Vanguard PCI-600 User manual

PCI-600
PRIMARY CURRENT INJECTION DEVICE
USER’S MANUAL
Vanguard Instruments Company, Inc.
1520 S. Hellman Ave.
Ontario, California 91761, USA
TEL: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
June 2013
Revision 2

PCI-600 USER’S MANUAL REV 2
i
SAFETY SUMMARY
FOLLOW EXACT OPERATING PROCEDURES
Any deviation from the procedures described in this User’s Manual may create one or more
safety hazards, may damage the PCI-600, or cause errors in the test results. Vanguard
Instruments Company, Inc. assumes no liability for unsafe or improper use of the PCI-600.
All safety precautions provided in this manual must be observed during all phases of testing
including test preparation, test lead connection, actual testing, and test lead disconnection.
SAFETY WARNINGS AND CAUTIONS
Only trained operators shall use this device. All circuits under test shall be off-line and fully
isolated.
DO NOT MODIFY TEST EQUIPMENT
To avoid the risk of introducing additional or unknown hazards, do not install substitute parts or
perform any unauthorized modification to any PCI-600 test unit. To ensure that all designed
safety features are maintained, it is highly recommended that repairs be performed only by
Vanguard Instruments Company factory personnel or by an authorized repair service provider.
Unauthorized modifications can cause safety hazards and will void the manufacturer’s
warranty.

REV 2 PCI-600 USER’S MANUAL
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONVENTIONS USED IN THIS DOCUMENT ..................................................................................... 1
1.0 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................... 2
1.1 General Description and Features ................................................................................... 2
1.2 PCI-600 Technical Specifications...................................................................................... 3
1.3 Controls and Indicators.................................................................................................... 4
2.0 OPERATING PROCEDURES ................................................................................................... 6
2.1 Functional Description ..................................................................................................... 6
2.1.1. AC Current Source .................................................................................................... 6
2.1.2. Current Output Control ............................................................................................ 6
2.1.3. Timer Stop Input and Control................................................................................... 7
2.1.4. External Current Input.............................................................................................. 8
2.1.5. LCD Contrast Control................................................................................................ 8
2.2 Performing Tests.............................................................................................................. 9
2.2.1. Testing the Open Time Delay of a Protection Relay ........................................................ 9
2.2.2. Measuring Current Transformer Primary and Secondary Currents .............................. 11
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. PCI-600 Technical Specifications ....................................................................................... 3
Table 2. Functional Descriptions of PCI-600 Controls and Indicators ............................................ 5
Table 3. Current Output vs. Time.................................................................................................... 6
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. PCI-600 Controls and Indicators ...................................................................................... 4

PCI-600 USER’S MANUAL REV 2
1
CONVENTIONS USED IN THIS DOCUMENT
This document uses the following conventions:
• A key, switch, input, or knob on the PCI-600 is indicated as [KEY], [SWITCH], [INPUT],
[KNOB]
.
•
Menu options are referenced as (MENU OPTION).
•PCI-600 LCD screen output is shown as:
•Warning messages are indicated as:
WARNING
Warning message
•Important notes are indicated as:
NOTE
Note details
1. OPTION 1
2. OPTION 2
3. OPTION 3
4. OPTION 4

REV 2 PCI-600 USER’S MANUAL
2
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 General Description and Features
The PCI-600 is a programmable AC high-current source designed specifically for utility-
substation applications. This device is well suited for primary injection testing of protective
relays. This versatile device can also be used for testing thermal, magnetic, and solid-state
motor-protection relays and molded-case circuit-breakers, as well as any application that
requires a high-current source.
Built-in Timer
The PCI-600’s built-in timer can test the time-delay characteristics of protection relays and
molded-case circuit-breakers. Once the test is initiated, the current source and the timer are
automatically turned on at the next zero-crossing point of the AC. The timer stops when the
PCI-600 input detects a change in the dry contact or voltage input, or detects the removal of
the test current. The test results are then displayed in milli-seconds and fractions of a cycle(s)
on the unit’s back-lit LCD screen (20 characters by 4 lines).
Current Source
Test currents, ranging from 10 to 600 amperes, can be set by using the rotary dial knob on the
control panel. The test current is then measured, and the results are displayed on the LCD
screen. When the PCI-600 is used as a current source, the current-on time (duration of current
flow) is displayed on the LCD screen.
External Current Input
The PCI-600 also has an external-current input (0 – 10 A). Both the internal current source
amplitude and the external current source measurement readings can be viewed at the same
time.