PV-Engineering PVPM 1000X User manual

PVPM 1000X
1040X
Peak Power Measuring Device
and I-V-Curve Tracer
for PV Modules and Generators
sers Manual

Page 2
Release © 11 / 2016
PV-Engineering GmbH
Hugo-Schultz-Str. 14
DE-58640 Iserlohn
Germany
Tel. [phone]
Fax. [phone]
e-Mail [e-mail]
PVPM 1000X / 1040X ser Manual PV-Engineering GmbH

Page 3
Contents
1 SOFTWARE END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT..................................................................................................5
2 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................................... 6
3 NORMAL USE............................................................................................................................................................... 6
4 SAFETY REQUIREMENTS......................................................................................................................................... 7
5 WARNINGS.................................................................................................................................................................... 8
6 OPERATION OF THE PVPM......................................................................................................................................
6.1 OPERATING AND CONNECTION ELEMENTS............................................................................................................................9
6.2 GENERAL HINTS............................................................................................................................................................9
6.3 CONNECTING PERIPHERAL DEVICES.................................................................................................................................10
6.4 POWER SUPPLY...........................................................................................................................................................10
6.5 CONNECTING A PC...................................................................................................................................................... 11
6.6 CONNECTING THE SOLAR GENERATOR.............................................................................................................................11
6.7 CONNECTING THE COMBINATION SENSOR.........................................................................................................................11
6. SWITCHING-ON............................................................................................................................................................12
6.9 BUTTONS................................................................................................................................................................... 13
6.10 MEASUREMENT.........................................................................................................................................................13
6.11 MESSAGES...............................................................................................................................................................15
7 EXTERNAL SECURITY SWITCH 1000V / 32A......................................................................................................16
8 IMPACTS ON THE ACCURACY OF THE MEASUREMENT..............................................................................17
INSTALLATION OF THE TRANSFER SOFTWARE PVPM.DISP......................................................................1
10 INSTALLING THE USB DEVICE DRIVER...........................................................................................................20
10.1 INSTALLATION WITH „NEW HARDWARE FOUND“...............................................................................................................20
10.2 UNINSTALLING THE CDM DRIVER................................................................................................................................23
11 OPERATION OF THE SOFTWARE PVPM.DISP.................................................................................................24
11.1 MAIN MENU FILE.....................................................................................................................................................24
11.2 EDIT.......................................................................................................................................................................26
11.3 EXTRA.....................................................................................................................................................................27
11.4 DIAGRAM.................................................................................................................................................................30
11.5 RESULTS / LISTS....................................................................................................................................................... 31
11.6 HELP (NOT YET IMPLEMENTED)....................................................................................................................................31
12 HARDWARE INFORMATION................................................................................................................................32
12.1 MEASURING UNIT......................................................................................................................................................32
12.2 CALCULATION UNIT...................................................................................................................................................32
12.3 DISPLAY..................................................................................................................................................................33
12.4 OPERATION...............................................................................................................................................................33
12.5 POWER SUPPLY.........................................................................................................................................................33
12.6 DIMENSIONS.............................................................................................................................................................33
12.7 OPERATION CONDITIONS.............................................................................................................................................33
12. OPTIONALLY AVAILABLE ACCESSORY..............................................................................................................................33
13 LIST OF SYMBOLS..................................................................................................................................................34
14 REASONS FOR DECREASED POWER AND YIELD OF PV GENERATORS.................................................35
15 I-U DIAGRAM: EXPLANATION............................................................................................................................36
16 SAMPLE CURVES....................................................................................................................................................41
17 GLOSSARY................................................................................................................................................................44
17.1 AZIMUTH (SS) AND ELEVATION (Α)................................................................................................................................44
17.2 SLOPE..................................................................................................................................................................... 44
17.3 DC........................................................................................................................................................................44
17.4 DEGRADATION CHARACTERISTIC....................................................................................................................................44
17.5 DIRECT RADIATION / DIFFUSE RADIATION........................................................................................................................44
17.6 GENERATOR.............................................................................................................................................................44
17.7 GLOBAL/TOTAL RADIATION..........................................................................................................................................45
17. SHORT-CIRCUIT CURRENT OF SOLAR CELLS......................................................................................................................45
17.9 MISMATCHING..........................................................................................................................................................45
17.10 MPP....................................................................................................................................................................45
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17.11 TRACKING..............................................................................................................................................................45
17.12 PEAK POWER..........................................................................................................................................................45
17.13 PERFORMANCE RATIO...............................................................................................................................................45
17.14 PHOX-SENSOR.........................................................................................................................................................45
17.15 INTERNAL SERIES RESISTANCE.....................................................................................................................................46
17.16 SOLAR CONSTANT...................................................................................................................................................46
17.17 SOLAR IRRADIATION / INSOLATION...............................................................................................................................46
17.1 STANDARD TEST CONDITIONS....................................................................................................................................46
17.19 CURRENT-VOLTAGE-CHARACTERISTIC.........................................................................................................................46
17.20 EFFICIENCY............................................................................................................................................................ 47
17.21 FOUR-WIRE MEASUREMENT (KELVIN MEASUREMENT)......................................................................................................47
18 APPENDIX A..............................................................................................................................................................48
1 .1 INDICATOR LIGHTS IN THE FRONT PANEL.........................................................................................................................4
1 .2 SPEAKER SIGNALS:..................................................................................................................................................... 4
1 DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY.....................................................................................................................4
PVPM 1000X / 1040X ser Manual PV-Engineering GmbH

Software End User License Agreement Page 5
1 Software End User License Agreement
LICENSE GRANT
The accompanying software and associated documentation ("Software")
are proprietary products owned by PV-Engineering GmbH and protected
under international copyright law. You may not remove any product
identification, copyright notices, or other notices or proprietary restrictions
from the Software.
Use of the Software is defined to be use and distribution consistent with the
following conditions.
You or any person under your authority or control may:
✔Make copies of the Software for backup purposes provided said copies
contains all of the original Software's proprietary notices;
✔Use the Software only on computers owned, leased, or otherwise
controlled by you and only on one computer at a time;
✔Use the Software on a network, provided that a licensed copy of the
Software has been acquired for each person permitted to access the
Software through the network;
✔Distribute or redistribute data files generated by the Software;
You or any person under your authority or control may not:
✗Copy or use the Software except as authorized under this License
Grant;
✗Use on two or more computers at a time without separate authorization
and the payment of additional license fees;
✗Distribute or redistribute any part of the Software or Files except as
described above;
✗Permit other individuals to distribute or redistribute any part of the
Software or Files;
✗Modify, translate, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or create
derivative works based on the Software or Files;
✗Copy the Software or Files; rent, lease, grant a security interest in, or
otherwise transfer rights to the Software or Files; or remove any
proprietary notices or labels on the Software or Files.
EXPORT
You agree to comply fully with all laws and regulations to assure that
neither the Software, nor any direct product thereof, is exported, directly or
indirectly, in violation of law.
TERMINATION
This license granted hereunder will terminate automatically if you fail to
comply with the limitations described herein. Upon termination, you must
destroy all copies of the Software.
LIMITED WARRANTY
PV-Engineering GmbH makes no warranties, including warranties of
merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Any remedy under this
warranty is limited to return of the software and the user manual to the
dealer or to PV-Engineering GmbH for replacement or refund. This
warranty is valid for 90 days from your date of purchase. PV-Engineering
GmbH excludes any warranty coverage for incidental or consequential
damages. Some states do not allow limitations on implied warranties, so
some of the above limitations may not apply to you.
TRADE MARKS
Borland is a trade mark of Borland Inc.
MS-DOS, MS-Windows are trade marks of Microsoft Corporation
Iserlohn, 20.06.2003
PVPM 1000X / 1040X ser Manual PV-Engineering GmbH

Introduction Page 6
2 Introduction
The devices of type PVPM enab es the measurement of the I-V-curve of photovo taic modu es as we as of
strings. By a new deve oped procedure the device can measure and ca cu ate the peak power Ppk, the Rs and
Rp direct y at the p ace of insta ation of the PV system. Ca cu ation resu ts and the diagram can be disp ayed on
the interna TFT disp ay.
The peak power is the power of a modu e under Standard Test Conditions (STC) [1]. In the past the very
comp ex measurement of the peak power was possib e on y in particu ar y suited aboratories. By a new
patented method [2], which was deve oped by Professor Wagner at the University of App ied Sciences
Dortmund, this measurement can easi y be performed with the PVPM. So the qua ity contro of a PV system can
be executed fast and economica y. This simp e and meaningfu check in practice serves the certainty of the
customer and a so that of the insta er. Beyond that the measured I-V-curves permit further exp anations about
the e ectrica characteristics of the checked modu e or string. So the PVPM is suitab e as an instrument in
research as we as for deve opment purposes.
The PVPM is a mobile measuring device with integrated battery supply and battery charger in a durable and light
weight plastic housing. The device has its own industrial miniature PC and a high-contrast TFT graphic display
and thus its function is independent of other devices. Nevertheless (if desired) a PC can be attached for data
transfer and further analysis of the measured values over a standard SB interface.
The PVPM is operated comfortably over the touch screen and an on-screen menu. The functions are defined
self-describing and the user is always led by the program. So no long training activities for the operating
personnel are necessary.
The device accepts the input from usual irradiance reference sensors that produce a voltage between 0mV and
100mV which linear depends on the irradiation (→ Phox sensor). An additional temperature sensor (RTD,
Pt100) can be connected and attached to the back surface of the module under test for better results.
Description of the measurement:
The PVPM automatically measures the I-V-characteristic of the PV generator at a capacitive load. From the
measured data it calculates the effective solar cell characteristic, Ppk, Rs and Rp [2], [3]. After the
measurement the data are stored automatically in a non-volatile storage and so are available later (e. g. in the
office) [4]. The device internally can store the data of several thousand measurements.
The following results are displayed:
Permanent values:
Peak Power PPk
Internal Series Resistance Rs
Internal Parallel Resistance Rp (shunt resistance)
Current values, depending on irradiation and temperature:
Vpmax , Ipmax , Pmax
Voc , Isc , FF, Tmod , Eeff
The determined I-V-characteristic can also be shown directly on the LC-display.
[1] IEC60904-3: STC= Irradiance 1000 W/m2, Spectrum AM=1.5, Ce Temper. 25°C
[2] Wagner A.: Peak Power and Interna Series Resistance Measurement under Natura Ambient Conditions. –EuroSun Copenhagen
2000
[3] Bende C., Wagner A.: Photovo taic Measurement re evant to the Energy Yie d. - WCPEC3 Osaka 2003
[4] Schu te K.M., Wagner A.: Die Effektive So arze enkenn inie. - Anwendung Tei ast-Berechnung. Staffe stein. 2002
3 Normal use
The peak power and I-V-characteristic measuring instrument series PVPM is used exclusively for the
admission of the I-V-characteristic curve of single photovoltaic modules and strings. Before connecting the PV
generator under test to the measuring instrument it must be ensured that the test specimen cannot exceed
the maximum current and voltage levels of the measuring instrument at any time.
PVPM 1000X / 1040X ser Manual PV-Engineering GmbH

Safety Requirements Page 7
4 Safety Re uirements
Before the first use of the PVPM read this manual carefully and completely. It contains important hints to avoid
damage to persons or the measuring device. These hints are emphasized by a frame around the text and should
be paid attention to.
References in this document, which concern security matters, are indicated by a frame. Damages due to the
neglection of the references in this document are excluded from the warranty. No warranty at all is guaranteed
for consequential damages.
The program PVPM.disp requires a PC with hard disk and MS Windows NT or higher and a mouse pointing
device. The connection of the PVPM requires a SB serial interface.
The required free space on the hard disk before installing PVPM.disp is about 5 MB. Please be sure later on that
there is enough free space on the hard disk before storing measured data.
Attention: For the purpose of data security we would like to point out the importance of saving the database of
the program regularly on another data medium, so in the event of damage you will be able to continue
working without considerable data loss. Such a damage can not be excluded even under the present state-of-
the-art. Please do not restore single data files, but always the complete data back-up of the program,
otherwise you might cause malfunction, this in turn might lead to data loss! In case of doubt please contact
the distributor or the producer.
PVPM 1000X / 1040X ser Manual PV-Engineering GmbH

Warnings Page 8
5 Warnings
To disregard the following information can lead to severe injury and even entail a peril to
life
CAUTION! Before starting up the e uipment please read this manual carefully!
NOTE: Danger of an electrical impact
Note: Measuring category I. Do not use this device in measuring categories II, III and IV.
Do not connect measuring inputs to ground.
This device may never be utilised close to inflammable gases.
Keep children and infants away from the measuring e uipment!
The measuring device may not be used in locations with intense dust exposure or high
humidity. No fluids may reach the interior of the measuring device.
At appearance of unusual sounds, the development of smell or smoke the device has got
to be switched of immediately, the circuit breaker and the current source have got to be
disconnected.
Before each measurement check the test leads for the power measurement for damages.
Never operate damaged test leads! If the conducting wires of the measuring device are
damaged they have to be replaced. Mending the wires is not admissible.
The current measurement input may only be attached to a limited source of direct current
(photovoltaic generator) with at most 20A (40A with PVPM1040X)! The connection of other
sources can lead to demolition of the device and to danger of life!
For security reasons only ualified personal must establish the cable connection between
the PV generator and the PVPM security switch! The measurement should be carried out
or accompanied by ualified personal. Additional ualifications and laws (e.g. VDE 0100)
have to be observed, otherwise high currents and voltages involve danger of life!
The PVPM and all devices being part of it may be opened and repaired by authorized
ualified personal only. Before opening a case every cable connection must be
disconnected! Keep in mind that even with disconnected cables the may reside dangerous
high voltage inside the case!
The solar generator can generate very high tensions and currents, which can affect your
health when you do not handle with care!
!! VERY IMPORTANT !!
Never plug in or remove the cable connectors between solar generator and PVPM
before the solar generator is deactivated! A security switch added to the
measurement line allows the simultaneous disconnection and the safe connection
of measuring wires to the PVPM.
The PVPM will make a short circuit during measurement or due to wrong polarization, and
when you tear of a cable under this condition, a light arc can arise and can cause serious
damage to health and material! After the generator is deactivated you can remove the
cable connection without harm.
PVPM 1000X / 1040X ser Manual PV-Engineering GmbH

Operation of the PVPM Page 9
6 Operation of the PVPM
6.1 Operating and connection
elements
1. On/Off switch
2. SB connector (mini B)
3. Connector for external power supply (16V,
2Adc)
4. Status lights
5. TFT colour graphic touch display
6. Combined irradiation and temperature
input
7. Temperature measuring input Pt100
8. Four-wire measuring connector (voltage)
9. Four-wire measuring connector (current)
6.2 General Hints
The PVPM, as nearly all electronic measuring device, can only operate in a defined temperature range (see
appendix). That is why the PVPM should not be exposed to direct sunlight over a longer period of time. Keep the
device in a shady place or protect it from direct sunlight using a sunshade.
The standard version of the PVPM cannot be integrated into other devices or e.g. brackets. It is very important
that the air can move free around the case so that a proper cooling is guaranteed! Only if the PVPM is
completely out of operation (even no charging) it may be stacked.
Attention: Never loosen a measurement cable connection during a measurement! The considerable
dc tensions and currents can cause a light arc which may cause fire, serious injuries and even death!
(see chapter 4/5)
The front panel of the PVPM is rather rough, but you should handle it with care anyway. To avoid damage of the
front panel please take notice of the following hints:
Do not touch the front panel with a sharp or pointed object. This could force scratches and might even
destroy the foil especially in the regions with switches in the back.
Clean the surface with a soft and damp tissue. Do not use materials that can scratch, especially on the cover
of the display. A scratched display cover will dramatically affect the display quality.
The case is water proofed (IP 67). Nevertheless do not expose the PVPM directly to influence of water, rain or
similar.
For a good measuring quality the sun irradiance
during the measurement should be above 500
W/m2. Measurements are possible below this
irradiance value, but less precise and meaningful.
That is why these results will be suppressed.
6.3 Connecting Peripheral Devices
For an I-V-curve measurement besides the PVPM
the following components are necessary:
1. SB connection to operating PC (optional)
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Operation of the PVPM Page 10
2. External power supply (optional)
3. Irradiance reference sensor
4. Exernal RTD (Pt100) or short circuit adaptor
5. External security switch (see chapter 7) between power measurement cable and PVPM
6. 4-wire-measurement cable
The PVPM is equipped with the following input/output interfaces (you will find all interfaces besides the power
supply at the front panel, they are all marked):
Interface Function
Power supply At the front panel of the PVPM, input 16Vdc/2A, coaxial power connector
5.5x2.1mm
Temperature (External) temperature sensor
Irradiance Combined sensor: irradiance + Pt1000 temperature
4-wire-measurement Voltage input (module under test)
Current input Current input (module under test)
PC Serial connection to PC ( SB cable)
6.4 Power Supply
The PVPM contains a battery which let it become independent from mains grid power supply. The battery can be
charged by the external power supply and an integrated charge unit. After connecting the external power supply
to front panel of the PVPM the battery is charged automatically. The loading state is displayed by a LED at the
front panel of the device.
6.5 Connecting a PC
The PVPM can operate independent from an external PC. For an extended evaluation of the measured data or
just for controlling the PVPM from a PC you can connect the PC to the PVPM with the delivered SB cable.
Attach this cable to a free SB port of your PC and to the “PC” connector of the PVPM.
Before you can control the PVPM from the PC you will have to:
1. install the software PVPMdisp (chapter 9)
2. install the device driver for the SB port (chapter 10)
3. Activate “Transfer” on the PVPM
Otherwise a transfer between PVPM and PC will not be possible.
Caution: before you can control the PVPM from a PC with PVPM.disp it is necessary to select the menu option
“transfer” on the PVPM. Otherwise the PVPM will not listen to the serial port and the PC can not access the
device.
6.6 Connecting the Solar Generator
Important: during an I-V-curve measurement the solar generator under test must be disconnected from all
other devices like batteries, inverters or loads. During the measurement the PVPM will short circuit the solar
generator for some seconds and it might be damaged by still connected batteries or load capacities of the
inverter!
Connect the PVPM properly to the solar generator using the cables delivered with the PVPM. The plus pole is
marked RED, the minus pole is marked BLACK!
Assure that all connectors of the power measuring cables are pushed in completely (until stop) into the
sockets.
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Operation of the PVPM Page 11
It is important, that all 4 plugs of the 4-wire-measurement are connected properly by the delivered 4-wire-cable
or (if you don’t want a 4-wire-measurement) the two red plugs should be connected and the two black plugs as
well. se standard short circuit plugs (19mm) or laboratory cables for this purpose. Without this connection a
measurement is not possible!
When connected in wrong polarity an internal diode will prevent the PVPM from damage.
Caution: keep a sufficient distance to power leading parts of the cables between solar generator and measuring
device. These cables may lead high tension what may affect your health even without direct contact!
6.7 Connecting the Combination Sensor
For a measurement you must connect a Pt100/Pt1000 temperature sensor and a Phox irradiance sensor
(delivered as a combined device) to the relevant plug(s) of the PVPM. For just the measurement of serial
resistance Rs or I-V-curve these sensors are obsolete. The plugs are constructed in a way which prevents you
from connecting a sensor to a wrong plug.
The combined Phox/Pt1000 sensor should be mounted near the modules to be measured. It must have exactly
the same orientation (elevation and azimuth) regarding the sun as the modules have. Most time the easiest way
is the direct assembly to the module frame. Please take care that the sensor will drop no shadow to the module!
The sensor needs several minutes to adapt to the environmental conditions: the reference cell firstly should
reach the temperature of the module, before you can start to measure I-V-curves with the PVPM (see
chap.6.10).
For this reason the sensor should not be set up far away from the modules (e.g. modules on the roof, sensor in
the yard). Since the solar cells do not react only to the direct irradiation, but also to light reflected in the
environment, the sensor can possibly notice different light intensity in the same orientation of sensor and
modules and so falsify the results of the measurement.
In the simplest case the sensor is fastened with a clamp to the modules under test. Pay attention that the sensor
does not shadow the modules under test! The sensor should have some time in order to adapt to the site
conditions. At PVPM devices that have no second temperature measuring input the sensor must approximately
reach the temperature of the module under test (the temperatures are readable on the display of the running
PVPM). For security reasons we recommend to check the back surface temperature of the module under test
additionally manually e.g. with an infrared thermometer. Now a measurement with the PVPM can be carried out
(s. also chapter 8).
6.8 Switching-on
Switch the power of PVPM on by activating the switch “Power” at the front panel. The TFT display will show the
start-up screen:
The PVPM will now pass some self tests and will be ready after about 10-15 seconds of operation. The device is
ready when the main menu appears on the LCD-screen:
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Operation of the PVPM Page 12
The following items are displayed:
Headline: device serial number, calibration date, firmware version
Data line: current irradiance, temperature of irradiance reference cell, temperature of module back surface
(optional), voltage at power measurement input.
Sensor line: here the currently selected irradiance reference sensor is displayed and can be changed.
Bottom line: Current time/date, buttons “Info”, “Archive”, “PC” and “New measurement”.
Lamps on front panel:
State of charge
(3 color LED)
Lead-Acid battery Red: battery discharged (charge at once!)
Green: battery ready
Yellow: battery charged completely *)
Operation not possible!
Operation possible
Operation possible
Li-Ion battery Blinking Red: battery nearly discharged (charge!)
Red: battery is charged
Grün: charge is nearly finished
Aus: charge is finished
Operation time left max. 30 minutes
Operation is possible
Operation is possible
Operation is possible
External supply Lights up, when an external power supply is connected, the internal battery will be charged automatically.
*) If the LED alternates between green and yellow steadily the battery is trickel charged.
The PVPM reports several system conditions, functions and errors by speaker signals. A list of signals you will
find in the appendix.
6.9 Buttons
Possible actions will be displayed as buttons, which show a symbol according to the action, for example a PC for
the transfer between PVPM and PC.
Info: displays an overview about the buttons
Change: here you can select a different value
New I-V-curve measurement, displays submenu
Retrieve measurement data from archive
Connection to PC („Transfer“)
Start I-V-measurement now
General: abort, cancel funktion
PVPM 1000X / 1040X ser Manual PV-Engineering GmbH

Operation of the PVPM Page 13
Display results
Display I-V-curve
Add entry
Previous page
Next page
Confirm, „OK“
6.10 Measurement
Please pay attention to the safety hints in chapters 4+6 and factors affecting measurement accuracy in chapter
7.
The measurement can be started from the PVPM or from a connected PC (see chapter 11). The measurement
should not be started before the solar generator and the necessary sensors are connected properly. The I-V-
curve measurement will take up to 2 seconds, than the calculated results will be displayed immediately on the
PVPMs display (or on the PC).
Opens sub-page for measurement
6.10.1 Start measurement
This button activates a single measurement of the I-V-curve. The measurement runs automatically,
errors will be reported and the results as Ppk, Rs and I-V-curve are displayed on the screen.
6.10.2 Archive
This button enables you to retrieve data of already made measurements. The data-sets are listed
according to the creation date.
Goes to next/previous line in the list.
Selects next/prior page
Select a file with “OK”, exit dialog with “Abort”
se the button “Delete” to delete the selected data-set from PVPM memory. Caution: this operation is
not reversible!
PVPM 1000X / 1040X ser Manual PV-Engineering GmbH

Operation of the PVPM Page 14
6.10.3 Transfer
This button activates the transfer between PVPM and a connected PC. You can cancel this transfer
mode by pressing the “Abort” button at the PVPM screen.
6.10.4 Results
The page “Results” displays the measured (voltages, currents, temperatures etc.) and calculated
values (Ppk, Rs, Rp, FF).
The button “Diagram” selects the page with the I-V-curve, the button “Results” displays the results as
described above.
PVPM 1000X / 1040X ser Manual PV-Engineering GmbH

Operation of the PVPM Page 15
6.11 Messages
Message: Description:
'Serial error' An error in the serial connection between PVPM and PC occurred
'No measured data' No measured data present
'Configuration file not found!' Internal error, consult manufacturer. PVPM cannot work without its configuration file
'Irradiance varies (ref-cell)!',
'Irradiance too low!',
'Irradiance varies (module)!' The irradiance is not constant enough for the peak power measurement for example due to moving
clouds)
'not available' This result cannot be calculated
'No room for new data!',
'Delete files from P PM' There is no space left on the internal permanent storage, you have to delete stored data from the
permanent storage of the PVPM see chapter 11.3.2)
'Error when writing ' Problems during the writing of a measuring data to the internal permanent memory
Measurement runs',
'Please wait...' Measurement is in process
'Error writing file ' An error occurred storing the measured data
'Data transfer:',
'Quit transfer with ESC' Data connection to PC invoked
'Measurement not yet possible' The security delay between two measurements is not yet elapsed
'Calculation of Rs not possible' Data is not sufficient for calculation of Rs. Redo the measurement
' alues not evaluablely' Data is not sufficient for calculation. Redo the measurement
' oltage too high!' Immediately switch off the generator with the external security switch! The device could be damaged
by the high voltage!
'Repair required immediately!' The device is damaged internally and requires test and repair through authorised personnel.
'Wrong polarity!' The measuring cables are mounted in the wrong way! Switch off the generator with the external
security switch immediately! The device will short circuit the generator if the polarity is wrong and can
take harm. If you disconnect the cables under voltage a light arc can cause serious damage to health
and material
PVPM 1000X / 1040X ser Manual PV-Engineering GmbH

Externa Security Switch 1000V / 32A (40A) Page 16
7 External Security Switch 1000V / 32A (40A)
se this switch to disconnect the PVPM from the PV power before connecting or disconnecting the measuring
cables to/from the PVPM. This avoids damages of your own health or the PVPM.
Handling:
Turn the knob at the switch in a neutral position “0” (both “0” positions are e ual).
Put the measuring cable delivered with the PVPM as far as possible to the sockets at the switch housing, red
connectors to red sockets and black connectors to black sockets. You can reverse the two red connectors
without harm, the two black ones as well. Now connect the cables mounted at the switch to the PVPM (red to
red, black to black).
Before you can make a measurement you have to turn the knob at the switch to one of the “1” positions. After
the measurement turn the switch again in position „0 “! Afterwards the wiring at the PVPM can be removed
safely.
Security advice
CAUTION: Do never forget to switch to “0” before handling the connectors at the PVPM!
If you detect a defect at the switch, the housing or the connection cables, the switch must not be
used any longer under any condition!
Only specially instructed professionals must do repairs!
Keep the switch and cables away from li uids, dust and dirt. Clean the surface with a damp cloth
only.
PVPM 1000X / 1040X ser Manual PV-Engineering GmbH

Impacts on the accuracy of the measurement Page 17
8 Impacts on the accuracy of the measurement
Be sure, that there is no shadow (even not the smallest) affecting the module under test. Even the shadow of
grass may cause an error! This is also true for the reference sensor. Please consider that also a contamination
of the modules becomes effective as shading.
The higher the irradiance to the module, the more exact will be the result. The irradiance measured by the
combined sensor should be higher than 500 W/m2 for good results.
The combined Phox/Pt1000 sensor measures the irradiance and the cell temperature at the back side of the
irradiance reference cell. If no external temperature sensor for the measurement of the back side temperature of
the module under test is available the PVPM expects the temperature of the reference cell to be nearly the same
as that of the measured module. This will be true with sufficient precision if the reference cell and the PV module
were exposed to the sunlight for same period of time (at least 15 minutes).In addition before a measurement
modules and reference cell should be exposed directly aligned to the sun for more than 15 minutes. For
sureness the back-surface temperature of the module should be additionally checked before the I-V-curve
measurement e.g. with an infrared thermometer.
The angle of the module regarding the sun should be in an range of 10° regarding the right angle between
sunlight and module surface. Very important is a sufficient irradiance to the module and precise alignment of the
reference cell towards the module. Often the easiest way is to clip the combined sensor directly to the side or top
of the frame of the measured module. However the sensor may also be installed in some distance to the module
if you can grant the correct alignment and the sensor does “see” the same light as the module.
Principally the irradiance reference must have the same spectral behavior than the module under test (according
to IEC 60904). It is possible to use a module like that under test as irradiance reference: the module will be short
circuited by a small precision shunt resistor which will operate the module near the Isc . The voltage at the shunt
resistor is proportional to the Isc and so to the irradiance. That is how most irradiance reference sensors work.
Caution: even a few degrees deviation in the temperature of the reference cell towards the module
temperature can cause a significant error in peak power measurement. Before a you make a
measurement be sure, that the reference sensor and the module were exposed to the same ambient
conditions for a sufficient period of time!
You can enhance the precision of the PVPM results by measuring the same object several times (e.g. 5 times)
and after that do a statistical evaluation on these results.
Given below are once more the parameters, that are decisive for the accuracy of the measurements:
PVPM 1000X / 1040X ser Manual PV-Engineering GmbH

Impacts on the accuracy of the measurement Page 18
Accuracy of the peak power calculations from I-V characteristics of PV generators
with the PVPM
nder following constraints the peak power results of the PVPM have an accuracy of +/- 5% relating to the
actual peak power value of the device under test:
●The device under test consists of mono- or polycristalline silicon cells
●The device under test is not (not even slightly) shadowed
●The irradiation reference sensor is not (not even slightly) shadowed
●The irradiation reference sensor must have largely the same spectral sensitivity as the tested device
●The measurement has to be carried out under natural sunlight
●According to IEC60904 the sun has to stand within +/- 10° at right angle to the active surface of the device
under test
●According to IEC60904 an irradiation of at least 800W/m² is required. On the basis of comparative
measurements we found 600W/m² to be sufficient for the PVPM
●The measurement of the irradiation has to take place immediately before/after that of the I-V characteristic,
the time-lag between measurement of characteristic and irradiation should be less than 1ms.
●The measured value of the irradiation reference sensor has to be adjusted with the measured temperature of
the reference cell
●The measurement of the cell temperature has to take place immediately before/after the measurement of the
characteristic within 1second and an accurateness of 1K
●The active surface of the device under test must lie in-plane with the irradiation reference sensor (within +/- 1-
2°)
●Before the measurement of the I-V characteristic the irradiation has to be constant enough (+/-10W/m²) for at
least 10 seconds , in that way misinterpretations of the temperature of tested device and reference sensor
can be avoided
●The irradiation must not vary more than 10W/m² during the measurement (PVPM will caution the user in this
case)
●The temperature of the device under test and the reference sensor has got to be balanced (no alteration of
temperature may be indicated)
●Current and voltage of the device under test are measured with distinct measuring lines (four-wire
measurement)
PVPM 1000X / 1040X ser Manual PV-Engineering GmbH

Insta ation of the Transfer Software PVPM.disp Page 19
9 Installation of the Transfer Software PVPM.disp
PVPM.disp is delivered on a CD-ROM or a comparable storage medium and available by download at www.pv-
e.de. The medium contains a setup program for easy installation of the software on to your PC. The setup
program will copy all necessary files to your hard disk and initializes the program. The installation can be
performed by every person with basic experience of PC and MS Windows®.
For the installation of the software perhaps administrator rights are required
For the installation the following steps are necessary:
1. Insert the CD-ROM with the setup application into the appropriate drive of your PC .
2. If the setup application starts automatically after inserting the CD-ROM, continue with 4.
3. nder “Start” select menu option “Execute”In the now appearing edit line under “Open” enter “x:setup” (were
x is the drive letter of the installation media. Press ENTER now or click the Ok-Button.
4. Now the setup program will be executed. Follow the messages on the screen.
5. Setup now copies all necessary files to your hard disk and will create a new program group for PVPM.disp..
6. After completing the installation please execute PVPM.disp. The program should now work as described in
the following text.
The operation of the program will be professed detailed in chapter 11 .
For the operation of the program these files are necessary:
{program} \ PVPMdisp Program file and additionally files required for the
operation of the application (eg language files)
{common} appdata \ PV Engineering \ PVPMdisp Configuration and the database files
{user docs} \ PVPMdisp Sample and measured data
The program will create files with the extension .S I, which contains measured data from an I-V-measurement.
When these files were created automatically during a data transfer from PVPM to PC the file name will contain
the date and time of the measurement. A typical file name could be 24-05-01 14_17_04.SUI, this file
contains data from a measurement made May 24., 2001 at 2:17:04pm.
The measuring data are usually stored in files below “My Documents\PVPMdisp\”.
PVPM 1000X / 1040X ser Manual PV-Engineering GmbH

Insta ing the USB device driver Page 20
10 Installing the USB device driver
10.1 Installation with „New hardware found“
We now will describe the installation of the SB driver for the virtual COM-port using the example of Windows
XP.:
➔You will find the device driver on the installation CD-ROM in a directory „x:\CDM nnnnn“. Here x: means
the CD-ROM drive containing the installation CD and nnnnn the version number of the SB driver. The
newest driver you will find always on the website of FTDI (www.ftdichip.com).
➔If you use Windows XP or Windows XP SP1 you should disconnect the internet connection temporary.
You can connect the network again after finishing the installation.
➔This will not be necessary for Windows XP SP2, if this is configured to ask before it connects to
Windows pdate.
➔Connect the PVPM to a free SB port of your PC and switch it on. After some seconds the dialogue
“New hardware found” will appear.
➔If there is no internet connection or if Windows XP SP2 is configured accordingly you will be asked as in
Figure 10.1 before a connection to Windows pdate will be made.
Select “No, not this time” and click on “Next”.
Figure 10.1
➔Select “Install from a list or specific location” as displayed in Figure 10.2 below and click on “Next”
PVPM 1000X / 1040X ser Manual PV-Engineering GmbH