Techimp PDCheck

OPERATORS MANUAL

Techimp PDCheck operators manual

for software release 1.09.04

********** WARNING **********

THE USERS OF THIS TEST EQUIPMENT
HAVE THE RESPONSABILITY TO FOLLOW
THE SAFETY OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
AND THE PROPER USE PROCEDURES
DESCRIBED IN THIS MANUAL
Techimp HQ S.r.l provides information
on its products and its associated hazards.
However, Techimp HQ S.r.l. does not
assume any responsibility for the
after-sale operation and safety practices.
ALL PERSONNEL WORKING WITH, OR
EXPOSED TO THIS EQUIPMENT MUST TAKE
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES
AGAINST POSSIBLE SERIOUS AND/OR FATAL
BODILY INJURY.

2/2

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to apply changes to this manual and to the system to which this manual refers without notice.
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Techimp PDCheck operators manual

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This document contains proprietary information of TECHIMP and it may not be reproduced in any form without the permission of Techimp H.Q. s.r.l. Techimp reserves the right to apply changes to this manual and to the system to which this manual refers without notice.
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WEEE and RoHS announcement

This product complies with the WEEE European Directive (2002/96/EC) marking requirements. The affixed label indicates that you must not discard this electrical/electronic product in domestic household waste.
PRODUCT CATEGORY: with reference to the equipment types in the WEEE Directive
Annex I, this product is classed as Category 9 (Monitoring and Control Instrumentation) product.
DO NOT DISPOSE IN DOMESTIC HOUSEHOLD WASTE!
To return unwanted products, contact the manufacturer at www.techimp.com or your local sales office or distributor.
On the basis of the above-mentioned classification (Category 9), this product is not included in the field of application of the RoHS European Directive (2002/95/EC).
Techimp is strongly committed in environment protection and material recycling. To pursue this commitment, Techimp follows engineering guidelines to facilitate recycling and
chooses RoHS compliant components.

4/4

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Declaration of calibration
Techimp HQ s.r.l hereby declares under its sole responsibility that the Techimp PDCheck product has been verified, tested and calibrated at its facility and
COMPLIES
with the requested specifications (See Annex A).
Techimp HQ s.r.l recommends to renew the calibration of the Techimp PDCheck with
yearly frequency.

This document contains proprietary information of TECHIMP and it may not be reproduced in any form without the permission of Techimp H.Q. s.r.l. Techimp reserves the right to apply changes to this manual and to the system to which this manual refers without notice.
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6/6

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Techimp PDCheck operators manual

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1

SAFETY AND PRECAUTIONS....................................................................................................... 8

1.1
1.2

GENERALITY............................................................................................................................... 10
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6

TERMS AND SYMBOLS IN THIS MANUAL ........................................................................................ 8

PRECAUTIONS AND SECURITY MEANS ......................................................................................... 9

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 10
GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS ...................................................................................................... 11
PROHIBITIONS ........................................................................................................................ 11
UNPACKING AND INSPECTION ................................................................................................... 12
STANDARDS AND DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY CE ................................................................. 12
INSTRUCTIONS FOR CLEANING ................................................................................................. 13

TECHIMP PDCHECK ACQUISITION UNIT AND ITS CONNECTIONS......................................... 14

3.1
TECHIMP PDCHECK ACQUISITION UNIT ..................................................................................... 14
3.2
CONNECTING THE ACQUISITION UNIT ........................................................................................ 16
3.2.1 CONNECTION 1................................................................................................................... 16
3.2.2 CONNECTION 2................................................................................................................... 17
3.2.3 CONNECTION 3 (only for hardware version MKIII or higher) ................................................. 17
3.2.4 CONNECTION 4................................................................................................................... 18
3.2.5 CONNECTION 5................................................................................................................... 18
3.2.6 CONNECTION 6 (only for hardware version MKIII or higher)................................................. 19
3.3
CONNECTION ERRORS ............................................................................................................ 19
3.3.1 NO UNITS CONNECTED TO THE LAN ...................................................................................... 20
3.3.2 COMMUNICATION ERROR: THE SYSTEM IS NOT RESPONDING .................................................... 21

TECHIMP PDCHECK PDC CONTROL SOFTWARE 1.09.04 MANUAL ....................................... 23

4.1
PRELIMINARY ACTIONS BEFORE THE USAGE .............................................................................. 23
4.1.1 CONTROL UNIT MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................... 23
4.1.2 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION .................................................................................................... 24
4.1.3 CONTROL UNIT IP CONFIGURATION ....................................................................................... 26
4.1.4 CONNECTING TO THE ACQUISITION UNIT ................................................................................ 28
4.2
CONTROLLING THE ACQUISITION UNIT ....................................................................................... 30
4.2.1 PROBING SCREENSHOT ....................................................................................................... 31
4.2.2 PRE PROCESSING TOOL ....................................................................................................... 36
4.2.3 ACQUISITION SETTINGS SCREENSHOT ................................................................................... 37
4.2.4 VISUALIZATION OF THE SLOW CHANNELS ............................................................................... 41
4.2.5 MANAGING THE INTERNAL COMPACT FLASH............................................................................ 43
4.2.6 CONFIGURING THE MONITORING PARAMETERS ....................................................................... 46
4.3
RUN TIME MENU ..................................................................................................................... 50
4.4
SIMULTANEOUS STREAMING..................................................................................................... 55
4.4.1 THREE-PHASE REPRESENTATION .......................................................................................... 59

This document contains proprietary information of TECHIMP and it may not be reproduced in any form without the permission of Techimp H.Q. s.r.l. Techimp reserves the right to apply changes to this manual and to the system to which this manual refers without notice.
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1 SAFETY AND PRECAUTIONS

The Techimp PDCheck system described in this manual can be used when directly or
indirectly connected to high voltage equipment. This dictates the use of caution when
installing, operating and/or servicing this equipment.

1.1

TERMS AND SYMBOLS IN THIS MANUAL

CAUTION! statements identify conditions or practices that could result in damage
to the equipment or other property.
WARNING! statements identify conditions or practices that could result in injury
or
loss of life.
This symbol, wherever it appears on the system, alerts you to the presence
of not insulated dangerous voltages voltages that may be sufficient to risk
of electrical shock.
This symbol, wherever it appears on the test system, alerts you to important
operating and maintenance instructions in the accompanying literature. Read
the manual.

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1.2

PRECAUTIONS AND SECURITY MEANS

WARNING! In order to avoid the insurgence of dangerous conditions regarding persons or things during installation, operation and maintenance of
the Techimp PDCheck, is required to read with care the whole manual before performing any operation with the system.
WARNING! The operators should observe the safety precautions listed below with particular attention. Failure in observing the precautions may result
in serious injuries or death.

Every operation in high voltage areas accessible to operators is allowed only to qualified
and skilled personnel.
Techimp PDCheck system should be installed and serviced only by personnel
experienced in high voltage apparatuses and testing systems.
Service personnel should be instructed to observe all safety precautions as
stated in the operating instructions, and to the high voltage standard safety precautions. Failure to do so could result in serious injury.
To avoid the risk of shock and personal injury, disconnect every device from the
AC mains and uninterruptible power sources (UPS) before doing any maintenance and cleaning operation.
Do not handle, install, or remove any component while the system is operating.
Ensure that the high voltage on the equipment under test is off before doing it.
Failure to observe these precautions can result in potential electric shock to personnel, arcing, and damage to the connectors and, finally, to the system.
Each Techimp PDCheck needs a good direct earth connection, provided using
the appropriate ground termination located on each detection unit.
The output signal from sensors connected to the Techimp PDCheck and the
power frequency reference signal used for synchronization must be suitable for
the input plugs specifications (allowable signal ranges). Each signal must also be
connected with the appropriate terminations on each detection unit. Failure in following the specifications can provoke damages to the acquisition unit.
Maximum operating temperature: 50 C is the upper limit temperature for the Techimp PDCheck; the direct and continuous exposure to the sun light may cause
the operating temperature to rise; if the real operating temperature can be higher
than 50C, a cooling system must be provided.

This document contains proprietary information of TECHIMP and it may not be reproduced in any form without the permission of Techimp H.Q. s.r.l. Techimp reserves the right to apply changes to this manual and to the system to which this manual refers without notice.
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2 GENERALITY

This manual describes Techimp PDCheck system. Its main purpose is to be a quick
guide for the correct use of this measurement instrument. It also contains detailed information about the instrument and the software, with their features and specifications.
Refer to this manual for the correct installation and usage of the equipment for Partial
Discharge (PD) diagnosis.

2.1

INTRODUCTION

Quality control and reliability assessment on electrical systems are essential requirements for power system apparatus. Therefore, the demand of non-destructive diagnostic tests on electrical devices is constantly increasing.
Nowadays, digital systems for PD measurements permit to obtain many diagnostic indications about the insulating systems degradation. Many procedures are being developed in order to interpret PD data and providing diagnostic indicators related to each
different type of insulating system. In order to apply artificial intelligence processing
techniques, as the Wavelet or the Fourier transforms applied to PD patterns, a selection
of stochastic quantities is provided among the parameters that can be extracted from
digital PD measurements.
However, methods based on statistical quantities often fail in the presence of multiple
PD sources related to physically different defects that contribute to a measured pattern,
or in the presence of disturbances. In fact, statistical methods require the processed data to be homogeneous. In addition, a drawback that still affects evaluations based on
PD measurements is the lack of markers which can be undoubtedly correlated with degradation/life/breakdown and provide indications about the nature and harmfulness of
PD. It is often claimed, for example, that some electrical apparatus are able to withstand
very large PD activities, while other ones fail in the presence of small PD discharges.
These kinds of experimental evidences raise the doubts on the validity of PD as indicators of incoming degradation and failure.
Some research studies have raised the problem of PD classification and identification
as a prerequisite for any efficient diagnostic procedure, showing that different PD phenomena (i.e. PD pulses generated by different kinds of sources) can affect simultane10/10

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ously an insulation system and that the ones generating pulses with larger amplitude
cannot be not necessarily the most harmful.
Moreover, the assessment of the harmfulness of a PD phenomenon on complex electrical systems cannot be evaluated by a single measurement; the understanding of the
time-behavior of the phenomenon require constant investigation in order to extrapolate
the trend and set the best Condition-Based Maintenance program on the device under
test.
According to those studies, considerations and the experience coming from the previous measurement systems, Techimp designed PDCheck system. It joins the efficient
PD separation and identification algorithms and the monitoring and warning capability.
PD data can be stored in the internal compact flash memory collecting not only PD
pulse peak and phase (as it is done by the digital instrumentation commonly available),
but also additional PD pulse waveform information.
Techimp PDCheck is provided with an Ethernet port and it can be locally and remotely
controlled via TCP/IP communication protocol. Dedicated software, the PDC Control,
has been devised in order to manage the steps of a measurement: PD monitoring parameters setting, PD data acquisition, and pre-processing. Another software module
(Techimp PDProcessing) allows deeper investigation and processing of the recorded
PD data.

2.2

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

At the final stage of production, the device undergoes several controls with the scope of
assessing the correspondence to the technical specifications and the achievement of
the expected safety level for the system operation. In order to maintain these conditions
and to guarantee a safe service, the user must follow prescriptions contained in this instruction manual.
The system is not guaranteed to work properly during or after any catastrophic event
(earthquake, flood, etc.) or socio-politic events as putsch, war, acts of god, etc. In case
of any of these events the whole monitoring system should be controlled only by Techimp HQ S.r.l. personnel before operating it again.

2.3

PROHIBITIONS
The following actions are prohibited:
Open the enclosure of Techimp PDCheck acquisition unit.
Modify and replace any component inside the system with spare parts not
provided by Techimp HQ S.r.l

This document contains proprietary information of TECHIMP and it may not be reproduced in any form without the permission of Techimp H.Q. s.r.l. Techimp reserves the right to apply changes to this manual and to the system to which this manual refers without notice.
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The non-observance of the above prohibitions shall make the warranty null and void
and releases the supplier from every responsibility for damages occurred to persons or
things.
If one of the above listed operations is considered to be absolutely necessary, please
contact Techimp HQ S.r.l.

2.4

UNPACKING AND INSPECTION

First, inspect package exterior for evidence of rough handling in transit. If none, proceed
to unpack carefully. After removing the components from its package, inspect it thoroughly for damage.
IMPORTANT! In cases of damage due to rough handling in transit, notify the
carrier immediately. If damage is evident from appearance of package, do
not destroy or remove any of the packing material used. Carrier companies
will usually not accept claims for damaged material unless they can inspect
the damaged item and its associated packing material. Claims must be
made promptly, within five days from the reception of goods.
Before connecting the power supply to the acquisition unit and to the other components
of the system, it is necessary to check the correspondence between the value of the
voltage available in the installation place and that reported on the plates attached to
each component. If the supply voltages are different, the insertion of an autotransformer
should be required. We suggest contacting Techimp HQ S.r.l. in order to choose its
right size.
In the event of clearly visible damage to the test system or if it has been exposed for a
long time to unfavorable environmental condition (excessive humidity, temperature out
of range of safety storage), the system must be put precautionary out of service and assured against the possibility of an unintentional use. Contact, thus, the manufacturer to
agree an appropriate procedure to put the system in service in safety condition.

2.5

STANDARDS AND DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY CE

Techimp PDCheck conforms to the requirements of the:

Low Voltage Directive
EMC Directive

73/23/EEC
89/336/EEC

and it carries the CE Marking accordingly.

Techimp PDCheck also conforms to the following product standards:
EMC standards:

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EN 50081-1, 1997/06
EN 50082-1, 1998/05
EN 61000-4-2, 1996/09
EN 61000-4-3, 2003/06
EN 61000-4-4, 2006/01
slow channels)
EN 61000-4-5, 1997/06
EN 61000-4-6, 1997/11
EN 61000-4-8, 1997/06
EN 61000-4-9, 1997/06
EN 61000-4-10, 1997/06
EN 61000-4-11, 2006/02
EN 61000-4-12, 1996/09
EN 61000-4-14, 2003/03
EN 61000-4-16, 1999/05
EN 55011, 1999/05
EN 61000-3-2, 2005/12

level 4
level 3
level 2 (power supply) level 4 (PD, synchronization,
level 3
level 3
level 5
level 5
level 5
class 1
level 3
level 3
(10-1-1-10) Vrms; 10 Vrms continuous 100 Vrms for 1 sec.
class A
class A

SAFETY standards:
IEC 61010-1, 2001/06

2.6

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CLEANING

Disconnect the AC input cable from mains and clean the exterior part of the enclosure box using a soft cloth, slightly wet with water.
Do not use solvents or abrasives.
During cleaning operations, be careful to avoid the penetration of even small amount
of water or detergent liquid inside the electric components or in the electric connections.

WARNING! To avoid the risk of shock and personal injury, disconnect the
device from the AC mains and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) before doing any maintenance and cleaning operation.

This document contains proprietary information of TECHIMP and it may not be reproduced in any form without the permission of Techimp H.Q. s.r.l. Techimp reserves the right to apply changes to this manual and to the system to which this manual refers without notice.
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3 Techimp PDCheck acquisition unit and its connections

Techimp PDCheck system consists of an acquisition unit and the related control software. For the technical specifications refer to the Annex A, where a description of the
main characteristics of the acquisition unit is reported. In the following sections, an
overview of the acquisition unit and its connection to the control unit (PC, laptop) is reported.
The control software is described in detail in the next chapter 4.

3.1

TECHIMP PDCHECK ACQUISITION UNIT

Fig. 3.1 shows a picture of the acquisition unit. The unit does not acquire only HF signals, but also DC and AC slow varying quantities, as they can be humidity, pressure,
temperature, current, power etc. This allows relating the PD phenomena (on the HF
channels) to the environmental and loading conditions.
It is possible to note the connectors on the sides of the box. On the right side, there are
the synchronization and the three HF channels. On the top, a led related to each HF
channel is present.

Fig. 3.1 - Techimp PDCheck acquisition unit.

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The particulars of the front side, of the acquisition unit, are reported in Fig. 3.2; it is possible to note the ground connection.

Ground connection

Warning led
Sync
channel
CH 1

CH 2

CH 3

Fig. 3.2 - Particular of the synchronization and HF channels on the acquisition unit.

Starting from the right side of Fig. 3.3, the connectors are related to: AC Slow varying
quantities, DC Slow varying quantities, Power Supply, Clean Contacts, SP port and LAN
port.

LAN (RJ45)
port

SP
port

clean
contacts

power
supply
yy

DC
channels

DC
channels

Fig. 3.3 - Particular of the connections on the side of the acquisition unit.

The interface for SP, clean contacts (or dry contacts), AC and DC slow channels is provided by Techimp based on the customer requirements. Refer to the Annex A for the
This document contains proprietary information of TECHIMP and it may not be reproduced in any form without the permission of Techimp H.Q. s.r.l. Techimp reserves the right to apply changes to this manual and to the system to which this manual refers without notice.
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input signal ranges related to those channels. Techimp can also provide the Ethernet
media converter for the fiber optic decoupling allowing the galvanic separation between
the operator and the equipment under test.
CAUTION! 50 C is the upper limit of environment temperature for Techimp
PDCheck; the direct and continuous exposure to the sun light is able to
cause the operating temperature rise; if the real operating temperature will
become higher than 50 C a conditioning system must be provided. The
main board temperature is shown in the status bar of the software (this temperature should not be higher than 70 C).

3.2

CONNECTING THE ACQUISITION UNIT

The connection of the acquisition unit to the control unit can be performed in different
ways, depending on the required application. In the following, a list of the possible connections is reported.

3.2.1 CONNECTION 1
The Acquisition unit can be connected to the control one by means of a crossed link
LAN cable, as shown in Fig. 3.4.
Note: if the laptop is equipped with 100Mbit based Ethernet port, a crossed link LAN
cable is necessary. If the laptop is equipped with a 1GBit base Ethernet port, a
straight or crossed link Ethernet cable is necessary.

LAN
cable

Fig. 3.4 - Direct connection of the acquisition and control unit through a LAN cable.

WARNING! Use this configuration only if there is galvanic separation on the

sensor side, since in case of fault of the device under test a harmful voltage
can reach the acquisition and, through the LAN cable, the control unit.

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3.2.2 CONNECTION 2
In order to have galvanic separation between the operator and the acquisition unit, the
system can be provided with a fiber optic decoupling system (composed of Ethernet/fiber optic media converter fiber optic fiber optic/Ethernet media converter) as
depicted in Fig. 3.5.
Ethernet / fiber optic
media converter

Fiber optic

Fig. 3.5 - Connection using fiber optic decoupling.

3.2.3 CONNECTION 3 (only for hardware version MKIII or higher)

In order to have galvanic separation between the operator and the acquisition unit, the
system can be provided with a fiber optic decoupling system (composed of fiber optic
fiber optic/Ethernet media converter) as depicted in Fig. 3.5.

Fig. 3.7 - Connection using fiber optic decoupling.

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3.2.4 CONNECTION 4
The unit can be connected directly to Internet or the company Intranet, setting its IP address to a public IP address or a static IP in the company address range. Fig. 3.6
schematizes the connection through Internet.

Fig. 3.6 - Direct connection of the acquisition unit to Network.

WARNING! Use this configuration only if there is galvanic separation on the

sensor side, since, in case of fault of the device under test, a harmful voltage can reach and damage network devices.
3.2.5 CONNECTION 5
In order to allow the same connection described in paragraph 3.2.4, but with a galvanic
separation between the acquisition unit and the network, it is possible to use a fiber optic decoupling, as indicated in Fig. 3..
Fiber optic
Ethernet / fiber optic
media converter

Ethernet / fiber optic

media converter
Fig. 3.8 - Connection to network using fiber optic decoupling.

Contact Techimp to find out and develop the optimal solution for each particular situation.

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3.2.6 CONNECTION 6 (only for hardware version MKIII or higher)

In order to allow the same connection described in paragraph 3.2.4, but with a galvanic
separation between the acquisition unit and the network, it is possible to use a fiber optic decoupling, as indicated in Fig. 3..
Fiber optic

Fig. 3.9 - Connection to network using fiber optic decoupling.

Contact Techimp to find out and develop the optimal solution for each particular situation.

3.3

CONNECTION ERRORS

When the Ethernet connection is not proper or the system does not communicate two
error messages can appear in the PDC control software window (refer chapter 4):

No units connected to the LAN.

Communication error: the system is not responding.

In the following, a list of possible causes and related solutions is described for each error message.

This document contains proprietary information of TECHIMP and it may not be reproduced in any form without the permission of Techimp H.Q. s.r.l. Techimp reserves the right to apply changes to this manual and to the system to which this manual refers without notice.
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3.3.1 NO UNITS CONNECTED TO THE LAN

The error message No units connected to the LAN, shown in Fig. 3., appears in case
the software does not find any PDCheck acquisition unit connected to the network.

Fig. 3.10 - No unit connected.

Possible causes and solutions:

Problem

Solution

The TCP/IP protocol is not Set the TCP/IP protocol (IP address and subnet mask) of
correct.
laptop as indicated in chapter 4.1.3.
The control unit has a fire- Disable the firewall or exclude the PDC Control software
wall activated.
by the list of the firewall-blocked software.
The PDCheck acquisition Check the PDCheck acquisition unit power supply (PS
unit is switched off.
connector, AC/DC converter, power on the LV network,
etc)
One or both of the Ethernet Check the PDCheck acquisition unit power supply (PS
switches (in case of Connec- connector, AC/DC converter, power on the LV network,
tions 2 and 4) is not supplied etc)
or failed.
The physical connection be- Check the LAN cables are connected in the right way to
tween the laptop and the the acquisition unit and to the laptop (and to the media
acquisition unit is bad.
converter in case of Connections 2 and 4). Check the
connection between the fiber optic and the two media
converters or output of PDCheck with media converter.(see Fig. 3.11)

Media Converter

1
PDCheck
or higher

MKIII

Fig. 3.11 - Media converter connection.

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3.3.2 COMMUNICATION ERROR: THE SYSTEM IS NOT RESPONDING

The error message Communication error: the system is not responding, shown in Fig.
3.7, appears when the communication between the acquisition unit and the control unit
(PC, laptop) is, wrong or absent.

Fig. 3.7 - Communication error.

Possible causes and solutions:

Problem

Solution

During the use of the soft- Check for one of the past solutions proposed in 3.31 paware the connection falls ragraph.
and when trying to reconnect
an error occurs.

If the physical connection is correct and the TCP/IP protocol is set in the right way, but
the software shows the error message, try with a manual IP setting (refer to 4.1.4.2).

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4 Techimp PDCheck PDC control software 1.09.04 manual

Techimp PDCheck control software is called PDC Control. It allows the operator to fully
control the acquisition unit, to configure the monitoring session, to browse the monitoring results.
The following section offers a simple and complete handbook for installing and understanding the Techimp PDC Control software.

4.1

PRELIMINARY ACTIONS BEFORE THE USAGE

Follow the steps in this section to install the software and to configure the control unit
before to attempt communicating with the acquisition unit.

4.1.1 CONTROL UNIT MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

The minimum system requirements for the control unit (personal computer or laptop)
are:

Operating system: Windows XP/Vista;

CPU: Pentium IV class;
RAM: 2 GB;
Hard disk: 100 GB;
Ethernet connection: 10 MBps base T;
Screen resolution: 1024x768;

Higher characteristics of the control unit result in a bettering of the system performances.

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4.1.2 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION

Locate the setup.exe program in the PDCheck/Installer folder in the CD provided together with the acquisition unit.
Run the setup.exe installer. In the following from Fig. 4.1 to Fig. 4.6, the screenshots of
the dialog windows for the installation are reported.

Fig. 4.1 - Installation step 1.

Fig. 4.2 - Installation step 2.

Fig. 4.3 - Installation step 3.

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Fig. 4.4 - Installation step 4.

After this step the setup program will install the PD Freamework.

Fig. 4.5 - Installation step 5.

Fig. 4.6 - Installation step 6.

After this step the software will be installed on the control unit. The shortcut of the program is located in the Start menu, in Programs/Techimp/PDCheck/PDC Control.

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4.1.3 CONTROL UNIT IP CONFIGURATION

In order to establish a TCP/IP connection between the control and the acquisition unit, it
is necessary to configure the IP address of the control unit in the range of the Techimp
PDCheck ones. The default factory set IP address is in the 192.168.10.XXX range and
the subnet mask is usually 255.255.255.0.
For instance, if the IP address of the acquisition unit is 192.168.10.43, the IP address of
the control unit should be 192.168.10.XXX where XXX is a number between 0 and 255,
different from 43 (i.e. the two IP addresses need to be different).
The settings related to the specific instrument are reported in the configuration sheet accompanying the system.

For configuring the right IP address on the control unit, allowing it to communicate with
the acquisition unit it is necessary to go in the Start menu, Settings/Network connections/Local Area Connection. Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) in the dialog window of
Fig. 4.7 and click on Properties.

Fig. 4.7 - Local Area Connection dialog window.

Insert the required IP address and subnet mask in the correspondent dialog boxes of
Fig. 4.8.

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EXAMPLE
IP address:

192.168.10.1

Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

Fig. 4.8 - Internet protocol properties dialog window.

If the main IP address is already configured for the Internet connection a further IP configuration can be added by clicking on the Advanced button in the dialog window of figure 4.8. The dialog window of Fig. 4.9 appears.

Fig. 4.9 - Advanced TCP/IP settings.

Clicking on the top Add button (the indicated one in figure 4.9) it is possible to add more
IP address associated to the same network card. Just insert the required IP address
and subnet mask in the dialog window of Fig. 4.10.

Fig. 4.10 - TCP/IP Address window.

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4.1.4 CONNECTING TO THE ACQUISITION UNIT

Once the Techimp PDCheck software is installed and the acquisition unit is properly
connected to the control unit (see chapter 3.2) it is possible to launch the PDC Control.exe software from the shortcut located in the Start menu Programs/Techimp/PDCheck folder.

4.1.4.1 Automatic IP searching

When loaded, the software automatically searches for PDCheck acquisition units connected to the LAN and the dialog box of Fig. 4.11 appears. After selection of the desired
Techimp PDCheck unit (double click on its serial number or IP address) the software
will start the communication.

Fig. 4.11 - Instruments connected to the LAN.

If there are no units connected or the connection is wrong (see chapter 3.3), the connected units dialog box will show the message No units connected to the LAN as in
Fig. 4.12.

Fig. 4.12 - Message for no PDCheck units connected to the LAN.

Refresh button allows the software checking again for connected PDCheck units.

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4.1.4.2 MANUAL IP SETTING

It is also possible to set manually the IP pushing the button Manual in the dialog box
shown in Fig. 4.13. The operator will properly fill the IP Address and Port text boxes to
dialogue with the desired Techimp PDCheck (more than one instrument can be connected to the same network, having different IP addresses).
Fill the text fields with the right settings (the TAB key of the keyboard can be used to
move within the different fields). Clicking on Connect the software tries to communicate
with the selected IP address.

IP address: 192.168.10.X
Port:
3000
X*: as default the last part of the IP Address is the central part of the serial number of
the Techimp PDCheck, as indicate in Fig. 4.14.

Fig. 4.13 - Manual IP setting.

Fig. 4.14 - Serial number plate of instrument.

If the acquisition and the control unit are properly connected and the IP address is right
the PDC Control software turns to the Probing window and the connection led is on.
In case of no response, the software returns the error shown in Fig. 4.15.

Fig. 4.15 - Communication error message.

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The operator has to check the inserted data and /or the communication chain (see
chapter 3.3).

4.2

CONTROLLING THE ACQUISITION UNIT

After the connection, the PDC Control software starts running the Probing screenshot.
It is always possible to change the displayed window from the Tool bar and the desired
channel by the pull-up menu shown in Fig. 4.16.

Menu bar
Tool bar
Fig. 4.16 - Menu bar and Tool bar.

Instructions in red refer to pull- up menu in the Menu bar.

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4.2.1 PROBING SCREENSHOT

In the Probing phase some of the pulse waveforms that exceed the trigger threshold are
displayed in the Waveform graph, in the left centre part of the window, as shown in Fig.
4.17, while a large amount of data is reported contemporarily in the PRPD Pattern
graph (phase resolved partial discharge pattern) in the left bottom part of the window.

Full scale
Waveform
graph

Trigger
Time length

Pattern
Pre trigger
Status
bar

Acquisition and
Pre Processing

Fig. 4.17 - Probing screenshot.

In the following a brief description for each tool shown in the Probing screenshot is explained.

Waveform graph
This graph (Fig. 4.18) displays the pulse waveform.

Fig. 4.18 - Waveform graph.

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Pattern
The PRPD Pattern graph (Fig. 4.19) shows a large amount of acquired pulses
relating their maximum amplitude with the phase of the synchronization signal
(sinusoidal waveform).
When the amount of data reaches the maximum pulse number the software
reset the pattern automatically.
Advanced >>> Set max pulse number
Allow the operator to choose the maximum number of pulses to be acquired.
By clicking the right button of the mouse the button Pattern can change to
Classification map.

Fig. 4.19 - Pattern graph.

Classification Map
The points of the graph (Fig. 4.20) correspond to the equivalent time length
and the equivalent frequency of the detected pulses. Each point in the Pattern
corresponds to a point in the Classification Map.

Fig. 4.20 - Classification Map graph.

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Trigger
Pulses that do not reach the Trigger value will not be displayed or acquired. It
is possible to change the Trigger Value by writing the desired value in the
trigger text box or by moving the trigger arrow in the Pattern or Waveform
graph.
Advanced >>> Trigger thresholds >>> Enabled
Enable two lines (positive and negative) at the trigger level in the Pattern
and Waveform graph (Fig. 4.21).

Fig. 4.21 - Advanced pull-up menu (trigger thresholds).

Pre Trigger
Trigger used to initiate sweep ahead of transmitted pulse, it is possible to
change its value (in % of the time length) by writing the desired one in the correspondent test box, or by moving the pre trigger arrow in the Waveform
graph.

Full Scale
Is the maximum value (positive and negative) displayed in the graphs (PRPD
Pattern and Waveform graph), it is possible to change its value by writing the
desired one in the correspondent text box, or by clicking the related buttons.

Time length
Is the total length of displayed and acquired waveform for each pulse, it is
possible to change it by selecting the desired value in the time length pull-up
menu (Fig. 4.22).

Fig. 4.22 - Timelength pull-up menu.

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Status bar
The Status bar (Fig. 4.23) in the bottom left part of the window gives some information relevant to the current status of the controlled instrument:

Fig. 4.23 - Status bar.

Link: when the led is on it indicates that the acquisition unit can
communicate with the PDC Control software; in case the communication falls it is possible to connect again the acquisition unit by File
>>> Connect.
Sync status: when the led is on it indicates that the acquisition unit
is synchronized. If the remote synchronism (RS) is active, the synchronism signal comes from the master PDCheck otherwise it
comes from PDcheck unit.
RS Active: when the led is on it indicates that the remote synchronization it is active. Advanced >>>Remote Synchronization
RS Status: when the led is on it indicates that the PDCheck recive
a valid remote synchronization signal from the Master PDCheck
Temperature: the internal temperature of the acquisition unit; to set
the desired unit (Celsius or Fahrenheit) of the displayed temperature go to Advanced >>> Board temperature.
Sync freq.[Hz]: the displayed number is the frequency value of the
signal read from the synchronization channel.
Sync voltage: the displayed number is the voltage (RMS value) of
the signal read from the synchronization channel.

Acquisition and Pre Processing

In the bottom central part of the main window there are three buttons, shown in
Fig. 4.24, to save and/or process the data.

Fig. 4.24 - Acquisition and Pre Processing buttons.

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Acquire waveforms: creates a .PD2 file, containing the PRPD Pattern, the Classification Map, the pulse waveforms and Frequency
Spectrum; once the acquisition is finished the dataset are sent to
the pre-processing tool

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Acquire Pattern: creates a .PD2 file containing the PRPD Pattern

and the Classification Map; once the acquisition is finished the dataset are sent to the pre-processing tool
Send to Processing: the dataset can also be sent to the Pre processing tool on the right side of the window by clicking on the Send
to processing button. Refer to the next section for the analysis tools
available in the Pre processing tool.

It is possible to set the software asking for remarks after every data acquisition by
Advanced >>> Remark >>> Enabled.
To set files name and directory for the acquired data refer to paragraph 4.2.3.

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4.2.2 PRE PROCESSING TOOL

When a dataset is sent to the Pre processing tool, the related pattern and classification
map are displayed in the right side of the window.
Dragging the mouse cursor on the classification map it is possible to zoom on a region
of the map in order, for example, to select only a cluster of pulses. As a consequence,
the top pattern is rebuilt with only the pulses belonging selected.
The zooming option is a very powerful tool that helps in investigating in the dataset all
the different phenomena, so that the separation among the different sources of HF signals can be performed, understanding what can be related to defects located in the insulating material under test, defects not involving the insulating material under test, external noise, etc.
Once the desired phenomenon is selected, it is possible to perform an automatic diagnosis for the identification of the defect. Fig. 4.25 shows the different screenshots of the
tool:

a)

b)

c)

Fig. 4.25 - Screenshots of the Pre processing tool.

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Fig. 4.25 a) Pattern: the pattern and classification map are shown; on the classification map is possible to perform the zooming operations.
It is possible to reset the pattern and the classification map clicking on the graph
areas with the right button of the mouse and selecting "reset".
It is also possible to save the zoomed sub-pattern and the sub-classification map
selecting the option "save data".
Fig. 4.25 b) ID Parameters: shows the collection of relevant acquisition statistical
parameters related to the zoomed dataset, part of the ones used by the fuzzy
logic algorithm for the automatic diagnosis.
Fig. 4.25 c) First ID level: shows the first level of identification of the fuzzy logic
algorithm for the automatic diagnosis. It suggests to the operator the nature of
the evidenced defect, i.e. Corona, Surface, Internal or Noise. In case the likelihood of the parameters is low, it returns Invalid data which means that the phenomenon cannot be recognized by the automatic diagnosis algorithm. For the
automatic diagnosis system it is very important that the parameter Measurement
circuit is correctly set because the investigation of the polarity is used together
with the statistical analysis.

4.2.3 ACQUISITION SETTINGS SCREENSHOT

Fig. 4.26 shows the commands placed in the Acquisition settings screen of the window.

Measurement
circuit
File name and path

Dead time

TW map filter
Waveform acquisition settings

Phase shift

Fig. 4.26 - Acquisition settings screenshot.

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In the following a brief description of the tools is reported and all of these can be different set for each PD channel.

Measurement circuit:
Due to the fact that the fuzzy logic algorithm uses also the pulse polarity for a
correct automatic diagnosis, it is necessary to set (see Fig. 4.27) the right
kind of measurement circuit used for the selected channel. It can be Direct
(e.g. a high frequency current transformer wrapped around the ground connection of the EUT, Equipment Under Test) or Indirect (e.g. a coupling capacitor connected in parallel to the EUT).

Fig. 4.27 - Measurement circuit pull-up menu.

Dead time:
The short time after a trigger event when a detector cannot process another
event. The available range is 5s (very short) 500s (very long) (Fig. 4.28).

Fig. 4.28 - Dead time pull-up menu.

File name and path:

It is possible to re-name the file through the dedicated text box and to select
the path by means of the browse button (Fig. 4.29).

Fig. 4.29 - File name and path boxes.

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TW map filter:
The operator can decide to filter signals through the Classification Map. Refer
to paragraph 4.2.3.1 for more information about this tool.

Waveform acquisition settings:

The waveform acquisition will stop when the number of pulses reaches the
fixed value (see the text box Number of waveforms) or the acquisition time
reaches the fixed time (see the text box Acquisition timeout), whichever is
reached first.
Both values can be changed writing the desired value in the related text box.

Phase shift:
In case the synchronization signal in use has a different phase with respect to
the voltage applied to the insulating system, it is possible to shift the phase to
the desired one by means of this command. Both the cursor and the Phase
shift box can be used to modify the parameter value.

4.2.3.1 TW MAP FILTER

The TW map filter allows filtering signals through the Classification Map.

Fig. 4.30 - TW map filter button.

Before clicking the indicated button in Fig. 4.30 it is necessary to push Send to Processing button in the Probing screen so the classification Map will be updated; after pushing
TW map filter button the window in Fig. 4.31 appears.

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Fig. 4.31 - TW map filter window.

It is now possible to select, by clicking and dragging the mouse on the map, the areas in
the Map which have to be filtered.
For each box a line appears on the right side of the window and the content of the box
is automatically included in the acquisition.

Double click
to exclude

Fig. 4.32 - Included and Excluded areas.

To exclude the pulses in the selected areas double click on the word Included as indicated in Fig. 4.32. The excluded boxes areas will have a dashed border.
If more filters have a common area overlapped, points into this area will be processed
(included or excluded) as the last filter applied.
To disable the TW map filter click on Delete all filters button and the dialog box of Fig.
4.33 appears.

Fig. 4.33 - Deleting filter confirmation.

Before exiting the TW map filter tool the software will ask to confirm the setting by the
dialog box of Fig. 4.34.
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Fig. 4.34 - Filter changes message.

When the TW map filter is activated a blinking led appears on the top right side of the
PDC Control software window (Fig. 4.35).

Fig. 4.35 - TW map filter LED.

4.2.4 VISUALIZATION OF THE SLOW CHANNELS

The input signals (slow varying quantities) from the two (AC and DC) connectors described in figure 3 can be set and displayed on the Slow channels window (Fig. 4.36),
which can be opened by clicking on the relevant button on the upper bar.
As default only the first DC channel is enabled. It is possible to activate all the seven
channels by clicking on each related Activation button.
In order to associate each channel to the related quantity it is possible to change the
Reference name and to insert a Scaling factor for a proportional ratio between the
measured quantity and the real one. See the Annex A for the channel specifications.

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Scaling
factors

Activation
buttons
Slow channels
graph

References

Refresh
delay

Value to
display
Fig. 4.36 - Slow channels screenshot.

It is possible to select the value to be displayed (maximum, minimum, medium or RMS)

in the Slow channel graph by the Value on display button, as shown in Fig. 4.37

Fig. 4.37 - Value to display pull-up menu.

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4.2.5 MANAGING THE INTERNAL COMPACT FLASH

The data stored during a monitoring session can be browsed and viewed directly using
the PDC Control in the Compact flash session (Fig. 4.38). Data can also be downloaded
to local filesystem.
We assume no responsibility for the replacement of the CF model is not approved by Techimp.
If the internal compact flash is not empty (if at least one monitoring session has been
previously performed) the List of directories should contain as many folders as the performed monitoring sessions. The date reported between round brackets together with
the names of the folders is the creation date of each one, referred to the internal time of
the acquisition unit. Refer to section 4.3 to learn how to modify internal date.
In case the folders contained in the internal compact flash are more than 16, they are
split in more pages. Use the blue right and left arrows (that appear only in case the
pages are more than one) in the Browse folders box to move among the pages of the
list of directories.

Browse
folders box

Fig. 4.38 - PDC Control software Compact flash screenshot.

Once the desired folder is selected from the List of directories on the compact flash it is
possible to view the folder content or to remove completely the folder simply by a double-click on the desired one. Text box in Fig. 4.39 appears, asking which action has to
be performed on the desired folder.
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Fig. 4.39 - Compact flash folder dialog box.

Remove folder:
The content of the folder will be removed from the compact flash.
The Remove Folder action causes the loss of important data relevant to a
monitoring session. Be sure that the content of the folder can be deleted.

Download folder to laptop:

The Windows browser will be opened in order to select a folder where to save
the data (Fig. 4.40).

Fig. 4.40 - Choose or enter path for acquired data.

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View folder content:

Additional commands and graph appear in the left bottom part of the window
(Fig. 4.41).

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The Time axis of the Resume graph is expressed as the index of the consecutive acquisitions.

Save
button
Processing
button
Fixed/Automatic
parameters button
Resume graph
Selection bar

Fig. 4.41 - Resume graph with Repetition rate (Nw) and Qmax 98% behaviours.

The green bar on the left side of the Resume graph (see Fig. 4.41), is the selection tool.
Moving it along the graph it associates the point to the relevant acquisition file. Selected
file box indicates the name of that file.
The button in the top right part of the graph (Fig. 4.42) allows the operator to choose the
quantity to be displayed: pulse number, positive or negative pulses, pulses per period
(Nw), the mean values for each AC and DC channel, filter 1 Qmax and 1 Nw.

Fig. 4.42 - Resume graph displayed quantities.

After the drag action, when a file is selected, it is possible to save the file or sending it to
the PDC Control processing window by the buttons shown in Fig. 4.41.
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Save PDB: a Windows dialog box appears asking for the path and
the name of the file to save. Such file can be opened and the dataset analyzed by means of the Techimp PDProcessing II
PD_Processing II.exe software.
Send to processing: is a command equivalent to the one of the
Probing session, refer to section 4.2.1 where the Pre-processing
tool is widely described.
Fixed: when fixed is displayed the data shown in the graph are relevant to the acquisitions performed using the probing parameters
selected and set by the operator. Clicking on the button the data relevant to the Autoscale acquisitions will be shown (i.e. the acquisition parameters have been set automatically by the PDCheck).

4.2.6 CONFIGURING THE MONITORING PARAMETERS

For activating a monitoring session it is necessary to configure all the settings of the
Monitoring parameters window, both the general and the channel related ones.
Fig. 4.43 shows a screenshot of the window.
The top part (General monitoring configuration) is common for all the channels and
permits to decide which channel has to be activated for the monitoring session, simply
clicking on the related buttons. The Acquisition interval pull up menu allows the operator
to decide the delay between each consequent acquisition.
Channel configuration and Warning thresholds parts have to be set for each different
channel involved for the monitoring session.

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Acquisition
Interval activation

Channel
activation

Acquisition type
Acquisition
timeout

TW map filter
Actual Repetition rate
threshold

Max pulse
number

Pattern

Repetition rate
threshold
Vertical cursor

Amplitude
threshold

Fig. 4.43 - PDC Control software, Monitoring parameters screenshot.

In the bottom part, Warning thresholds allows the operator to configure the Qmax and the
repetition rate thresholds of each channel. The displayed pattern is the on-line one and
can help the operator in understanding which are the best settings in order to avoid
false or unuseful warnings. Moving the vertical cursor in the left part of the pattern (related to the amplitude warning), the Actual repetition rate [NW] is calculated and displayed. Depending on these values the operator can then set the desired values.
Techimp PDCheck extracts from an acquisition the repetition rate of the pulses characterized by amplitude higher than Qmax threshold. If this value is higher than the repetition
rate threshold, then the system returns a warning.

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In the following a brief description of the tools shown in the Acquisition Settings screenshot is reported.

Channel Activation:
It is possible to choose the HF channels to activate for the monitoring, simply
by clicking on the related button. The buttons switch between ON (green) and
OFF (red).

TW Map filter
This tool works as described at paragraph 4.2.3.1.
In order to allow the automatic identification during the monitoring session,
the operator can use different filters (Fig. 4.44) for each different phenomenon
in the Classification Map.
Totally, three filters and ten boxes can be realized

Boxes list

Filter list

Type of selection

Fig. 4.44 - Monitoring TW map filter.

Acquisition interval:
The Acquisition interval pull up menu (Fig. 4.45) allows the operator to decide
the delay between each consequent acquisition.

Fig. 4.45 - Acquisition interval pull-up menu.

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Acquisition type:
Acquisition type allows the operator to decide which kind of acquisition parameters use for the monitoring session, Fig. 4.46:
Auto scale ON: only the auto scaled acquisition is active.
Auto scale OFF: only the acquisition with the parameters set by the operator is active.
Double acquisition: both the acquisition types are performed each time.

Fig. 4.46 - Acquisition type pull-up menu.

Acquisition mode
Acquisition mode is the parameter to decide the data format. Actually it is
possible to save in APTWT mode (Amplitude + Phase + Equivalent time +
Equivalent frequency + Time) only.

Acquisition timeout and Max pulse number

Acquisition timeout and Max pulse number are the parameters relevant to
each acquisition: the acquisition stops when the Max pulse number is
reached. In case the set number of pulses is not reached, the acquisition
stops when the timeout is reached. Both values can be changed writing the
desired value in the related text box.

Pattern
The displayed pattern is the on-line one and can help the operator understanding which the best settings are, in order to avoid false or unuseful warnings. Moving the vertical cursor (related to the amplitude warning), the actual
repetition rate is calculated and displayed.

Warning thresholds
In the bottom part, Warning thresholds allows the operator to configure the
Amplitude and the repetition rate thresholds of each channel, as shown in Fig.
4.47.
Techimp PDCheck extracts from an acquisition the repetition rate of the
pulses characterized by amplitude higher than Qmax threshold. If this value is
higher than the repetition rate threshold, then the system returns a warning.

This document contains proprietary information of TECHIMP and it may not be reproduced in any form without the permission of Techimp H.Q. s.r.l. Techimp reserves the right to apply changes to this manual and to the system to which this manual refers without notice.
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Fig. 4.47 - Amplitude and Repetition rate threshold boxes.

4.3

RUN TIME MENU

The Run time menu has additional controls for the acquisition unit and for the software.
In the following a brief description of the commands is reported, except for the ones already explained in the past.
Fig. 4.48 shows the File menu where the commands Exit and Connect are reported.
Clicking on File >>> Exit the software asks for the updating of the acquisition unit settings and if to start a monitoring session.
File >>> Connect is the command that repeats the connection procedure, after tempting a disconnection and resetting the system. This command should be used in case of
a communication error or a disconnection during a data communication between the
acquisition and the control unit.
File >>> Disconnect is the command for disconnection and resetting the system.

Fig. 4.48 - File menu.

Fig. 4.49 shows the Advanced menu.

Fig. 4.49 - Advanced menu.

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Advanced >>> Set max pulse number open the dialog box of Fig. 4.50, where the
maximum number of pulses that activates the refresh in the probing phase can be set
by the operator.

Fig. 4.50 - Max pulse number dialog window.

In the displayed case, the pattern and the classification map of the Probing phase are
reset when the number of collected pulses reaches 50000.
Fig. 4.51 shows the command that allows the operator to configure Techimp PDCheck
internal time (Advanced >>> PDCheck time >>> Set UTC time). The acquisition unit
can be set to the UTC time (Coordinated Universal Time).
The set time will be used during the monitoring session for dataset storing.

Fig. 4.51 - Advanced menu PDCheck time options.

The command Advanced >>> Hardware settings >>> Change IP address Fig. 4.52
allows to change the IP address of the PDCheck acquisition unit.
After Change IP address has been selected, the dialog box of Fig. 4.53 appears, and it
is possible to insert the desired IP address in the related field.
It is recommended to do not change the Subnet mask Gateway and Port parameters in
order to maintain a correct communication between the acquisition unit and the control
unit.

Fig. 4.52 - IP setting.

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Fig. 4.53 - IP setting manager

Before changing the IP address of the PDCheck it is highly recommended to

take note of all the new IP settings.

If the subnet range changes, it is necessary to update the TCP/IP protocol on

the control unit as well

Fig. 4.54 shows the languages (English, Italian, Spanish and Chinese) that can be selected by Advanced >>> Language.
The change of the language turns off the software, the next session will use the new
language.

Fig. 4.54 - Language selection.

Advanced >>> Monitoring when enable, allows starting the monitoring session after
the software exit. If the power supply fails during a monitoring session, the PDCheck will
start automatically a new monitoring session once the power supply is restored. (Fig.
4.55).

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Fig. 4.55 - Monitoring activation.

Advanced >>> EUT info Techimp PDCheck is actually provided with the capability of
inserting information for rotating machines. The EUT info window is developed to add
information helpful in the post-processing of the monitoring data relevant to a machine.
Fig. 4.56 represent the screenshot of the EUT info window. The General information
form contains all the general data relevant to the machine (machine type, rated voltage,
machine conditions, etc.), while the Channel information form contains all the data relevant to the channel in use.

Fig. 4.56 - EUT info screenshot.

It is possible to switch among the different channels by means of the usual Channel
pull-up menu.
Advanced >>> Save configuration allows to save some of the acquisition settings
(Full scale, trigger, pre-trigger, file name and path, phase shift, max pulse number, acquisition timeout).
Advanced >>> Simultaneous streaming allows to enable the simultaneous streaming,
for further details please refer to paragraph 4.4.
The Help menu in Fig. 4.57allows recalling information windows about the acquisition
unit and about the internal compact flash.
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Fig. 4.57 - Help menu.

Help >>> About PDCheck displays (Fig. 4.58) the information relevant to the MAC Address, the IP Address and the internal hardware and software versions.

Fig. 4.58 - Techimp PDCheck information window.

Help >>> Compact flash >>> Compact flash provides information about the internal
compact flash status (Fig. 4.59): its capability, the available and the used space.

Fig. 4.59 - Compact flash information window.

By Options >>> Format Compact Flash (indicated with the arrow in Fig. 4.59) it is
possible to format the Compact Flash memory.
Help >>> Compact flash >>> Download CF Fig. 4.60 it is possible save the data in a
selected folder when you click Start data transferring.

Fig. 4.60 - Compact flash Data download utility window.

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4.4

SIMULTANEOUS STREAMING

It is possible to activate the simultaneous streaming from the run time menu in Advanced >>> Simultaneous streaming.
The simultaneous streaming mode allows to view at the same time all the three channels and to perform a first evaluation of the acquired data.
Waveform
graph

Full scale
Trigger
Pre trigger
Pattern

Fig. 4.61 - Probing screenshot.

In the following a brief description for each tool of the Simultaneous Streaming window
is reported.

Acquisition Modality: With Simultaneous Streaming the first thing to do is

to select the Acquisition Modality Fig. 4.62.

Fig. 4.62 - Acquisition Modality.

If All Trigger is set, it is possible to change for each single channel the value of Trigger
using the arrow on right side of PD pattern or inserting the value in the box respectively
over the top right corner of PRPD Pattern.
It is also possible to change the value of the full scale using the black arrows on the left
side of the PRPD Pattern or typing the desired value in the box between the up and
down arrows.

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Otherwise, if ONE Trigge is set Fig. 4.63, it is possible linking the pulse acquisition of
the three channels, to the trigger of one channel, i.e. the master channel.

Master channel

Fig. 4.63 - Acquisition Modality.

Once the trigger value of the master channel has been set, if a pulse is detected with an
amplitude higher than the trigger level, the PDCheck acquires simultaneously waveforms on the Master channel and Slave channels.
This function is useful, for example, in case of cross-talk in a three phase EUT (Equipment Under Test) because it allows to determine which phase is affect by PD.
In particular, once the master channel and the trigger threshold have been set, the instrument detects pulses coming from the same PD phenomenon on the three channels.
After that, comparing directly the amplitude between the channels it is possible to determine which phase is the affected by the PD phenomenon.

Active Channels this window permits to enable or disable the channels on

which signal acquisition is performed, Fig. 4.64.

Fig. 4.64 - Active channels.

Waveforms: The window depicted in Fig. 4.66 is placed on the right side of
Fig. 4.17 and shows the pulse waveform acquired by the active channels (depicted in Fig. 4.65).

Fig. 4.65 - Active channels.

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Fig. 4.66 - Waveforms of the active channels

Once all the parameters have been set, it is possible to start the measurement. During
the simultaneous streaming it is possible acquire data in two different modality: One
trigger or All trigger.
To save acquired data it is important to check which acquisition modality is selected.
If All trigger is selected it is necessary to pause the streaming before saving files.

Save data

Fig. 4.67 Simultaneous streaming in All trigger mode.

Once the streaming is paused it is possible to save data clicking on Save data button
and relative PD acquisition file (PD2) will be saved in the folders specified for each
channel in Acquisition settings menu (for further details please refer to paragraph 4.2.3).

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If One trigger is selected it is necessary to pause the streaming before saving files.
Through Save all data button it is possible to save all acquired PD data in the folder
specified for each channel in Acquisition settings menu (for further details please refer
to paragraph 4.2.3).
Master Trigger

Master channel

Save all data

Fig. 4.68 Simultaneous steaming in One trigger mode.

To set up Map filters, it is necessary to exit from the simultaneous window pushing Back
button (depicted in Fig. 4.69). After quitting the window, select the channel on which the
filters have to be set, select Acquisition settings and click on TW map filter to set the filtering. For further details please refer to paragraph 4.2.3.1.
Filters will remain active even in simultaneous streaming mode.
Anytime you want to come out from simultaneous acquisition, just click on Back button
as shown in Fig. 4.69.

Fig. 4.69 Go, Pause and Back buttons

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4.4.1

THREE-PHASE REPRESENTATION

Three-phase representation (D-Q Diagram) is depicted in Fig. 4.70.

Fig. 4.70 - D-Q diagram.

In this graph it will be represented one point for every set of three acquired pulses. The
position of the point is obtained projecting the amplitudes, detected on the tree phases,
along the direction of the relevant versor (blue for channel one, red for channel two,
green for channel three).
Through this representation it is possible to identify what phase of a three phase system
is affected by the PD phenomenon.
For example, if the EUT is a rotating machine, a bar to bar phenomenon has a distribution of dots located between two versors while a bar to ground phenomenon has a distribution of dots centered on the relevant phase.
If the acquired phenomenon is an external noise or disturbance, the position of the dots
in the D-Q diagram is a distribution around the center of the diagram.

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