Morningstar RelayDriver User manual

RELAYDRIVERTM
Logic Module Accessory
Installation and Operation Manual
…..
Four Channel Relay Driver
…..

1MORNINGSTAR CORPORATION
Table of Contents
1.0 Getting Started...........................................................3
1.1 What’s in the Box?..................................................................... 3
1.2 Features..................................................................................... 4
1.3 Factory Settings......................................................................... 5
2.0 PC Software Installation ...........................................6
2.1 System Requirements ............................................................... 6
2.2 Installing MSView.................................................................. 6
3.0 Configuration.............................................................9
3.1 Open the Setup Wizard ............................................................. 9
3.2 Assign Functions ..................................................................... 10
3.3 Programming the Relay Driver ................................................ 34
4.0 Mounting...................................................................40
4.1 Required Tools ........................................................................ 40
4.2 Wall Mounting.......................................................................... 41
4.3 DIN Rail Mounting.................................................................... 43
5.0 Wiring........................................................................45
5.1 Channel Wiring........................................................................ 45
5.2 Communications Wiring........................................................... 50
6.0 Operation..................................................................53
6.1 LED Indications........................................................................ 53
6.2 Protections............................................................................... 55
6.3 Maintenance............................................................................ 55
7.0 Troubleshooting FAQs............................................56
Appendix A – MS Product Variables ...........................59
Warranty .........................................................................61
Technical Specifications...............................................62

RELAY DRIVER 2
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS:
This manual contains important safety, installation and operating
instructions for the Morningstar Relay Driver.
The following symbols are used throughout this manual to indicate
potentially dangerous conditions or important safety instructions.
WARNING: Indicates a potentially dangerous ondition.
Use extreme caution when performing this task.
CAUTION: Indicates a critical procedure for safe and
proper operation of the Relay Driver.
NOTE: Indicates a procedure or function that is
important to the safe and proper operation of the
Relay Driver.
General Safety Information
 Read all the instructions and cautions in the manual before
starting the installation.
 There are no user serviceable parts in the Relay Driver. Do not
disassemble or attempt to repair.
 Ensure that battery power has been disconnected before
installing or removing the Relay Driver.
 Do not allow water to enter the Relay Driver.

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1.0 Getting Started
1.1 What’s in the Box?

Relay Driver

Software CD

Operator’s Manual

Serial RS-232 Cable (6ft)

Meter Bus RJ-11 cable (4ft)

Four (4) Mounting Screws

Mounting Template

RELAY DRIVER 4
1.2 Features
Figure 1. Features of the Relay Driver
Channel Terminal Block
Provides connections for:
Relay Driver power and ground
Four (4) Channel connections (relay contacts, input
voltages, output signals, etc)
DIN Rail Release Tab
Snap on / Release from DIN rail.
LED Indicators
Displays power and channel status, faults, sampling interval.
Meter Bus Ports
Connects to other Morningstar products with meter bus
communications. Two ports (in/out) allow a daisy-chain
connection of multiple devices.
Serial RS-232 Port
A serial programming port used to establish a connection
between the Relay Driver and a PC.

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1.3 Factory Settings
The Relay Driver is pre-configured at the factory with a default
configuration as outlined below. If a different configuration is
needed, a custom configuration will need to be programmed
into the Relay Driver.
Sections 2.0 through 5.0 explain software installation, custom
configuration, and installation.
Channel 1
Threshold Function:
Channel OFF when Vbattery < 11.5V
Channel ON when Vbattery > 12.6V
1 minute delay before turning on/off
Channel 2
Threshold Function:
Channel OFF when Vbattery < 11.1V
Channel ON when Vbattery > 12.2V
1 minute delay before turning on/off
Channel 3
Threshold Function:
Channel OFF when Vbattery < 14.0V
Channel ON when Vbattery > 15.0V
Channel 4
TriStar Alarm/Fault Monitor:
Channel OFF when no alarms/faults exist
Channel ON when any alarms/faults exist
Excludes RTS open alarm
No communication timeout alarm

RELAY DRIVER 6
2.0 PC Software Installation
2.1 System Requirements
NOTE: Morningstar provides software for Windows®
PCs only. Other platforms are not supported.
• Intel® 486 or Pentium® processor
• Microsoft® Windows 95, 98, 2000, Windows XP Professional
or Home Edition
• 32MB of RAM (64MB Recommended)
• CD-ROM drive (If installing by CD)
• Up to 1.5MB of available hard-disk space
• Internet connection and service (If downloading from web)
• Web browser (If downloading from web)
2.2 Installing MSView
NOTE: The software CD provided may not contain the
latest version of MSView. Check our website for
updates at:
http://www.morningstarcorp.com/products/software
Morningstar MSView is an all-inclusive software package that
provides programming, graphing, and logging capabilities for
supported Morningstar products. MSView is also used to
configure and program the Relay Driver.

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This section details two software installation options. The first
option explains how to install MSView from the included
software CD. The second option explains how to download and
install the latest version of MSView from our website. We
recommend downloading the latest version from our website if
possible. It is possible to update to a newer version of MSView
at a later time.
Option #1: Install MSView from the included CD
Step 1
Insert the MSView Setup CD in the PC CD-drive. After a few
moments, the MSView software setup wizard should appear.
If setup does not begin (or the autorun CD-drive feature has
been disabled), run Setup.exe on the CD drive using Windows
Explorer.
Step 2
Follow the wizard instructions to install MSView software.
Step 3
After the install is complete, remove the CD from the drive and
store the MSView setup CD in a safe place.
- OR -
Option #2: Download and install MSView software
from the web
Step 1
Visit: http://www.morningstarcorp.com/products/software

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3.0 Configuration
The MSView software includes a Relay Driver setup wizard to
create and save configurations. Configurations can then be
programmed into the Relay Driver so that it functions as
required.
3.1 Open the Setup Wizard
1. Click the Windows Start Menu button
2. Under Programs, find the MSView Folder.
3. Click the Relay Driver Wizard program Icon
Figure 2. Relay Driver Setup Screen
The Relay Driver Setup screen should appear (see Fig. 2). The
setup wizard is now open. Proceed to section 3.2.

RELAY DRIVER 10
3.2 Assign Functions
Each of the four channels is assigned a Function, which
switches channel(s) on/off based on criteria. Some Functions
only control one channel while others manage two or more
channels as a group.
The Relay Driver Setup screen, shown in Figure 3 is the
starting point from which each channel is setup. The upper left
area of the window displays the four channels and the
corresponding configurations.
Each of the four (4) channels has a configuration summary that
shows which Function is assigned as well as a few key
parameters.
Next to each channel Configuration Summary are two setup
buttons labeled Simple and Advanced. Simple setup allows the
user to modify the most essential settings while using factory
default values for the more advanced settings. Advanced setup
allows the user to specify all parameters including control
address, sample rate, defaults states, and more.
NOTE: We recommend using Simple setup unless
there is a specific need to modify an Advanced
parameter.
The four buttons located in the bottom right corner are defined
as follows:
Write to File - allows the user to save a configuration for later
use.
Read from File - retrieve past configurations saved to file

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Read Module – read the current configuration out of the Relay
Driver.
Program module - write the wizard configuration to the Relay
Driver
Specific instructions for each Function can be found in sections
3.1.1 to 3.1.6. Choose a Function for each channel(s) and
follow the instructions in the corresponding section. For each
Function, detailed instructions for Simple setup are provided. At
the end of each section, details about Advanced setup
parameters are provided. When all channels are configured as
desired, skip to section 3.3 or instructions on how to program
the Relay Driver.

RELAY DRIVER 12
3.2.1 Disabled (Input) Function
The Disabled (Input) Function disables the relay driver of a
channel. This Function is the “safe” configuration for a channel
that is not in use. Disabled channels can be safely used as
voltage inputs as well. The channel voltage can be used as a
Control Variable for other Functions.
Common Applications
 Unused channel
 Measure external voltages and signals
Setup
1. From the Relay Driver setup screen (as shown in Figure 2),
choose the Simple setup button next to the desired
channel
2. Select Disabled (Input) from the Function list. Click Finish
The channel is now configured for Disabled (Input) mode and
the channel’s relay driver has been disabled. The channel may
be used as a voltage input if required. The Relay Driver Setup
screen should display “Disabled” in the Configuration Summary
for the channel.

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3.2.2 Threshold Function
The Threshold Function switches a channel on or off according
to a high threshold setpoint and a low threshold setpoint. When
a Control Variable reaches either of these setpoints, the
Function switches a channel on or off. Additionally, delays and
minimum/maximum timers can alter behavior. A variety of
control variables may be used including voltage, current, and
temperature values.
Common Applications
 Load control (Low Voltage Disconnect/Reconnect)
 Thermostat
 Alarm signal
Setup
1. Starting from the Relay Driver setup screen (as shown
in Figure 2), choose the Simple setup button next to
the desired channel.

RELAY DRIVER 14
Figure 3. Select Threshold Function
2. The Channel Function window appears as shown in Figure 3. A
list of Functions from which to choose is provided. By default,
the Disabled function is selected.
Choose the Threshold option and click Next > to Continue.

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Figure 4. Select a Control Type
3. The Control Type specifies the device from which variable
data will be polled and used in the Threshold Function. The
TriStar and Other Relay Driver options will poll the specified
device on the Meter Bus for variable data such as measured
battery voltage, load/solar voltage, and battery temperature.
The Standalone option uses variable data local to the Relay
Driver such as the on-board temperature sensor or channel
input voltages. The Control Type list may expand in the future
to include more Morningstar Devices that support the Relay
Driver.
Select the appropriate Control Type and click Next > to
continue

RELAY DRIVER 16
Figure 5. Specify Threshold Parmeters
4. The Threshold Setup screen allows the user to specify the
Threshold Function parameters:
a. Select a Control Variable. In Figure 5, Battery Voltage
has been selected as the Control Variable.
b. Choose a high threshold setpoint.
c. The On/Off selection inverses the output when the
threshold setpoints are met.
d. Specify a low threshold setpoint.
Read the sentence and verify that the Function performs as
desired.
Click Finish

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The channel is now configured for Threshold mode. The Relay
Driver Setup screen should display the Threshold parameters
in the Configuration Summary for the channel.
If all four channels are now configured as desired, refer to
section 3.3 for instructions on how to program the Relay
Driver.
Threshold Advanced Setup Definitions
The following definitions can be used when configuring the
Threshold Function in Advanced setup. These values are
assigned appropriate default values in Simple setup.
Figure 6. Graph of Threshold timing delays
Control Address – the meter bus ID for the device that is to
be polled. Factory default is one (1) for the TriStar and nine (9)
for the Relay Driver. (Not applicable in Standalone)

RELAY DRIVER 18
Control Variable – choose from a list of variables associated
with the Control Type specified
High Threshold – upper value at which an event should occur
(See Figure 6)
Output State – output state when the Upper Threshold is
reached
Low to High Delay –time to wait after High Threshold is met
before changing state. If the Control Variable drops below
High Threshold during the delay time, the counter will be
reset. (See Figure 6)
Max High Time – maximum amount of time the Relay Driver
will remain in the High state. This timer begins after the Min.
High timer has expired.
Min. High Time – minimum amount of time the Relay Driver
must remain in the High state.
Low Threshold – lower value at which an event should occur
High to Low Delay –time to wait after Low Threshold is met
before changing state. If the Control Variable rises above Low
Threshold during the delay time, the counter will be reset.
(See Figure 6)
Max Low Time – the maximum amount of time the Relay
Driver will remain in the Low state. This timer begins after the
Min. Low timer has expired.

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Min. Low Time – minimum amount of time the Relay Driver
must remain in the Low state
Sample Period – how frequently the Control Variable value is
updated. (Not applicable in standalone)
Timeout – period of time to wait before a communications
timeout is declared.
Timeout State – “safe” channel output if a communications
timeout occurs. Ignored if Timeout is set to zero.
3.2.3 Alarm / Fault Function
The Alarm/Fault Function activates a channel in response to a
fault or alarm generated by a Morningstar device. Any
combination of available faults and/or alarms from a
Morningstar Device can be monitored simultaneously. When a
Fault or Alarm occurs, the configured channel will turn on.
NOTE: Each channel configured with the Alarm/Fault
Function can only monitor the alarm/fault conditions
of one device on the Meter Bus network.
Common Applications
 Set audible or visual indicators when an alarm or fault occurs
in a Morningstar Device
 Signal other electronic equipment when an alarm or fault
occurs in a Morningstar Device