time it will be updated is
on the
change of an active source. Each active source for that group is evaluated for
changes
every time this task is executed. The initial default for the group manual
flag is automatic
(not manuaI)-
For a group, if any source changed state and is manual, or if any source did
not
1s change state but the manual flag changed to manual, then the group manual
flag is set_
If any source changed state and is auto (not manual), or if any source did not
change state but the manual flag changed to auto (not manual), then the group
manual
flag is cleared.
If more than one source changed since the last evaluation, and the auto/manual
2o determination is in conflict, the manual condition has priority and the
group state will be
manual.
4.3 Group Mapping Process
Each group is configured with a map of circuit breakers that are controlled by
that
group. The implied logic is that if the Group State is ON and the circuit
breaker is
25 included in the map for that group, then each included circuit breaker's
desired state is
ON.
By default, all circuit breakers are OFF. All circuit breaker desired states
from
every group are OR-ed together. If any group calls for a circuit breaker to be
ON, then
the circuit breaker will be ON. If all desired states for a circuit breaker
are OFF, then the
30 circuit breaker is OFF. An exception for this rule occurs when the module
is in the
LEARN mode.
24
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
Because of this, on each calculation of the group logic, the desired state
logic
evaluates all groups for each circuit breaker before updating the desired
state. This
prevents random switching due to partial calculation.
It is also required that the final desired states calculation be masked
against the list
s of all circuit breakers that are included in any map so that un-mapped
circuit breakers do
not switch_ The calculated desired states are applied to the circuit breakers
that are
mapped and the desired states of the unmapped circuit breakers are not
changed.
Recalling that the purpose for the manual flag is to provide an immediate
response
to an OFF desired state calculation by canceling a blink notice delay, this
condition is
io flagged for the circuit breaker management routine. This information is
passed on via the
no_delay flag. All groups affecting each circuit breaker are evaluated,
similar to the
group source evaluation, to set or clear the no_delay flag.
For each circuit breaker, if any group affecting the circuit breaker has
changed
state and is manual, or if any group affecting the circuit breaker did not
change state but
is the group manual flag changed to manual, and the circuit breaker desired
state is OFF,
then the circuit breaker's no_delay flag is set.
If any group affecting the circuit breaker changed state and is auto (not
manual),
or if any group affecting the circuit breaker did not change state but the
group manual flag
changed to automatic (not manual), or if the circuit breaker desired state is
ON, then the
20 circuit breaker's no_delay flag is cleared.
If more than one group changed since the last evaluation, and the no_delay
determination is in conflict, the no_delay condition has priority and the
no_delay flag is
set.
4.3.1 Learn Mode
25 One of the difficulties encountered with control systems is that some level
of
programming is required to set up the system. This programming requires some
type of
human interface in which associations can be described. Quite often this
interface is not
built because programming is only needed at installation time. While this
lowers product
cost, access to this device is occasionally needed and one must be purchased
for each
30 location or by each contractor. This is not practical for areas in which a
contractor may
only install a few systems. Also, some electricians are not comfortable with
the concept
of programming, require system integrators to perform this task, again
increasing cost.
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
The LEARN mode of the energy management system eliminates the need for
conventional programming by providing a method in which input signals and
output
actions are learned by manual actuation of the circuit breakers. The LEARN
mode is
used to add or delete a circuit breaker from a group by toggling the circuit
breaker
s handle. This mode further offers a TEST feature in which the user may test
the group
mapping by toggling the group state via the front panel. However, if a circuit
breaker is
controlled by another group and that group is ON, the typical OR convention
will not
allow a change in the circuit breaker state, leading the user to believe that
the circuit
breaker was not included in the group. Therefore, an exception is made to the
normal
jo logic when in the LEARN mode.
On entering into the LEARN mode, the group states are "frozen" and not updated
by input or other sources. The TEST button will toggle the group state. When
the state
for a group is changed to OFF; the map of associated circuit breakers is
inverted and then
AND-ed to the desired circuit breaker states. This will force the circuit
breakers that are
15 mapped to that group to OFF. When the group state is toggled to ON, the
rnap of
associated circuit breakers is OR-ed to the desired circuit breaker states, as
is the normal
convention when in the RUN mode_ A.fter exiting the LEARN mode, the RUN mode
will
automatically update the group states, since by design it runs periodically
and is not event
driven.
zo Using the LEARN mode, one can collect information as to which circuit
breakers
are affected by which input, what type of input device is connected
(momentary,
maintained, or push-button switch), breaker states associated with different
input events.
All of the essential programm;ng information is collected, stored, and
activated.
Additional benefits are that input wiring errors are reduced because it is no
longer
25 necessary to wire a switch to a specific input. Further details concerning
the LEARN
mode are discussed below.
5. Schedule Object
5.1 Overview
30 The time scheduler 28 (see FIG. 4) has 16 channels in which each channel
produces a logical output based on the current time, day and date in
conjunction with a
schedule that is held in the control module data base. Any of these 16
schedule objects 28
26
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
may be pointed to by a group object 30. These group pointers will be pre-
loaded with
defaults, as discussed in the previous section.
Each schedule can be visualized as the output channel of a discrete time
clock.
Like a time clock that opens and closes contacts according to the date, day,
time and
s programmed schedule, each schedule will update "virtual contacts", or an
output status
location in the data base. The group object will use this information when
calculating the
group state.
5.2 Description
Each schedule will allow up to 24 time periods, each consisting of a pair of
ON
io and OFF times. When the actual time is within this defined time period the
output status
will be ON, as long as the specified day condition is true.
There are two types of days that can be specified in a schedule: normal and
special. Normal days correspond to a particular day of the week. Special days
correspond
to a programmable set of conditions that are defined in a definition table. Up
to 32 special
1s days can be defined per control module 18, Special days are not limited to
a 24 hour
duration, but may be alternatively be referred to as holidays.
While there are only seven normal days of the week, the special days can be
visualized as 32 additional days of the week. A time period can be progranuned
to be
active on any or all of these 7+ 32 days. If today matches any of the
specified day
20 conditions and the current time is within the specified time period, then
the output status
will be ON.
Special days are exceptions that have priority over normal days. If today is a
special day, time periods defined for normal days only are ignored. However,
if the days
selected for a schedule time period include both normal and special days, then
the period
25 will be valid in either situation. If the time period attributes are for
special days only, then
the time period is valid only on that special day.
For example:
Schedule 1 SALES FLOOR
Every MoTuWeThFr, schedule = ON from 08:00 to 17:59
30 Every XMAS EVE, schedule = ON from 08:00 to 11:59
Every INVENTORY, schedule = ON from 8:00 to 22:59
Defined Special Days
XMAS EVE = 24Dec to 24Dec
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
INVENTORY = Last Monday of every month
XMAS DAY = 25Dec to 25Dec
The schedule above will operate as programmed on the specified days. Because
XMAS DAY was not included in any schedule time period, the sales floor lights
will be
OFF on Dec. 25.
5.3 Priority Examples
If more than one set of time periods within a priority are evaluated and found
to
be true, then the output is ON.
For example:
io Every MoTuWeThFr schedule = ON from 08:00 to 17:59
Every MoFr schedule = ON from 16:00 to 19:59
The resulting operation would be:
Every TuWeTh schedule = ON from 08:00 until 18:00
Every MoFr schedule = ON from 8:00 until 20:00
Another example:
Today is Friday, Dec 25, 9:00AM
Schedule
Every MoTuWeThFr schedule = ON from 08:00 to 17:59
Defined Special Days
XMAS = 25Dec to 25Dec
This schedule out-put status will be OFF because the special day has priority
over
the normal day.
5.4 Operation
In preparation for schedule processing, a complete evaluation of all
parameters
that may affect a schedule is performed. This includes calculating sunrise and
sunset
times, DST dates, etc. This refreshes the data prior to time period evaluation
and
eliminates the need for more complex start-up logic that would be required if
these items
were computed less frequently. The defined special day conditions are also
evaluated to
determine if the current day corresponds to a special day.
Next, each time period in each schedule is evaluated. If today is a special
day and
this special day is included in a schedule time period and the current time is
within the
time range specified, then the period evaluation is TRUE. If today is NOT a
holiday and
the current day of the week is included in a schedule time period and the
current time is
28
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
within the time range specified, then the period evaluation is TRUE.
Otherwise, the
period evaluation is FALSE. (The results of each period evaluation is saved in
the data
base for diagnostic purposes.)
The results of all 24 period evaluations are "OR-ed" together to create the
schedule output status. If any period evaluates to ON than the output status
is ON.
If none of the evaluations are true, then the schedule's output status will be
OFF_
This entire process repeats for all 16 schedules. Note again that if TODAY
matches a
defined holiday and it is not included in any time period, then the output
status will be
OFF.
ia Also note that a time period defines a range of ON time, from the beginning
of the
start time minute to the end of the stop time minute. Schedule I illustrates
this operation.
It is assumed that the stop time is always after the start time. Schedule'2
would evaluate
to a negative ON time period and would be ignored. Schedule 3 would evaluate
to a I
minute ON time period.
-5 Schedule I Valid
Every MoTuWeThFr, schedule = ON from 08:00 to 8:59
Results in Every MoTuWeThFr, schedule = ON from 08:00 until 09:00
Schedule 2 Invalid
Every MoTuWeThFr, schedule = ON from 08:00 to 07:00
20 Results in schedule = OFF
Schedule 3, One Minute
Every MoTuWeThFr, schedule = ON from 08:00 to 08:00
Results in Every MoTuWeThFr, schedule = ON from 08:00 unti108:01
5.5 Trans-Day and Multi-Day Events
25 When the actual time steps to midnight, the defined period will end due to
the
change in day of the week. To have a time period wrap past midnight into the
next day,
the operation is defined as two time periods. For example:
Schedule I , TAVERN HOURS
Every MoTuWeThFrSa schedule = ON from 16:00 to 23:59
30 Every TuWeThFrSaSu schedule = ON from 00:00 to 02:00
This schedule would be appropriate for a tavern that operates Monday through
Saturday from 4PM to 2AM. The first schedule period keeps the lights ON after
the
29
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
23:59 evaluation, but would turn them OFF at 00:00 if not for the second
schedule period
that calls for them to be ON again at 00:00.
Multi-day events of various duration are possible.using this technique- For
example:
Schedule 1, FACTORY LIGHTS
Every. Mo schedule = ON from 08:00 to 23:59
Every TuWeTh schedule = ON from 00:00 to 23:59
Every Fr schedule = ON from 00:00 to 16:00
The above schedule.would be appropriate for a factory that operates
continuously
io from 8AM on Monday to 4PM on Friday.
5.6 A Note on Blink Notice
Blink notice is NOT associated directly with a schedule. This is because state-
based Boolean logic combines niany sources into a single command state for the
group,
and circuit breakers can be members of multiple groups. Therefore, no
individual source
1s can determine whether it is off will cause a circuit breaker to turn off
Therefore, blink
notice is associated with the transition from ON to OIFF of the circuit
breaker, not the
source. A blink occurs at this transition time, and initiates an individual
timer for each
circuit breaker. The circuit breaker will turn OFF after this timer expires,
unless a control
source commands it back ON. Since the time schedule is always automatic, blink
notice
2o is usually desired. Therefore, a schedule's manual flag is not set and a
change in schedule
does not result in the "no-delay" flag being set_ This operation is discussed
in detail in
other sections.
6. Time Keeper
25 In one embodiment, the control module has real-time clock capabilities (see
description of FIG. 33b below). This includes all time-keeper functions that
provide
information resources to the scheduler. The hardware time clock is a 24 hour
time chip
with leap year compensation_ Time is always stored as local time. A summary of
the
function's attributes appears below.
30 = Month - The current month.
= Day - The current day.
= Year - The current year.
= Hour - The current hour, local time,
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
= Minute - The current minute, local time.
= Second - The current second, local time.
= DST Enable - Automatic daylight savings time adjustment. If enabled, apply
the folIowing rule: If first Sunday in April then add one hour at 2:00AM. If
last Sunday in October then subtract one hour at 2:00AM.
= 12/24 Hour Display - Display time values in 12 hour AM/PM or in 24 hour
format. Affects display only. All time functions operate internally using a 24
hour format.
= Time Zone Offset Reference - Number of hours difference between local time
io and GMT. Note that some areas observe fractional time zones.
= Calculated Day of Week - Numerical day of the week calculated from day and
date_
= Calculated Week of the Month - Numerical week of the month calculated
from day and date.
= Calculated DST Begin Month - Daylight savings time starting month.
= Calculated DST Begin Day - Daylight savings time starting day.
= Calculated DST End Month - Daylight savings time ending month.
= Calculated DST End Day - Daylight savings time ending day.
= Latitude - Local latitude for use by celestial clock.
= Longitude - Local longitude for use by celestial clock_
= Calculated Sunrise - Calculated sunrise time for this location.
= Calculated Sunset - Calculated sunset time for this location.
The time period based scheduler design inherently prevents missed or repeated
events. This is an advantage for situations in which DST is enabled and events
are
scheduled between I and 3 AM.
The range of allowable latitudes is limited so that sunrise and sunset occur
on the
same day. Simplifying assumptions or an estimation technique may be made in
the
celestial clock calculation of sunrise and sunset. It is desired that the
calculation accuracy
be within 5 minutes of true astronomical time in latitudes coiresponding to
the lower 48
United States and within 10 minutes in all other locations.
31
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
7_ Master Clock Operation
In one embodiment, one conirol module 18 has the ability to synchronize real-
time
clocks within an energy management system containing multiple control modules
18_ The
synchronization operation may be performed using one of the techniques
described below.
In one technique, one control module is chosen as the master clock. All other
control modules are configured with the IP address and port number of the
master control
module. The update interval, in minutes, is also specified. (Maximum rate is
once per
minute.) Shortly after power-up, if a master clock is specified, a slave
module will
perform a register read of the time value in the master module and will update
its internal
ao clock with that value. Thereafter, this operation will be repeated at the
update interval
frequency. If no response is received from the master, no update is performed,
and the
slave will continue to use its own clock value.
In another technique, the master control module is capable of sending and
receiving time messages using simple network time protocol (SNTP). All other
control
modules, on receipt of a SNTP message, will use this time to update their
internal clock.
This information may come from any SNTP source: The master control module has
configuration attributes to designate it as a master, and to specify the
update interval.
(Maximum rate is once per minute.) Shortly after power-up, if the clock is a
master, it
broadcasts its time using SNTP. Thereafter, this operation is repeated at the
update
interval frequency.
8. Global Control
In many applications it is desirable that one control module 18 use status
from a
source residing in another control module. This requires a network connection
and an
automatic method for transferring information between control modules. This
function is
limited to control modules using ModBus TCP and 10 Base-T Ethernet. Ethernet,
being
a standardized peer-to-peer network, solves the probiem of communications bus
arbitration.
To provide for more predictable operation and limit potential network
saturation,
the system uses a polling model rather than report by exception. Each module
will be
allowed to "subscribe" to 32 unique external sources. These sources will be
polled by the
module periodically, as specified by a polling interval configuration
attribute. The polling
32
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
period may be reduced to compensate for network congestion or increased to
improve
response time_
Each of the 32 external reference sources is identified in the configuration
data
base by IP address, Port Number, Coil/Register number. The associated manual
flag
s location is implied by register numbering. Standard ModBus messages,
encapsulated into
an Ethernet frame per the ModBus TCP guidelines, is periodically sent to the
locations
described. The status returned is saved as the external reference state and
manual flag.
This status may then be pointed to as an input or group object control source.
Time-out and number of retries attributes are also specified. If no data is
io eventually returned in response to a poll, each of the 32 external
reference states has a
default value that may be used in place of the real data. The user may choose
between the
following default actions:
= External Reference State = Manual OFF ori update failure
= External Reference State = Automatic OFF on update faiture
is = External Reference State = Automatic ON on update failure
= External Reference State = No Change on update failure
9. Output Object Operation
The output object 32 (see FIG. 4) consists of two main parts: (1) the blink
notice
20 process determines the control state of the circuit breaker based on the
desired state and
the blink notice configuration, and (2) the circuit breaker control process
manages the
operation of the smart busses via ModBus master communications port I.
9.1 Blink Notice Process
Blink notice is associated with a circuit, not with any control source. This
is
25 because one source can turn OFF, but another source may still be keeping
the circuit ON.
The only time that a blink would be appropriate would be when al) sources in
their logical
OR-ed combination results in the desired state of the circuit breaker changing
from ON to
OFF.
If blink notice setting for a circuit breaker is "no blink", then the circuit
breaker
30 turns OFF or ON according to the desired state. However, if the desired
state for a circuit
breaker changes to OFF and if a blink notice for that circuit breaker is
enabled, then the
control state for the circuit breaker remains ON, but the circuit breaker is
momentarily
blinked OFF*. (*NOTE: Because the blink operation requires a special OFF/ON
33
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
command sequence with a predictable time delay in between, a Blink flag will
be set for
that circuit breaker. This flag will indicate to the circuit breaker control
process that the
circuit breaker needs to be blinked.) An individual Off-delay timer is started
for that
circuit breaker at the time of the biink. When this timer expires the circuit
breaker
s changes to OFF. If, at any time, the desired state for that circuit breaker
returns to ON,
the Off-delay timer is stopped and reset.
If the no_delay flag is true when the desired state changes from ON to OFF,
the
circuit breaker is turned OFF immediately without a blink, regardless of the
blink notice
conf guration. Also, if the no_delay flag becomes true during an OFF-delay,
the circuit
breaker is turned OFF immediately and the blink delay timer cleared. If the
no_delay flag
returns to false and the circuit breaker desired state is OFF the timer does
not re-start_
A.Iso, a circuit breaker that is OFF should not blink.
The blink notice process is temporarily disabled for all circuit breakers when
the
control module 18 is in the learn mode. This allows the user to manually test
the circuit
is breaker mapping without circuit breaker reaction being delayed or affected
by the blink
notice function.
Blink settings range from no blink, single blink, double blink, and delay with
no
blink. These are illustrated in the diagrams in FIGS. 9a through 9d.
9.2 Circuit breaker Control Process
The circuit breaker control process manages the switching of circuit breakers
on
the smart bus network. Its primary purpose is to apply ON or OFF commands to a
particular bus/circuit breaker according to the control state computed in the
previous
process steps. Another lower oriority task collects status and other
information from the
busses.
9.2.1 ModBus Message Sequencing -
The lower priority task normally polls the smart bus network for all available
statuses. This task has a round-robin sequence of these issued messages. This
is not a
part of the circuit breaker control process, but is described here.
Low Priority Commands - Loop through a sequence such as below if no circuit
3o breaker commands are pending.
1. Poll all busses, 0- F, for model # and F/W version. Store information in
the
data base and set the bus present bits_ Zero all statuses of all unavailable
busses.
34
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
2. Get Circuit breaker Present/# of Poles data from all available busses.
Store
information. Zero statuses of all empty circuit breaker slots.
3. Get Actual Circuit breaker Status, from all available circuit breakers.
Store
information.
s 4. Get Bus Comms Loss Action from all available busses. Compare to
configuration. Write update to bus if differerit.
It is assumed that there will be a single message ModBus driver that can be
used
by both routines. Like ModBus itself, the routine is not pre-emptive, but runs
to
completion. A ModBus_Busy flag or similar method indicates availability. If a
message
io times out, or if an exception code response is received, the message is
repeated up to two
additional times. If no response is received the time-out value is small to
prevent
noticeable delays.
Circuit breaker control messages have priority over this normal message flow.
The circuit breaker control task is called by the operating system every
100ms. This
15 automatically creates a simple "time base" for circuit breaker switching
with a maximum
rate of 10 pulses per second. If the stagger time is increased beyond the
minimum via
configuration setting, the allowed switching time slots are skipped, but the
time base is
maintained for use by the retry sampling, as described below.
Messages from the circuit breaker control task wait on the ModBus Busy flag
and
20 take the next place in the message sequence. The lower priority messages
may resume
after the circuit breaker control task completes.
Messages, other than a periodic test for bus availability, are not issued to
non-
existent busses_ Circuit breaker commands are not issued to locations where no
circuit
breaker is present, or when in the halt mode.
25 9.2.2 Retry Configuration -
How and when the commands are issued to a circuit breaker depends on the retry
configuration. There are 3 modes of operation:
9.2.2.1 Automatic Retry
This command system is a closed-loop type of control in that a difference
between
30 control and actual states must exist for a pulse to be issued. Closed-loop
control
minimizes wear on the circuit breaker by only pulsing the mechanism when
necessary.
For instance, if the Control State of a circuit breaker is ON and the actual
state indicates
that the circuit breaker is already ON, there is no command issued. The actual
state and
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
.~
control state of circuit breakers configured for Automatic Retry are
continuously
compared. The circuit breaker is pulsed whenever these states do not match,
unless the
circuit breaker is not present or non-responding.
If there is a difference between the two states, a command is issued to send
the
circuit breaker forward to the Control State. (Unless the circuit breaker is
already "non-
responding." See below.) Immediately thereafter, a sample is taken of the
actual state for
that circuit breaker. If the control and actual states match, the operation is
complete.
If the error still exists, a number of additional samples are taken at a rate
of I
sample per 0. 1 seconds, the same rate as the switching time-base. If the
error continues
io through all samples, a command for a reverse direction pulse is issued
immediately
followed by a command for a forward direction pulse.
At this point, the verification process repeats. If the control and actual
states do
not match for the number of additional samples, then the circuit breaker is
considered to
be non-responding, and a non-responding circuit breaker error bit is set.
1s The number of additional samples is a global configuration attribute.
Experience
indicates that electrical phenomena settles in less than I second. Therefore,
the minimum
number of retries is chosen to be 10, so that I second will be allowed before
issuing the
reverse pulse. The configuration setting is scaled in "additional seconds", so
that each
count adds 10 samples to the number of retries.
20 The non-responding bit is used to lock out the circuit breaker_ Otherwise,
the
circuit breaker would be improperly pulsed each time the control and actual
state
comparison is made. However, if at any time the control and actual states
match, the
non-responding bit is cleared. This automatically restores the circuit breaker
back to
normal operation.
25 While the automatic retry is intended primarily to overcome any stickiness
or
jamming in the remote control mechanism, a tripped, off, or manual circuit
breaker will
also be non-responding if the mechanical condition prevents attainment of the
control
state. Because of the routine's logic, resetting a tripped circuit breaker
clears the non-
responding bit.
30 If the blink flag is set to indicate that a circuit breaker configured for
automatic
retry is to be blinked, the circuit breaker is turned OFF-ON only if the
circuit breaker
status indicates that it is already ON and if the Non-Responding status is
clear. The blink
flag is cleared whether a blink is issued or not.
36
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
9.2.2.2 No Retry
In some situations it is desirable to eliminate the automatic retry. For
example,
some loads (electronic ballasts or phase-to-phase connected fixtures) may
maintain a
charge on the wires for a time after the circuit breaker is switched OFF. This
period of
s time may last beyond the sampling sequence in the retry logic, causing the
reverse and
forward pulse to be erroneously issued. The resulting effect is that the light
is blinked
prior to being turned OFF.
The "No Retry" mode can be selected for a circuit to compensate for this
problem.
It maintains the closed-loop control and verification features of the
automatic retry
io approach but will not command any additional pulses if the circuit breaker
does not
respond. The non-responding flag is still updated according to pass or fail of
verification.
The actual state and control state of circuit breakers configured for No Retry
are
continuously compared. The circuit breaker is pulsed whenever these states do
not
match, unless the circuit breaker is not present or non-responding.
is If the blink flag is set to indicate that a circuit breaker configured for
no retry is to
be blinked, the circuit breaker is turned OFF-ON only if the circuit breaker
status
indicates that it is already ON and if the Non-Responding status is clear. The
blink flag is
cleared whether a blink is issued or not.
9.2.2.3 Open-Loop
20 In some situations it is desirable to skip the comparison between actual
and
control states. For example, if theTe are back-fed or induced voltages on the
circuit, the
circuit breaker will always indicate that it is ON.
If open-loop control is specified for a circuit breaker, command pulses to the
circuit breaker are triggered by a change in Control State only. For instance,
if the
25 Control State changes from OFF to ON, a command to pulse the circuit
breaker ON is
issued, regardless of the actual state indicated by the circuit breaker,
unless the circuit
breaker is not present. Unlike the other two modes, the actual state and
control state of
circuit breakers configured as Open-Loop are not continuously compared.
Open-loop mode skips any verification process, and the non-responding bit for
30 that circuit breaker always remains cleared.
The retry configuration is temporarily changed to Open Loop when the module is
in the learn mode. This allows the user to manually test the circuit breaker
mapping
37
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
without circuit breakers being affected by toad-side issues such as back-fed
circuits or
induced voltages_
If the blink flag is set to indicate that a circuit breaker configured for
open loop is
to be blinked, the circuit breaker is turned OFF-ON based on control state
being ON,
since the actual state is ignored: The blink flag is then cleared.
10. Miscellaneous
10.1 Initialization and Power Up/Down Behavior
It is preferred that the occupant is not aware of any activity relating to
power up
jo or resets of the control module 18. Therefore, no circuit breakers change
state as a result
of power cycling or processor reset. Also, any latched input states,
accumulated timer
values, or other statuses are maintained throughout the power cycle to insure
that the
module automatically resumes normal operation. Because the operation of the
module is
state-based, rather than event-based, control processing may resume normally
after the
reset. However, an initialization sequence is still performed. This
initialization is
performed in 5 seconds or less to minimize downtime.
On initialization, intermediate statuses that are calculated from input
states, etc.
are self-recovering. States that are obtained from external sources, such as
input or
circuit breaker states, are maintained through the power cycle. These states
are initially
2o assumed as valid on power-up so that logic calculations do not change on
power-up.
Input states are updated by normal processing. However, circuit breaker and
other smart
bus statuses are refreshed as soon as possible and prior to the enabling of
the circuit
breaker control task.
Watchdogs are used to monitor and, if necessary_ correct processor behavior by
causing either a hard or soft reset as appropriate.
10.2 Halt Mode
The halt mode provides the ability to temporarily suspend the switching of
circuit
breakers. It is used in conjunction with an external program loader. It
provides a means
of turning off circuit breaker switching while the loader is changing
configurations. This
prevents glitches that may occur from processing partial information.
38
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
11. Control Bus Addressing
As shown in FIG. 2, the energy management system embodying the present
invention may utilize a plurality of remote electrical distribution panels I
Oa, l Ob, etc: that
share a common control module 18 and are connected over a device level network
24.
To uniquely identify each panel 10 so that the control module 18 can send
commands to
the circuit breakers mounted therein, addresses are set locally at each panel
10 using an
associated address select module 34 Each address select module 34 can assign
up to two
bus addresses and, therefore, only one address select module 34 need be
mounted in each
panel 10, This reduces the cost of the busses 14 and simplifies the addressing
of the
so busses 14. The modularity of the address select module 34 allows the module
to be
removed to replace a bus 14 without breaking the continuity of the power and
communications signals that feed to other distribution panels 10 or busses 14,
while
maintaining the original address.
Referring to FIG_ 10, the address select module 34 includes four connectors P
l,
-s P2, P3, and P4 and an octal switch SW I. Referring to FIGS: 2 and FIG. 11,
connector
P4 provides a termination point for an interpanel wire harness 25 extending
from another
electrical distribution panel. The connector P4 is the entry point for power
and
communication signals. Connectors PI and P2 provide connection points to the
associated control bus 14a. The connector P1 provides power and communications
20 signals to the connected bus 14a.
The address set by the octal switch SWI is transferred to the bus I4a via the
connector P2. The connector P3 provides a location for an intrapanel wire
harness 36 to
connect to a second control bus 14b, preferably within the same electrical
distribution
panel. The harness 36 transfers the three most significant bits of the address
that is
25 determined by the position of the octal switch SW 1. The omission of the
least significant
bit allows that bit to be set by the second control bus l4b to which the
harness 36
connects. This increments the address by one. For example, if the octal switch
SW I is
set to 4, the bus 14a has an octal bus address of (0 1 0 0). To obtain the
address of the
second bus 14b, only the first three digits or bits, (0 1 0), are transferred
to the second bus
30 14b. The last bit is automatically set to a"1" by the bus 14b. The next bus
address
becomes (0 1 0 1), which is 5.
To simplify servicing, no configuration, other than default operation, is
loaded on
each bus. If a bus appears at an address it will respond to any commands
issued to it.
39
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
Because busses could fail, be moved or be removed during the product service
life,
operation of the energy management system is designed so that it is not
affected by these
possibilities. Therefore, the system memory and logic are designed to deal
with busses at
any or all of the 16 addresses.
The 16 control bus addresses are identified by a single nibble only, 0- F.
However, the range of these 16 addresses may begin at a non-zero base address
value.
Also, this numbering scheme is at the logical level. The actual representation
to. the user
is via the octal switch on the address select module 34. This switch has
positions for 0 -
7.
12. Control Bus Numbering
Control busses may be located anywhere in an electrical distribution panel
without
regard for typical panel numbering. They are unaware of their location, but
must assume
some numbering scheme that would ideally match the physical panel numbers.
This
is requires a default numbering scheme, but one that optionally allows the
user to change the
reference numbering for unique situations. There are two types of control bus
numbering
systems: Electrical and Alias.
The electrical numbering of a connector position on a control bus is the real,
naturally occurring numbering with respect to the connector position on the
bus. In one
embodiment, these are referenced as positions 1- 24_ All register list data
and non-
displayed information use this numbering. The bus number is referenced in the
register
list by address number (+ base). In one embodiment, there are 16 possible bus
addresses.
The alias numbering is an assigned numbering scheme that better represents
each
circuit breaker position in the panel. This information is used for display
purposes only to
provide the user with reference numbers that match the physical panel
numbering
convention. This numbering could be different for every installation scenario,
but
typically matches a convention that can be assumed from the bus address.
To better insure that the default location numbering is usually correct,
typical
configurations for electrical distribution panels are prescribed. Three
embodiments of
sizes and locations of panel components are shown on the diagrams in FIGS.
12a, 12b,
and 12c. Typically, the bus length matches the panel size. In one embodiment,
the
control module defaults to the upper right occupying slots 2, 4, and 6, and
the power
module defaults to the upper left occupying slots 1, 3, and 5.
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
From this typical convention one can assume that in one embodiment, left side
busses start at 7 and increment by 2's, and right side busses start at 8 and
increment by
2's. However, the control module does not really know whether left or right
busses will
be connected at those addresses until installation, because the module may
have been
s programmed away from the system, or a bus was not installed until later.
Therefore, the
left or right designation cannot be used reliably for numbering. However, if
one
prescribes an addressing convention, then the address may be used to imply the
numbering.
The master electrical distribution panel containing the control module and
power
io module forces addresses 0 and I onto their respective control busses. It is
prescribed that
the control module and the power module are always located in the same panel.
A slave
panel is always connected via an address select module (ASNi) 34. The primary
ASM
address setting is forced onto the attached control bus. As shown in FIG. 2, a
second
control bus may be attached to the address select module 34 with its address
forced to the
15 ASM setting + 1. Connecting the address select module 34 to a second bus
that is
located in another panel is not allowed. Therefore, one can assume that for
any even
address, the next address is located in the very same electrical distribution
panel.
In the table below, the prirnary or even address bus is referred to as the "P"
bus
and the secondary bus is referred to as the "S" bus. It will be further
assumed that
20 primary busses are always located on the right side and will always have
either a control
module or address select module 34.
DEFAULT BUS NUMBERING AND PANEL NAME
Electrical Address Select Bus Name - First Number - Sequence -
Address (Base +) Module Address Default Default Default
0 0 Primary (CM) "Panel 0" 8 Incr. by 2's
1 0 Secondary (PS) "Panel 0" 7 Incr. by 2's
2 IP "Panel I" 8 Incr. by 2's
3 * I S "Panel I" 7 Incr. by 2's
4 2P "Panel 2" 8 Incr. by 2's
* 2S "Panel 2" 7 Incr. by 2's
6 3P "Panel 3" 8 Incr. by 2's
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7 * 3S "Panel 3" 7 Incr. by 2's
8 4P "Panel 4" 8 Incr. by 2's
9 * 4S "Panel 4" 7 Incr. by 2's
A 5P "Panel 5" 8 Incr. by 2's
B* 5S "Panel 5" 7 Incr. by 2's
C 6P "Panel 6" 8 Incr. by 2's
D * 6S "Panel 6" 7 Incr. by 2's
E 7P "Panel 7" 8 Incr. by 2's
F 7S "Pariel 7" 7 Incr. by 2's
* Forced from Address Select Module address + I
In summary, a device that displays control bus data, such as the LCD or a PC
software application, will use the electrical numbering to reference all data.
However,
when this information is displayed, the electrical numbering will be replaced
with the alias
numbering, as calculated by the first number and sequence type information for
each bus.
13. Front Panel Operation (FIG. 13)
Schematics of two types of front panel "LED" and "LCD" are shown and
described herein with reference to FIGS. 35 and 36. The discussion which
follows is one
example of various modes of operation using the various display elements shown
in FIGS.
35 and/or36.
13.1 USER INSTRUCTIONS
RUN Mode:
is Input LED shows the _ irrent state of each input. Blinking indicates the
input is
overridden.
SETUP MODE: To LEARN or TEST:
1. Place unit in SETUP mode by pressing SETUP key until SETUP LED is ON.
2. Select desired input by pressing INPUT key. (Selected input LED will
illuminate.)
3. To ADD or DELETE circuit breakers for this input, place desired circuit
breakers into MANUAL mode, and select ADD or DELETE:
= To ADD circuit breakers to a group, press ADD/DELETE key until ADD
LED is ON. Turn desired circuit breaker handle OFF and ON again.
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= To DELETE circuit breakers from this group, press ADD/DELETE key
until DELETE LED is ON.
4. To TEST circuit breakers learned for this input, return desired circuit
breakers
to AUTO mode, and press TEST key. TEST key will toggle all circuit
breakers mapped to this input between ON and OFF.
5. To CLEAR all circuit breakers learned for this input press and hold LEARN
key for 3 seconds.
6. Repeat desired steps for next input or press SETUP key to return to RUN
mode.
13.2 Front Panel Operation Details
SETUP Key:
= Toggles between RUN and SETUP modes, unless the "Front Panel Disable"
bit is set.
= An automatic return to RUN mode will occur if there is no pushbutton
activity
for 30 minutes, or after a reset event.
= Configuration software will disable the front panel when configuration is
downloaded via Port 2 by setting the "Front Panel Disable" configuration bit,
and returning the unit to RUN. All keys will be inoperative whenever the
"Front Panel Disable" bit is set. This bit can be optionally cleared through
software.
kn RUN Mode:
= SETUP, ADD, DELETE, ON and OFF LEDs are OFF.
= All control processes put in "Run" mode. (Learn Mode Disabled)
= I - 8 displays the group state corresponding to input I - 8.
= If an override is set for a group the LED will blink:
= Group Override ON = LED duty cycle will be 90% ON.
= Group Override OFF = LED duty cycle will be 10% ON.
= SELECT INPUT, LEARN and TEST buttons are not functional.
In SETUP Mode:
a SETUP LED ON. LEARN mode set to ADD, with ADD LED ON. ON/OFF
LEDs reflect group state calculated prior to SETUP mode.
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= All control processes put in "Learn" mode. (Learn Mode Enabled - Group
Logic and Blink Notice processes disabled, and Circuit breaker Retry Mode
temporarily changed to "Open-Loop.")
= INPUT key scrolls between I - 8 to select input number. Unselected inputs
s are not lit. The user is required to deliberately push button each time to
advance, with the input number changing when the key is released. The scroll
pointer is to be remembered through mode changes, but not through a power
cycle.
= The input type is defaulted to "Maintained NO". To change input type for all
inputs:
= Press and hold SELECT INPUT key for 3 seconds to change all inputs to
"Maintained NC" operation. The currently lit input LED will rotate from
left to right one revolution to acknowledge.
= Press and hold the SELECT INPUT key again for 3 seconds to change all
inputs to "Maintained NO" operation. The currently lit input LED will
rotate from right to left one revolution to acknowledge.
= LEARN key toggles between ADD and DELETE modes. Associated LED
illuminates accordingly.
= Learn algorithm: Any circuit breaker that changes state while in ADD mode
that is not already part of the member list for the selected input/group is
added
to the member list for the selected input. Any circuit breaker that changes
state
while in DELETE mode that is already part of the member list for the selected
input/group is deleted from the member list for the selected input.
= Pressing and holding LEARN key for 3 seconds will delete all circuit
breakers
from the member list for the selected input/group. Both ADD/DELETE LEDs
will quickly flash 10 times after CLEAR has taken place and will then return
to
ADD mode.
= The ADD LED is to blink one time whenever the member list is updated while
in the ADD mode. The DELETE LED is to blink one time whenever the
member list is updated while in the DELETE mode. (This provides feedback
as circuit breaker handles are flipped.)
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= Pressing TEST will force a toggle of the Group State. The calculated Group
State will be restored when returning to RUN mode_
OTHER:
= PWR LED is energized from Vcc and is always on when unit is powered.
= RX and TX LEDs show the PORT 2 (ModBus slave) UART activity.
TM
= The CPU LED shows a status heartbeat, similar in function to POWERLTNK
AS:
= A quick flash of at least 4 cycles per second indicates that the program is
operating and successfully communicating via the PORT t(ModBus
master) "smart bus" network.
= A slow flash of less than 2 cycles per second indicates that the program is
operating, but not communicating via port 1.
= A non-blinking ON LED will indicate that the operating program is
corrupt (by checksum) and ready for a download.
1s = A non-blinking OFF LED will indicate that the microprocessor circuitry is
not
functioning.
= Pressing the RESET button will cause a hard microprocessor reset.
Immediately after a reset all LEDs shall momentarily turn ON for'/2 second or
less as a combination reset indication/LED test before resuming the states
described above.
14. Logging and Alarming / Alarm Reporting
14.1 General
The logging and alarming feature is actually comprised of multiple logs:
= The event log captures various control module events as they occur.
= The alarm log records user-defined alarms.
= The access log records the time of use and the access code used at the local
user interface.
= The power outage log records the time of power loss and restoration.
so = The run-time log records the on-time of each output.
All logs, with the exception of the run-time log, report information in a
generalized format. The event and alarm logs are each contained in a separate
files, in
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
which each logged event constitutes an individual record. To save space, non-
volatile
memory only stores the required information for a particular type of log, but
the file
record is sent in the following format:
Generic Log Report Format
l.I. Register Description
0 n/a
I - 2 Event identifier
3 Entry Type
4 n/a or Magnitude
5-8 Start/Stop time/date
9-Il n/a
12 n/a or Correlation Sequence #
The event identifier is the heart of the logging sub-system. The identifier
consists
of two registers in which the first register contains the reference
register/coil number, and
the second register contains the "alarm type" in the high-byte location.
Analog alarms
io place the "alarm level" in the low byte. The identifier is used by
application software, in
conjunction with knowledge of the register list description, to determine the
characteristics of the alarm. Because information can vary from this general
format
according to the type of log, the individual log descriptions below provide
complete
information.
14.1.1 Event Log
The event log is a log of pre-defined events that does not require set-up and
is
typically useful for diagnostic purposes. These events are binary and
typically related to
the change of state of an object, but overrides and other events are captured
as well. The
Entry Type for the event log is always be reported as "one-shot" and the
Correlation
Sequence Number is not applicable. Therefore, these two items do not need to
be saved in
memory. This log is circular, i.e. new log data will begin to overwrite the
old data when
the log is full. The total size of this log is determined by non-volatile
memory resources,
but it preferably holds at least 256 events.
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Event Log Report Format
1.2. Register Description
0 n/a
1-2 Event identifier
3 Always "One-Shot"
4 n/a
5-8 Event time/date
9 - ] ] n/a
12 n/a
Event Ideiitifier
Log Type Register I Register 2
Event Register/Coil # of Event Hi-Byte: Alarm Type
Lo-Byte: n/a
s Alarm Type
Alarm Type Description Operation
060 Status Change to ON This "alarm type" is logged whenever the
item identified in Register I changes from
OFF to ON.
061 Status Change to OFF This "alarm type" is logged whenever the
item identified in Register I changes from
ON to OFF.
A write to the data base that changes any of the following pre=defined items
creates a log entry:
= Schedule Object State
~o = Input Object State
= Latched Input State
= Group State
= Group Override Enable
= Group Override Type
= Non-Responding Circuit breaker State
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= Circuit breaker Present
= Override Time-Out Enable
= Communications Time-Out Active
= Learn Mode
= Halt Mode
= Timer Inhibit
= Bus Present
= Front Panel Disable
= External Reference
Because of the large number of circuit breakers that can be controlled by a
single
event, a change in circuit breaker state is not logged individually, but by
exception_ A
change in group state results in a change in circuit breaker state. If a
circuit breaker does
not properly respond to the change in group state, it will be reported as non-
responding.
(Note that the log may contain the register number corresponding to the
electrical
bus/circuit breaker number, but application software can convert this
information into the
alias numbering and display the panel name for better user reference.)
14.1.2 Alarm Log
Alarms are useful to identify abnormal activity that may require some action
by the
user. All alarms are defined and user-configured for an application. Because
changes in
alarm state correlate to a pick-up and drop-out, the Entry Type and
Correlation Sequence
numbers are valid for the alarm log and are saved in memory, along with the
event
identifier and a start or stop time_ In one embodiment, up to 256 custom
alarms may be
defined: These alarms require set-up by loading a custom alarm set-up table:
Alarm Set-Up Table
Register Description
0 Pointer to Test Register/Coil
1 (high byte) Digital Alarms:
060 = The alarm will be active whenever the test status changes from
OFFtoON
061 = The alarm will be active whenever the test status changes from ON
to OFF.
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Analog Alarms:
010 = The alarm will be active whenever the test status is over the Pickup
Level Value
020 = The alarm will be active whenever the test status is under the
Pickup Level Value
1(low byte) Alarm Level (used for analog)
2 (high byte) Enables/Disables Alarm
2 (low byte) Sets a priority of 0 - 5
3- 10 16 character specified name
11 Alarm Pickup Level
12 0
13 Alarm Dropout Level
14 0
15 n/a
16-17 n/a
18 n/a
19 n/a
Alarm Log Report Format
1.3. Register Description
0 n/a
l - 2 Event identifier
3 Entry Type
4 n/a or Magnitude
5-8 Start/Stop time/date
9 - 11 n/a
12 Correlation Sequence #
Event Identifier
Log Type . Register I Register 2
Alarin Register/Coil # of Event Hi-Byte: Alarm Type
Lo-Byte: Alarm Level
s
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
Alarm Type
AIarm Type Description Operation
060 Status Change to ON This "alarm type" is logged whenever the
item identified in Register I changes from
OFF to ON.
061 Status Change to OFF This "alarm type" is logged whenever the
item identified in Register I changes from
ON to OFF.
010 Over Value Alarm The alarm will be active whenever the test
status identified in Register I is over the
pickup level value
020 Under Value Alarm The alarm will be active whenever the test
status identified in Register I inder the
pickup level value.
These alarms are active and logged as whenever they are enabled in the set-up
table. The priority field is used to optionally trigger an action. If the
priority is = 0, then
s the alarm is logged only. If the priority is > 0, then the alarm will be
automatically
reported per the alarm reporting set-up function. The numeric priority levels
I - 5 are
arbitrary, but can be used by a soft.ware application to discriminate between
different
types of alarms.
Non-responding circuit breakers present a special case. It may be desired to
have
io any non-responding circuit breat<er logged, but if each individual circuit
breaker required
set-up to capture this activity, it would consume most of the alarm set-up
table. The
solution to this is to invoke special logic in which if the bit corresponding
to "any non-
responding circuit breaker" is chosen as the alarm test register, then the non-
responding
status of any circuit breaker will be logged and reported. The event
identifier in the alarm
15 log would contain the register number of the particular non-responding
circuit breaker
rather than the alarm test register. A similar technique may be used for any
other "if any"
type of digital alarms are defined.
14.1.3 Alarm Reporting
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
While alarms are logged for possible upload by a software application,
automatic
reporting may be desired to notify a user of an event. When automatic
reporting is
selected, via an assigned priority level > 0, the control module 18 may be
designed to send
a message at the time an alarm event is logged. The message may be sent via
one the
following means:
= Direct PC Connection - The event is reported by sending the ModBus TCP log
record to an IP address and port number, which corresponds to a PC running CMS
application software capable of receiving an unsolicited message_
= Dial-Up PC Connection - The event is reported by sending the ModBus TCP log
record to a PC running the CMS application software via modem. Any additional
alarms will be sent once the connection is established, up to the entire alarm
log
contents, before disconnecting.
= Direct E-Mail Connection - The event is reported by sending a text message,
derived
from the log record and other panel information, via e-mail protocol. This
message,
built from the log record, alarm set-up table, and other controller registers
will
contain:
= Control Module Name
= Event Time
= 16 Character Alarm Name
= Alarm Status (Pickup = ACTIVATED or Dropout = RELEASED)
= (Optional Object Nametag)
~ (Optional Alias Information)
~ Priority Number
= Register Number
~ Register Description
= Register/Coil Value or Magnitude (0 = OFF, I = ON)
It should be noted that if the test register is associated with an object that
has
either a nametag record, alias information (i.e. a circuit breaker), or both,
this information
will be inserted into the message. A register description is preferably
provided after the
register number, because a register list may not be readily available for
reference.
14.1.4 Access Log
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
The access log is used to note user activity at the front panel of the control
module 18. This feature operates in conjunction with the front panel access
code system.
The front panel access code provides multi-tier access permission based on the
log-in
level. A path to a particular screen is not available unless the user is
logged in to that
level or higher. This feature is configured optionally by the user. By
default, the access
codes are disabled, allowing full access to all screens.
Because full or partial access may be granted without logging in, it is
preferable to
note that activity has occurred regardless of access level. The log-out timer
is important
in determining when key activity is to be noted_ To summarize, only three
types of events
io are captured in the access log:
~ Initial key press time - Indicates that a user has pushed a button at the
front
panel at a time when the log-out timer is zero. This event indicates the log-
out
timer has started.
= Access code entry - This event indicates that the user has entered an access
code. The access level that has been granted is recorded along with the time.
An unsuccessful log-in attempt is also noted.
= Logout timer expires -- Indicates that it has been "n" minutes since the
last key
press, and the system has reverted back to the lowest access level.
From the above information, reviewing the7og will reveal front panel access
2o activity. The reviewer will be able to determine what time the activity
started, any
attempts to log in, the attempted access code with the level granted, and the
time the
access activity stopped via the log out time_ The access log is limited in
size to 16 entries.
In the log the information is posted as follows:
Access Log Report Format
1.4. Register Description
0 n/a
1-2 Event identifier
3 "One-Shot"
4 n/a
5-8 Start/Stop time/date
9-11 n/a
12 n/a
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Event Identifier
Log Type Register 1 Register 2
Access: 0 Hi-Byte: 060
(Log-In) Lo-Byte: n/a
(Password Entry) -Password # Hi-Byte: n/a
Lo-Byte: Level Granted 0 - 3
(Log-out) 0 Hi-Byte: 061
Lo-Byte: n/a
I4.2 Power Outage Log
The power outage log records the time of any control module power loss and
power restored events. It is preferably limited in size to the last 16 power
events. The
format is as follows: (192 bytes)
Power Outage Lo Report Format
1.5. Register Description
0 n/a
1 - 2 Event identifier
3 "One-Shot"
4 n/a
5.- 8 Start/Stop time/date .
9 - 11 n/a
12 n/a
Event Identifier
Log Type Register I Register 2
Power: n/a Hi-Byte:060
Restored Lo-Byte: n/a
Power: nJa Hi-Byte: 061
Loss Lo-Byte: n/a
14.3 Run-Time Logs
The run-time logs are used to record the total ON time of an individual
circuit
breaker output. This information is useful for determining usage patterns,
tenant billing,
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
and re-lamping times. Being an accumulator, rather than an event-type of log,
the format
for maintaining this information is totally different than the format used in
the other logs.
Also, while the source for the information is the same, the accumulated time
is grouped in
a couple different ways:
14.3.1 Run-Time Log I - Total On-Time -
This log is used to determine the total number of on-time hours for an output.
It
is one register in length and scaled as unsigned hours. This allows an
accumulation of
65535 hours before roll-over. For a circuit that is on 24 hours per day, roll-
over would
occur after about 7.5 years.
14.3.2 Run-Time Log 2 - On-Time by Month -
This log is used to determine the total amount of on-time per month for an
output,
by month of the year. Each instance is one register in length and is scaled as
minutes.
This number would not exceed the total number of minutes in a month, or 31 x
24 x 60 =
44,640 counts. This information is accumulated during the current month and is
historically maintained for 12 months before being overwritten. (13 months
total.) The
various timers referred to herein above may be implemented in code (firmware).
The present invention also allows the control module to control a larger
number of
remotely controllable circuit breakers than earlier designs, by using a sub-
net command
path, rather than hard-wired control, as described generally above. The above-
discussed
2o address module offers a combination of address selection function and the
modularity into
one unit.
The control module described below can also be thought of as a panelboard-
mounted programmable logic controller (PLC)_ While it is intended primarily as
a
controller for remotely-controllable circuit breakers, this device could
monitor or control
any device connected to its sub-net.
The system of the invention may utilize multiple control buses with one
controller.
The above-described addressing method allows up to two bus addresses to be
assigned
from one address select module. This reduces the cost of the buses and
simplifies the
addressing of the buses included in a system. The modularity of the address
select module
allows the module to be removed to replace a bus without breaking the
continuity of the
power and communication signals that feed to other panels or buses, while
maintaining
the original address.
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
TM
The improved POWERLINK energy management system of the present invention,
as described herein, utilizes intelligent control busses communicating to a
central
controller/power supply unit via a local area network. This results in a more
modular
system in which the shared controller/power supply unit can be coupled with
one or more
control bus units to provide a control system optimized for a particular
application. The
local area network also allows other intelligent communicating devices to be
connected
and operated by the controller. This flexibility creates opportunities for new
applications
of the system_
Referring now to FIG. 14, a simplified.sectional view shows a circuit breaker
jo module 12 plugged into a smart bus module 14 in accordance with the
invention. As
more fully described elsewhere herein, the smart module 14 has the capability
of
addressing and identifying the particular breaker 12 and sending appropriate
signals, if the
breaker is a power link breaker, that is, a circuit breaker of the remotely
controllable type,
suitable signals for opening and closing the contacts of the breaker 12 in
response to
j5 remote control signals. A portion of an enclosure 20 in which the
intellSgent panelboard
wiring bus is mounted is also shown in FIG. 14. A motor 65 for operating
(opening and
closing) the breaker contacts 70 independently of operation of the handle or
manual
toggle 15, and breaker contacts 70 are illustrated diagrammatically in FIGS_
23 and 24:
The motor may be operated by a remotely generated control signal fed to the
smart bus
20 14 and addressed to the particular breaker (i.e., the associated connector
100) with which
the motor is associated as is more fully described elsewhere herein. For ease
of
description, the intelligent panelboard wiring bus 14 will be hereinafter
referred to simply
as the "bus" or "smart bus."
FIG. 15 is a top plan view of an exemplary bus 14 in accordance with one
25 embodiment of the invention. The bus 14 has a number of connectors 100,
each for
receiving a circuit breaker 12 in the manner indicated in FIG. 15. The bus 14
may be
provided in various lengths, having fewer or more connectors 100. While 1-pole
circuit
breakers 12 have been illustrated, 2- or 3-pole breakers may also be mounted
to the bus
14_ Each breaker will engage a single connector 100, but 2- and 3-pole
breakers, due to
30 their larger width will overfie two and three connectors 100, respectively,
thus occupying
two or three "positions", while using only a single connector 100 . An
additional pair of
connectors 102 are provided for mating engagement with a panelboard-mounted
controller as described above. A further connector is provided for a jumper
cable of the
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
type described above for connection to one or more further intelligent busses
of the same
or simitar type resident in the same panelboard or on panelboards at remote
locations.
Referring now to FIGS. 16-22, circuitry incorporated within the panelboard
wiring bus or smart bus 14 will next be described. FIG. 16 shows a DC power
supply for
providing a regulated 5-volts DC from a 24-volt unregulated AC input. The
unregulated
24-volt input is provided via the power and communications cable from the
power supply
module 16 which may be mounted in the same panelboard as the bus 14 or in a
different
panelboard and connected thereto via a cable 25 as described above with
reference to
FIG. 2.
In smart bus modules attached via a cable 25 to a controller or control module
and
power supply module located in another panelboard, the address select module
35, at
connectors P 1 and P2 (see FIG. 10) will mount to leading connectors 102 of
the bus 14.
In FIG. 16, a regulated power supply 1 10 receives the unregulated 24-volts
from
the power supply module and provides a regulated 5-volt VCC output 112. In the
illustrated embodiment, the voltage regulator is of the type LM78LOSACM, which
is a 3-
terminal positive regulator, available for example from National Semiconductor
Corporation.
FIG. 17 illustrates an RS-485 driver circuit which includes a low-power, slew-
rate
limited RS-485 transceiver 114 of the type MAX487ESA available from Maxim
2o Integrated Products. This transceiver 114 is coupled with RS-485 protocol
inputs and
outputs 116 and I 18 and may further be provided with LED indicators 120 for
receive
(RX) operation and 122 for transmit (TX) operation. In the illustrated
embodiment, the
LED 120 may be green and the LED 122 yellow.
FIGS. 18a and 18b show a controller or microprocessor 130 and associated
components. The controller or microprocessor may be of the type designated
PIC16C63
available from Microchip Technology Inc., which is an 8-bit CMOS
microcontroller. The
associated circuits may include a reset circuit 132 which may be of the type
MC33064D-
5. A serial EEPROM 134 is also coupled with the controller or microprocessor
130.
This EEPROM 134 may comprise a 2K serial EEPROM of the type 240C2C available
from Microchip Technology. The EEPROM 134 decodes serial to 3-bit addresses
from
the address module 34 (see FIG. 10) which is coupled thereto via the four
address pins of
the connector 102, as described above. A plurality of diodes 136 provide
clamping
protection for the address lines and pullups are provided by resistors 138..
The EEPROM
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
134 can remember the unit address of the bus and can also store other data
relative to a
particular bus such as manufacturing data, module number, number of positions
on the
bus and whether the bus is a "left-hand" or a "right-hand" configured bus for
example as
indicated in FIG. 1.
A data selector/multiplexer 135 of the type 5N74HC251 D available from Texas
Instruments is used to hard code the smart bus circuit board. This code will
indicate
whether the bus is a"right-hand" or a"left-hand" configuration (see FIG. 2)
and the
number of connectors 100, which may be from 6 to 24 in increments of 3 in the
embodiment described herein. This coding may be in accordance with the
following
io example:
D3 D2 DI DO Bus
0 0 0 0 6R
0 0 0 1 6L
0 0 1 0 9R
0 0 1 1 9L
0 1 0 0 12R
0 1 0 1 12L
0 1 1 0 15R
0 1 1 1 15L
1 0 0 0 18R
1 0 0 1 18L
1 0 1. 0 2lR
1 0 1 1 21L
I 1 0 0 24R
I 1 0 1 24L
1 I 1 0 open
1 1 1 l open
FIGS. 19a-22 illustrate circuits for addressing and driving respective motors
for
opening and closing contacts in respective ones of the remotely controllable
circuit
breakers mounted to the smart bus 14. As indicated above, remotely
controllable circuit
57
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
breakers may include a motor for closing and opening the contacts thereof
independently
of the breaker handle 15 shown for example in FIG. 14.
FIG. 21 illustrates generally the type of motor control circuit utilized
herein which
is generally in the form of an H control circuit 140, for driving the motor bi-
directionally
in response to control signals generated by the controller and fed to the
motor control
circuits and addressed for control of a motor associated with a particular
breaker, as will
be further described presently. An interface circuit 142, shown in FIG. 22,
performs three
functions. Firstly, it receives motor on and off control signals at terminals
144 and 146
and receives motor power at terminals 148 and 150. These power inputs are
clamped by
io suitable diodes and fed to motor control output terminals 152 and 154 of
the interface
circuit 142. The interface circuit 142 also senses the voltage at the load
terminal of the
breaker at input terminal 156 and clamps and divides down the AC voltage to
provide a
signal to verify the open or closed condition of the breaker contacts 70 at an
output
terminal 158. Finally, three output terminals 160 are coupled with respective
jumper
1s terminals (in the breaker - see FIGS. 23-24) which may be interconnected to
develop a 3-
bit code indicating the number of poles of the particular breaker to which
interface circuit
142 is coupled. These contacts are located and hardwired to perform the
appropriate
code within the breaker itself, with the first code terminal being coupled to
ground and a
2-bit code indicating whether the breaker is a single-pole, 2-pole or 3-pole
type being
20 coded by the remaining two terminals. These "code bits" are fed out of the
interface
circuit at terminals 162 and 164.
FIG. 20 indicates a common motor power drive circuit which provides the motor
power A and B inputs 148 and 150 to the interface circuit 142 of each
interface circuit of
the smart bus 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the driver transistors Q8 and
Q9 of the
25 circuit of FIG. 20 comprise power MOSFETs of the type generally designated
IRLM5703
available for example from International Rectifier. In this regard, the smart
bus has an
interface circuit 142 for each connector 100 therein which may receive a
remotely
controllable breaker, but only a single power drive circuit of the type
illustrated in FIG.
20. The manner in which the power is then enabled to a particular motor in a
particular
3o breaker will next be described with reference to an addressing a driver
circuit shown in
FIGS. 19a-c.
Referring to FIGS. 19a-c, a 3-line to 8-line decoder/de-multiplexer 170
receives
addressing control signals on inputs 172 and decodes these into eight lines
which provide
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
drive signals for the "motor on" inputs 144a-n for eight positions for which
breakers may
be mounted to the smart bus 14. One or more additional de-multiplexer/decoders
and
similar drive circuits may be provided for additional positions on the bus.
Similarly, a
second de-multiplexer/decoder 174 of the same type provides enabling drive
signals for
each of the motor off control lines 146a-n. Additional decoder/driver elements
and
associated drive circuits may be provided to accommodate the number of breaker
positions on a smart bus. In the illustrated embodiment, a total of 16 such
breakers are
accommodated on a smart bus. However, the smart bus may be designed to
accommodate fewer or more breakers without departing from the invention. The
io decoder/demultiplexers 170, 174 are of the type SN74HC 138, 3-tine to 8-
line
decoder/demultiplexer from Texas Intruments.
In each of the drive or enable circuits associated with the de-
multiplexer/decoders
170 and 174, the drive transistors 180a-n are of the type IRF7103 Power MOSFET
available from International Rectifier. Clean control signals from these
transistors are
derived from the de-multiplexer/decoder outputs by Schmitt-Trigger inverters
182a-n of
the type 74HC14 available from Texas Instruments. The sensed voltage derived
from the
breaker contacts at terminal 156 of each of the interface circuits 142 of FIG.
22 are fed to
data inputs of a corresponding 8-bit data selector/multiplexer 184 of the type
SN74HC251D available for example from Texas Instruments. One or more such data
selector/multiplexers may be utilized to accommodate the number of breaker
positions in
a given smart bus 14. The data output from the multiplexer 184 is indicated at
reference
numeral 186 and is fed to microprocessor 130. Schmitt triggers 188a-n also of
the type
74HC14A are utilized to shape the AC signal received on each line 156a-156n to
a square
wave with the desired logic level to form data inputs to the multiplexer 184.
Two similar data selector/multiplexers 190, 192 (also 74HC 14A) are provided
for
receiving 2-bit coded outputs 162, 164 indicating the breaker type (number of
poles)
associated with each breaker plugged into the bus 14. These outputs are
multiplexed or
decoded onto respective data lines 194, 196 to the microcontroller 130 of FIG.
18A. In
the illustrated embodiment additional multiplexers in the same form as
multiplexers 190
and 192 can be utilized to accommodate additional breaker positions which may
be
present in a given smart bus 14
As indicated in the above description, this invention places interface
electronics
inside the control bus, creating an intelligent control bus which provides
status
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
information and is responsive to commands. Since the control bus is
intelligent, it can
communicate with other busses via a local area network. This reduces the
number of
connections to the bus and allows busses within multiple panels to
communicate. As
noted above, a single power supply provides power to all devices on the local
area
network.
This invention eliminates the need for control circuits and circuit boards
within the
breaker and uses only six connection points or terminals to the breaker, as
indicated in
FIGS. 23 and 24, which further illustrate the interface/connection between a
typical circuit
breaker 12 and the smart bus 14.
io FIG_ 23 shows an identification circuit created by using three of these
terminals
160, with one of these terminals 160 designated a common. Jumpers, located
within the
breaker, between common and one or both of the other pins will produce
combinations
that are assigned to represent one, two, or 3-pole circuit breakers. An
external circuit (in
the smart bus - described above) connected to these terminals will read the
configuration,
whose jumpers are set at the time of manufacture of the breaker. FIG. 24 shows
an
alternate embodiment that uses one of the motor lines as a common, and has the
additional advantage of requiring only four wires. The two logic schemes used
in FIGS.
23 and 24 are as follows:
(FIG. 23)
JUMPER POSITION IDENTIFICATION
A Not Present
B I -pole
C 2-pole
D 3-pole
(FIG. 24)
JUMPER POSITION IDENTIFICATION
No Connection Not Present
A 1-pole
B 2-pole
C 3-pole
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
The breaker status feedback (contacts 70 open or closed) circuit is
implemented
using a large series resistor 200. This resistor, connected between the load
terminal of the
circuit breaker and the connection terminal 158 is sized, e.g., 5 meg ohm to
provide both
isolation and a voltage drop when connected to an external circuit, e.g., a
IOK ohm
resistor 155 in the interface circuit 142, which is repeated in FIGS. 23-24 to
facilitate this
description.
The other two terminals 152, 154 are connected to the remotely controllable
drive
motor 70 internal to the breaker.
The above-described elements can all be located within a circuit breaker,
without a
io circuit board to support the components.
Accordingly, the system of the invention also includes a circuit breaker
device
with an internal impedance, connected between a load terminal and a detection
circuit,
which impedance provides both isolation and level reduction. While a resistor
is shown
and described, the internal impedance may be resistive, capacitive or
inductive. The
interface circuit 142 has proportionally smaller impedance, such that a
voltage divider is
implemented when the smaller impedance is connected between the circuit
breaker and a
voltage reference point. The reduced level signal from the voltage divider is
then
processed as indicated above to determine the status of the voltage at the
load terminal of
the circuit breaker_ The connection between the internal impedance 200 and the
detection
or interface circuit can be implemented using an unpluggable type of connector
as the
connector 150, if desired.
As described above, the circuit breaker also has an internal wire-jumper
identification circuit, in which at least the following conditions are
encoded: I-pole, 2-
pole, 3-pole, device not present. Cooperatively, the smart bus is capable of
decoding this
internal wire jumper identification circuit. The connection between the
internal wire
jumper identification circuit and external detection circuit may also be
implemented using
an unpluggable type of connector.
The above-described "smart bus" 14 provides a control bus for an electrical
panelboard. with a plurality of actuator device (e.g., breaker) locations,
comprising: (a) a
plurality of connectors arranged such that a connector is adjacent to each of
said plurality
of actuator locations, whereby the control bus couples to one or more
actuators
occupying one or more of said plurality of actuator locations; (b) a circuit
capable of
accepting a control signal from an external control device, which control
signal is used to
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
command the position or status of one or more actuators occupying one or more
of said
plurality of actuator locations; (c) said circuit being capable of sensing
said actuator
devices to actuate between at least two positions in response to said control
signal; (d) a
connection for accepting said control signals from an external control device;
and (e) a
connection for providing control power to said control bus.
While circuit breakers were discussed above, the actuator devices may be
electrical switching devices selected from the group consisting of relays,
contactors, and
remotely operated circuit breakers. The control bus contains a circuit capable
of
detecting and communicating one or more signals representative of a connected
actuator
io device, including signals for identifying the position of the actuator in
the bus, and signals
for determining the identity of the actuator device, e.g., a 1-, 2- or 3-pole
breaker. The
communicated signals are digital in form, and include a means for assigning an
address to
said control bus, as well as to each actuator position on the bus and for
addressing
individual actuator device positions. The mounting of the control bus in the
panel is such
1s that the control bus may be removed for servicing or replacement. A
microprocessor is
used to control the circuitry of the control bus, which circuitry includes a
non-volatile
memory device capable of storing information such as, but not limited to, the
following
items: communications parameters, actuator number of operations, accumulated
actuator
on-time, actuator event log, actuator name tags. The controller may include at
least one
2o display element capable of indicating power, communications, or operational
status of the
control bus.
Referring now to FIGS. 25-37c, the circuitry of the controller or controd
module
18 will next be described. In FIG. 25, a first power supply circuit portion
utilizes a
voltage regulator 300 which may be of the type LM259ST (National
Semiconductor) to
25 provide a positive 5-volt VCC output from the 24-volt class 2 power supply
from the
power supply module 16. This 5-volt VCC may be further processed by a second
regulator 302 to provide a positive 3.3-volt DC regulated supply. The
regulator 302 may
be of the type designated MC33269 from Motorola, Inc. Electrostatic discharge
(ESD)
protection is provided by elements 301, 303. These elements 301, 303 may
comprise
3o TVS diodes. Similar elements provide ESD protection in others of the
circuits of FIGS.
27a-37c as indicated in the drawings. The various TVS diodes include
asymmetrical TVS
diodes for extended common-mode RS-485, such as part no. SM712 available from
Semtech Corp. Newbury Park, California, and surface mount TVS diodes, such as
part
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
nos. SMOS thru SM36, also from Semtech Corp., and low voltage TVS diodes, such
as
part no. SLVU2.8 from Semtech Corp. FIG. 26 shows a power failure circuit
monitor
which monitors the 24-volt supplied from the power supply module 16 and
utilizes an
optoisolator 304 which may be of the type PC905 to provide a PFAIL logic
output 306 to
the controller or microprocessor (described below). In the illustrated
embodiment, the
PFAIL output 306 is normally high and goes low if the 24-volt input power
fails.
FIG.S 27a-c illustrate a control bus 310, a first data bus 3 12 and a second
data bus
314 which are respectively connected to data inputs arid outputs of a pair of
16-bit latches
316, 318 and a pair of 16-bit registers 320 and 322. The latches 316 and 3 18
may be of
io the type PI74FCT163373A which are 16-bit transparent latches available for
example
from Pericom. The registers 320 and 322 may be of the type PI74FCT163374 which
are
16-bit registers also available from Pericom.
An additional terminal bus 324 interfaces with the data bus 312 via suitable
diode
clamps and voltage divider resistors which take a 24-volt incoming level on
the terminal
1s bus 324 to a 5-volt Ievel for the latches 316 and 318.
Referring now to FIGS. 28a-b, the terminal bus 324 connects to eight sets of
three
terminals each, each of which may be utilized either for a switch input, for
example, for a
switch-activated control of circuit breakers. The one or more switches coupled
to these
terminals 326 are preferably coupled as illustrated with respect to the first
set of terminals
2o 326 and may be programrned or mapped to particular circuit breakers as
desired by the
controller of the invention. The latch circuits 316 and 318 interface between
the switch
terminal inputs 326 and the main controller or microprocessor (FIG. 33) of the
control
module to be described later. The eight sets of pins 326 may also be used to
drive one or
more status-indicating elements, such as LEDs, an example of one of which is
shown in
25 the first set of terminals 326, and which would normally be coupled in the
polarities
shown between the second and third terminal of the set. These LEDs may be used
to
indicate the status of one or more breakers, and again may be mapped to
particular
breakers by the programming of the microprocessor of the control module. Spark
gaps
(SGI, SG2, etc_) may be provided for electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection
to each set
30 of pins 326.
Other connectors indicated in FIGS. 28a-b include a set of connectors 330 for
coupling to a display panel to be described later and a set of connectors 332
which couple
with the microprocessor board or lower board, to be described later. An
auxiliary power
b3
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
jack 334 provides class 2-+24-volt power for third party devices which may be
utilized to
provide a switch input signal, for example, for switches coupled to the
terminals 326 as
described above. An LED indicator 355 may be used to indicate the presence of
the
24VDC voltage. A set of connectors 336 is provided for connection to RS232 or
RS-485
s Tx and Rx signals from a modem or computer, if desired_
Referring now to FIG. 29, a typical circuit for configuring one of the eight
sets of
input terminals 326 is shown. Thus, a total of eight circuits such as the
circuit shown in
FIG_ 29 are provided in the illustrated embodiment. This circuit receives
enable outputs
350 and 352 from the registers 320 and 322 of FIG. 27 and is coupled to
terminal 358 of
io the first set of switch input terminals 326 in FIG. 28. If a switch is
installed between the
first and second terminals 326 as shown in FIG. 28, a logic zero will appear
at enable
terminal 350 and a logic I at enable terminal 352 such that the status of the
switch, on or
off will be fed through latches via the terminal 359 and the clamps and
voltage dividers as
described above. If an LED is connected between the second and third terminals
of any
1s of the groups of terminals 326, a logic I will be present at terminal 350
and the logic
signal at the terminal 352 when zero will cause the LED to be turned on and
when I will
cause the LED to be turned off. The transistor logic and switching circuit of
FIG. 29
accomplishes this operation.
FIGS. 30a-b illustrate a scheme for isolation of class I, 24-volt incoming
lines
20 from the power supply module 16. A total of six lines or connections are
received from
the power module 16. These connections include a class 2, 24 power volt
connection and
common or ground as indicated at reference numeral 380, a class 1, 24-volt
power and
common at terminals 382 and a pair of communications terminals 384 and 386.
The class
1, 24-volt power and communications lines at terminals 382, 384 and 386 are
coupled
25 with a second connector which feeds four lines to provide power and
communications to
smart busses in other panels, as indicated by cable 25 in FIG. 2. The class 2-
voltage at
terminal 380 is converted to the regulated DC voltages in the circuit of FIG.
25 as
described above. The class 1, 24-volt power is also converted 5-volts DC for
use by a
RS-485 transceiver 390 by a circuit 392 which utilizes a voltage regulator 393
(e.g.
3o LM78LO 5ACM) and a capacitor 391 to provide a suitable 5-volt power supply
for the
transceiver 390. The transceiver 390 receives the communications inputs 384
and 386
and feeds them through a class 1/class 2 isolation circuit which includes four
optoisolators
indicated generally by reference numeral 392. Enable inputs for transmit and
receive
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
respectively are indicated by reference numerals 398 and 400 at two of the
optoisolators
392 while the other two optoisolators provide an isolated transmit input 394
and an
isolated receive output 396. All of these inputs and outputs are provided with
suitable
class 1/class 2 isolation with respect to the 485 transceiver 390. The 485
transceiver 390
s may be of the type generally designated MAX487ESA from Maxim Integrated
Products.
FIGS. 31 a-b illustrate an Ethernet controller chip 420. The Ethernet
controller
chip comprises an ISA Ethernet controller of the type generally designated
CS8900A
available from Cirrus Logic, Inc. An Ethernet transformer 422 and RJ45
connector
module 424 are also provided. Data outputs 430 and address inputs 432 are
coupled with
io the controller or microprocessor to be described below with reference to
FIG. 33.
FIG. 32 illustrates additional logic and gate components for use with the
Ethernet
chip of FIG. 31, including an in-system programmable chip 440 of the type
XC9536-
15VQ44C available from Xilinx_ An additional decoder chip 442 is coupled with
the chip
440 and it is of the type SN74HC138DR, a 3-tine to 8-line decoder/de-
multiplexer
15 available from Texas Instruments.
FIGS. 33a-c show the main controller or microprocessor 500 which in the
illustrated embodiment comprises a Motorola MCF5206e integrated
microprocessor. The
microprocessor 500 is coupled with an address bus 502 and a data bus 504,
portions of
which also couple with the Ethernet chip 420 of FIG. 31. A portion of address
bus 502 is
2o also coupled with a real-time clock (RTC) 506. In the illustrated
embodiment, this
element 506 is an M41 T00 serial access timekeeper available from ST
Microelectronics,
Inc. Temperature compensation for the clock 506 is provided by a digital
temperature
sensor and thermal watchdog element 507, such as a National Semiconductor
LM75. A
40 MHz oscillator 508 (e.t., SG-615) is also provided for the microprocessor
500. An
25 interface connector device 510 may also be utilized to program any memory
or otherwise
download data to the microprocessor 500. A supervisory chip 512 (e.g_
TLC77331D)
monitors a positive 3.3-volt regulated supply to assure a clean reset for the
microprocessor 500. Finally, an additional serial EEPROM 514 provides non-
volatile
storage for a manufacturing data and/or customer configuration parameters.
This
30 EEPROM is a 24LC2651 SN serial EEPROM.
FIGS. 34a-c illustrate additional memory components which couple with the
microprocessor 500 via the address and data buses 502, 504. The memory devices
include a flash memory 530 which serves as a main program memory for the
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
microprocessor 500. The flash memory 530 is an M29F400B 4 megabit (512 x 8 or
256
x 16, Boot Block) single supply/flash memory available from ST
Microelectronics Inc. A
pair of nonvolatile static RAM components 532, 534 are also provided. These
RAM's
532, 534 may be of the type STKI588 available from Simtek. A pair of
additional
memory components 540 and 542 comprise DRAM RID41 LV I 6100-50KI, I M x 16
(16M bit) Dymnamic Ram (DRAM) with EDO page mode available from Integrated
Silicon Solution, Inc.
FIGS. 35a-c and 36 illustrate two types of user interface display panels which
may
be provided in connection with the control module 18_ These panels may mount
directly
io to the control module by use of suitable mating mounting pins (not shown)
provided on
the control module and the user interface/display panel. FIGS. 35a and 35b
illustrate
circuitry common to both of these front panels. FIG. 35c illustrates a visible
display
portion and related circuitry for a so-called LED front panel which uses LED
displays
elements 630, 640 while FIG. 36 illustrates the circuitry for connection with
an LCD
is display panel 650. FIG. 35a illustrates a circuit associated with a number
of operator-
accessible pushbutton controls 600, which in the illustrated embodiment are 4
in number.
A fifth pushbutton switch 602 is provided as a reset switch_ A latch 604
operatively
couples the switches 600 to respective data lines of the microprocessor 500_
In the
illustrated embodiment, the latch 604 is of the type LV373D, an Octal D-type
transparent
20 latch (3-state) available from Phillips Semiconductors. A switch interrupt
signal is also
provided in response to activation of any of the switches 600 by a logic
circuit 606.
FIG. 35b illustrates a connector such as an RJ1 I jack 610 which a customer
may
use to plug in a PC, laptop or other device to communicate with the processor
500, to
update codes, etc., or to communicate with another device connected to the
system at the
25 connectors 336 of FIG. 28. The connector or jack 610 is coupled to RS232
protocol
receive and transmit terminals 612 via a pair of buffers 614 of a buffer
integrated circuit of
the type MAX202E. These buffers connect. in turnwith an RS-485 transceiver 620
of the
type MAX487ESA low power, slew-rate-limited RS-485/RS-422 transceivers
available
from Maxim Integrated Products. This transceiver also connects to the RS-485
terminals
30 336 of FIG. 28. Suitable timing signals are provided by a timing circuit
which includes an
LMC555CM timer available from National Semiconductor. The circuits of FIGS.
35a
and 35b, as indicated above, are common to both the LED and LCD front
panel/display
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
modules. LEDs 621, 622 may be used to indicate receive or transmit signals
present at
transceiver 620.
Referring now to FIG. 35c, an exemplary LED display is illustrated. This
display
includes two groups of LEDs 630, 640 which may be programmed for desired
indications,
s for example, for prompts to the user for setup, for indicating various
aspects of system
operations and the like. The first group 630 of LEDs is coupled to be
addressed via 16-
bit register 632 of the type PI 74FCT I63374 available from Pericom. A second
set of
LEDs 640 is similarly coupled to be driven through a second l 6-bit register
642 of the
same type. Both of the registers 632 and 642 are coupled to suitable data
lines of the
to microprocessor 500 (FIG_ 33).
In FIG. 36, an LCD front panel circuit is illustrated. Here, an LCD 620 may be
a
128 x 64 dot format graphic module of the type GI 2 3 6BTN000 from Seiko
Instruments
LJSA. This LCD connector receives data inputs from the microprocessor 500 and
is
powered by a plus/minus 12-volt power supply 652 which may be of the type
~s . ICL7662EBA. Also, a negative temperature coefficient resistor 656 is
utilized in the
power supply circuit to control the brightness of the LCD over a range of
temperatures to
achieve a more constant, uniform brightness level.
In FIG. 37, a second communications port 660 is provided by a RS-485
transceiver 662 also of the type MAX487ESA, similar to the transceiver 620 of
FIG_ 35b.
20 Similar LED transmit and receive indicators 663, 664 are also provided. A
pair of buffers
670, 672 are provided to limit data bus access to the upper board, which
contains the
microprocessor 500. These buffers are octal bus transceivers of the type
SN74HC245
(Texas Instruments) and are coupled between the data bus 314 and a set of data
terminals
674 which all send data to the data terminals of the non-volatile memorylRTC
506 of
25 FIG.33_
Finally, a connector 675 interfaces to the connector 332 of FIG. 28.
The above described controller or control module improves upon the above-
TM
discussed POWERLINK AS system in a number of ways, including the following:
This controller supports a larger number of control points, limited only by
memory
3o and communication capability.
This controller has communication router capabilities.
This controller has auxiliary power available for accessories, such as
occupancy
sensors.
67
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
This controller has the capability to provide a status feedback signal for
pilot
lights, annunciators, or control relays_
The above-described controller or control module has a housing dimensioned
such
that it can be inserted into a location normally occupied by one or more
circuit breakers.
The control module is capable of accepting and interpreting one or more
externally originating control signals provided from a sensor or control
device, with an
accessible termination area providing connection points for said sensor or
control device.
The above-described control module is also capable of providing control
signals to one or
more extemal actuator devices with a connection means for coupling said
control signals
io to said remotely located actuator devices. The control module is also
capable of
interpreting said externally originating sensor or control device signals into
control signals
for the one or more external actuator devices. The control module includes a
memory
wherein mapping of said externally originating control signals to one or more
external
actuator devices is stored, and a circuit capable of acquiring said mapping
information and
loading said mapping information into said memory, and an externally viewable
informational display on which a plurality of statuses of one or more of said
control
signals, said external actuators, or said controller are,displayed. The
control module may
also include circuits capable of accepting commands or mapping information via
at least
one additional command path, via a connection located within said accessible
termination
area, and a circuit capable of accepting commands from the first command path
and
routing said commands through said additional command path. The additional
command
path may be configured for digital signals. A network address, may be assigned
to the
control module.
The control module may also utilize the informational display of accepting in
the
process of mapping information and loading said mapping information into said
memory.
The informational display may include at least one interactive user control,
such as, but
not limited to, a push-button, in response to activation of which the
displayed statuses can
be affected.
The command path(s) may be bi-directional, and utilize standardized
communication interfaces and protocols such as, but not limited to, Ethernet,
ModBus,
RS-485, RS-232, USB, CEBus, IEEE-1394 or LonWorks communication technologies.
In one embodiment, one bi-directional command path using RS-485 communication
technology utilizes a ModBus protocol and ModBus automatically adjusts to RTU -
or
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
ASCII communication mode. Optionally, controller response may be compatible
with/viewable using a commercially available internet browser.
The control module is adapted to provide control signals for external actuator
devices comprising electrical switching devices selected from the group
consisting of
relays, contactors, solid-state switches and remotely controllable circuit
breakers. The
above-described control module may have one or more of the following features:
an Ethernet controller;
an RS-485 transceiver; and
a connector for connection to an external power source.
ro The connection to AC power may be altemately designed to receive AC power
from a source other than the line terminal connection point in the panelboard
location in
which said controller means is mounted.
The control module may further include a circuit by which one or more of said
control signal statuses are converted to an electrical voltage or current
feedback signal,
1s which may be connected to an external monitoring device via connection
points located in
said accessible termination area. Additional connection points to said DC
electrical power
may also be available within the accessible termination area.
The control module utilizes a microprocessor executing a logical program. The
logical program or its configuration attributes are reprogrammable via one or
more of said
20 command paths.
The control module may further include a timing circuit and said externally
originating control signals may be used to start or stop said timing circuit,
with the timing
circuit status being further converted. into control signals for one or more
external
actuator devices. The control module further containing a real-time clock,
whereby the
ss real-time clock value may be compared to a schedule resident in memory, and
the status
of this comparison is converted into control signals for one or more external
actuator
devices. The real-time clock means may further contain a calendar capable of
providing
at least current day of the week information, and additionally capable of
providing current
date, month and year information. The control module may further be capable of
30 obtaining an external clock synchronizing signal for the real-time clock,
such as, but not
limited to signals transmitted by radio, satellite; or network connection.
The connection points for a sensor or control device are electrically isolated
from
the connection coupling said externally located actuator devices, and the
informational
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CA 02483295 2004-11-10
display is electrically isolated from the connection means coupling said
externally located
actuator devices.
The above-described control module also includes a timing circuit means
(implemented in code-firmware). A control signal event commanding an external
actuator
device to the off state will be used to start the timing circuit, with the
initiation of the
timing circuit resulting in a temporary off condition at the external actuator
device, and
then delaying the final off condition of the external actuator until the
timing circuit times
out, unless a subsequent control signal event commands the external actuator
device back
to the on state. The temporary off condition is configurable and can be
alternately
configured so that said temporary off condition does not occur.
The above-described power supply module is mountable within an electrical
panelboard having a plurality of circuit breaker locations, and generally
includes:
a plurality of inputs for connecting to external sensors;
a plurality of outputs for connecting to external actuators capable of manual
override and providing status feedback signals to the control system;
means, operable in a learn mode and responsive to the status feedback signals,
for
learning associations between the inputs and the outputs and recording the
associations in
a memory in response to a human operator selecting one of the inputs and
manually
toggling selected ones of the external actuators between first and second
positions; and
means, operable in a run mode, for commanding the selected ones of the
external
actuators to one of the first and second positions in response to a change in
state of the
external sensor connected to the one of the inputs,
whereby the human operator has programmed an output response to input activity
by manual manipulation of the connected sensors and actuators.
The actuators may be electrical switching devices selected from a group
consisting
of relays, contactors, and remotely operated circuit breakers. The sensors may
be
electrieal signaling devices selected from a group consisting of switches,
occupancy
sensors, light level sensors, and thermostats. The actuators are housed within
an electrical
distribution panel. A user interface permits the human operator to select the
one of the
inputs and to direct the control system to enter one of the learn mode and the
run mode,
and an informational display indicates the mode of the control system and
which of the
inputs is selected.
CA 02483295 2004-11-10
A method of programming a control system is provided, as described above. The
control system includes a plurality of inputs and outputs, the inputs being
connected to
external sensors, the outputs being connected to external actuators capable of
manual
override and providing status feedback signals to the control system, the
control system
including a memory for recording associations between the inputs and the
outputs. The
method comprises switching the control system to a learn mode, selecting one
of the
inputs, and manually toggling selected ones of the external actuators between
first and
second positions.
As noted above, the actuators may be electrical switching devices selected
from a
jo group consisting of relays, contactors, and remotely operated circuit
breakers, and the
sensors may be electrical signaling devices selected from a group consisting
of switches,
occupancy sensors, light level sensors, and thermostats. The steps of
switching the
control system to the learn mode and selecting one of the inputs can be
performed by a
human operator via a user interface, and the informational display indicates
the mode of
1s the control system and which of the inputs is selected.
While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in
detail, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and
modifications of the
present invention, in its various aspects, may be made without departing from
the
invention in its broader aspects, some of which changes and modifications
being matters
20 of routine engineering or design, and others being apparent only after
study. As such, the
scope of the invention should not be limited by the particular embodiment and
specific
construction described herein but should be defined by the appended claims and
equivalents thereof. Accordingly, the aim in the appended claims is to cover
all such
changes and modifications as fall within scope of the invention_
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