Newsletter September 2009

Topcat2 Launch by Steve Dorrington

Lester Abbey, Graeme Clover and I attended the Electricity Engineers Association Show again this year in mid-June at the Christchurch Convention Centre, where we launched our new Topcat2 RTU. The original Topcat RTU was launched at the EEA Conference in 1998, so it was fitting that its replacement should appear at the same show 11 years on. Topcat2, like the original, is designed for use monitoring and controlling power lines company feeder automation assets i.e. switches, reclosers, voltage regulators and capacitor banks.

Topcat2 uses the same CPU as the Swampfox RTU, but has no internal power management, or battery fitted; it now uses a wide range 11-36VDC power input. If it is using its internal 16 channel radio then CTCSS comes with it standard. Topcat2 ships with Datalogging, DNP3 Master and Modbus Master protocols loaded to Flash as standard; releasing these for use may require system licences at your SCADA Master.

It comes in two versions:

TC0 has no discrete I/O other than a tamper (security) input. It has one discrete Alarm output. The remainder of the I/O comes via serial ports & protocols. It ships with DNP3 Master and Modbus Master, and also has an IP port for Ethernet or IP radio communications back to the SCADA Master.

Both versions are available with DNP3 Slave serial or DNP3 Slave/IP to talk to other manufacturers’ SCADA Master systems.

NMCs & SCADA Gateways

New SCADA Master station architecture is rolling out for customers and those wanting to rearrange their communications networks. It’s based around using the Ethernet for communications between the SCADA Master PC and Communicators (radio modems).

This opens up a large range of possibilities as to how to engineer the SCADA Master station, as no longer do the SCADA Master PC and radio communications need to be in the same location.

There are two products we have available for this job.

Swampfox NMC is a single channel version which uses the Swampfox RTU hardware with one internal radio or an external radio. This unit is not expandable and is for single radio channel operation only. Two channel systems can either use a second NMC as and when required, or install our new SCADA Gateway product instead.

SCADA Gateway is a multichannel version of the NMC which houses up to 3 modems in a 19" rack 1U high chassis. It’s 24VDC and uses external radios only. The audio levels for each radio channel can be individually tailored to the radios being used.

We now have five customers using Ethernet for this primary communications architecture.

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NEW

COMING SOON...

RTU AUTO_IN Function

The current method of establishing communications between the SCADA Master and RTUs in the field, after starting the SCADA Master PC, uses MPL programs to call each RTU in turn. As systems grow in size and the number of comms channels increases, it becomes increasingly harder to effectively manage this job. It also uses a growing number of programs.

We recognised this problem and are trialling an AUTO_IN function in PL3.7.3. This does away with the need to use MPL programs to do this job, instead managing the initialisation of communications as part of the Powerlink SCADA software structure.

Customers with over 50 RTUs would most likely benefit from this development, as would those approaching program thresholds. Additional Programs may be added to your SCADA Master up to a maximum of 2000.

Broadband and Cellular SCADA Master Access

Want to access your SCADA system using your laptop PC from your home broadband connection? Or sitting in your favourite café with a double decaff latte and your laptop, “working”? Or parked on the side of the road looking through your SCADA system on a laptop PC?

It’s all possible now with the Abbey Secure Connection software that we’re working on at present. The big benefit is that using Aspex HMI software, you’ll be able to access any of the Event file or Datalogged data currently residing in the SCADA Master PC and display it on Aspex powerful Advanced Trend screens. And your IT Department need never know!

A laptop with a built-in 3G card is the most convenient to use. There are models available in a variety of sizes and prices.

Cellular data is affordable. Tests here have shown that unless you spend hours gazing at your beautiful Aspex screens you would stay under the 10MB per day for $1 limit on Vodafone prepay.

Boyd Anderson, who worked on the NEW Aspex Secure Connection development, holds a 3G Netbook displaying a live Aspex SCADA screen.

For further details please contact Steve Dorrington, Sales & Marketing Manager

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UPDATES

Load Management System Developments

Two recent jobs have been undertaken for customers using Transpower’s new Upper South Island Load Management Systems Targets.

The first allows for external control of a customer’s LMS from an outside source i.e. the internal Abbey LMS sees that outside channels are being shed or restored and implements its own programs of Load Management as a result. Built-in latency ensures hunting doesn’t occur.

The second interfaces to the USI LMS VPN and implements target changes according to updates from the USI SCADA Master.

Program updates to the Abbey LMS were necessary.

If either of these is of interest or has an application in your system give us a call.

Modbus Master Protocol

This RTU driver has recently been updated to include IEEE (32 bit) Floating Point Analogs. The Modbus protocol is often used by equipment manufacturers to do more than was ever originally intended when it was developed. This results in a large number of variants in the market, all claiming to be Modbus. Sometimes it may be more appropriate to use a more suitable protocol like DNP3 for Power Industry applications.

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Nov 2009 Training Courses

Our second training courses for 2009 are on again in early November. There are limited places so to ensure your place we recommend booking as soon as possible.

General Operations		Mon 2, Tue 3 Nov		$935
Programming		Wed 4 Nov		$550
Reporting		Thur 5 Nov		$550
Aspex		Fri 6 Nov		$550
Hardware & Tech		Tue 10, Wed 11 Nov		$1,100

Lunches are catered and a number of well- priced hotels are within walking distance of our offices.

Ring us on 04 385 6611 or email cathy@abbey.co.nz. to reserve your place.

If booking flights, bear in mind that Abbey Systems reserves the right to postpone or cancel classes due to numbers enrolling or tutor availability. Any cancellation will be notified to registered participants at least two weeks prior.

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Radio Communications

Now a heads up to all customers that hold radio licences as part of their SCADA communications network. Please check that whatever radio equipment is installed in the field operates in accordance with the issued licence conditions. Basic items to be considered include:

    1)  at the correct location
    2)  operating on the correct frequency
    3)  transmitter power correct
    4)  deviation level correct

All users need to understand the conditions of the radio frequency licences they hold for the operation of their SCADA system. If suppliers provide radio equipment into your network, then please ensure they are also informed of the licence conditions when ordering any equipment with radios from them. The responsibility rests with the licence holder.

Please contact Steve Dorrington with any questions arising from this issue
04 385 6611 or steve@abbey.co.nz

If you would like someone added to or removed from the mailing list, please contact cathy@abbey.co.nz

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