www.nrec.

com/en

PCS-Explorer
IED Configuration &
Debugging Tool

The PCS-Explorer is a software tool designed for IED IXQFWLRQVWRFKHFNGHYLFHVWDWH7KHSUHFRQ¿JXUHG¿OHVFDQ

configuration & debugging in commissioning stage of PCS be compressed into driver package and downloaded to PCS
VHULHVGHYLFHV,WFRQ¿JXUHVWKHLQSXWVRXWSXWVDQGSDUDPHWHUV series devices.
of PCS series devices in visual and graphic display to facilitate
SURMHFWFRQ¿JXUDWLRQ
2IÀLQH&RQ¿JXUDWLRQ
Functions • Device Setup
In the device setup edit window, users can set device infor-
• &RQ¿JXUDWLRQ0DQDJHPHQWIRU$OO'HYLFHVLQ6XEVWDWLRQ mation, configure hardware module, system level options
The PCS-Explorer can manage the configuration of PCS and function groups respectively.
series devices and the operations of project files in PCS-
- Device Information
Explorer.
All the device basic information are default settings in the
• Device Creation based on Template Driver selected driver package for creating the device. Basic
PCS-Explorer provides users with standard templates information such as Project Name, User File Version and
of PCS series devices to simplify device configuration to 8VHU0RGLI\7LPHFDQEHPRGL¿HG
standardize device configurations and simplify project
installation and maintenance.

• 2IIOLQH&RQ¿JXUDWLRQ
'HYLFH KDUGZDUH FRQ¿JXUDWLRQV FDQ EH FRQ¿JXUHG WKURXJK
PCS-Explorer. Users can edit contents on LCD display
window and change device settings of PCS series devices
by this software in order to meet the site requirements.
Software

• 9LVXDOL]HG'HYLFH&RQ¿JXUDWLRQ
PCS-Explorer provides visualized device configuration
functions to simplify and improve configuration processes.
Users are capable of enabling and disabling device protection
functions and programming the required logic functions.

• On-line Debugging and Downloading

PCS-Explorer offers downloading and on-line debugging Figure 1 Setting device information

179
Protection Automation Control

- +DUGZDUH&RQ¿JXUDWLRQ ³ź´³Ż´³Ź´³´³´DQG³(17´FDQEHFRQ¿JXUHGDV
7KHKDUGZDUHFRQ¿JXUDWLRQSDJHLVVXEMHFWWRWKHSURMHFW function shortcut keys by PCS-Explorer. By pressing
configuration situation. Hardware configuration includes shortcut key, the corresponding extended command can
the information on slot number, module name, module EHH[HFXWHGTXLFNO\WRIXO¿OOVRPHFRQWURORURSHUDWLRQ
type and module description.
• ,(&&RQ¿JXUDWLRQ
- 0DUNHW2UGHULQJ7DEOH027&RQ¿JXUDWLRQ Parameters related to IEC61850 communication will be
,Q027FRQ¿JXUDWLRQLQWHUIDFHXVHUVFDQVHOHFWWKHSUR- displayed in the IEC61850 edit window. The edit window
gram language, the communication protocol, the software has three sub-windows, which are IED, access point and
YHUVLRQDQGKDUGZDUHHWF7KH027FRQ¿JXUDWLRQFDQEH LDevice. Users can modify the properties of IEC61850
H[SRUWLQWRDQ([FHO¿OH communications such as names of access point and LDevice
in different sub-windows.

)LJXUH027FRQ¿JXUDWLRQ )LJXUH,(&FRPPXQLFDWLRQFRQ¿JXUDWLRQ

- )XQFWLRQ&RQ¿JXUDWLRQ • 8VHU&RQ¿JXUDWLRQ,PSRUW
8VHUVFDQSHUIRUPIXQFWLRQFRQ¿JXUDWLRQLQIXQFWLRQFRQ- Import User Configurations function can import driver file
¿JXUDWLRQLQWHUIDFH)RUGHWDLOHGGHYLFHIXQFWLRQFRQ¿JX- IURPRWKHUGULYHU¿OHRIÀLQHZD\VRUIURPDUXQQLQJGHYLFH
ration, please refer to corresponding device manual. RQOLQHZD\VWRXSGDWHFXUUHQWGULYHU¿OH

- )XQFWLRQ*URXS&RQ¿JXUDWLRQ Import may change device configurations, but not affect

)XQFWLRQJURXSFRQ¿JXUDWLRQFDQHQDEOHRUGLVDEOHGLIIHU- the internal fixed configurations. Normally, when the user
ent functions in the device. has several identical devices or multiple devices with
• Signal Grouping (Signal Setup) similar functions, Import function can be used to import the
7KHVLJQDOJURXSLQJIXQFWLRQFDQUHGH¿QHVRPHXVHUVLJQDO FRQ¿JXUHGLQIRUPDWLRQIURPRWKHUGHYLFHV
QDPHV&XUUHQWO\RQO\WKH8VHU'H¿QHJURXSFDQEHHGLWHG
• Upgrade to New Driver
• /&'&RQ¿JXUDWLRQ/&'&RQ¿J Upgrade to New Driver function is an operation on the currently
- Basic settings configured device, which use driver file from other driver file
PCS series devices have 2 types of LCD resolution: RIÀLQHZD\VRUIURPDUXQQLQJGHYLFHRQOLQHZD\VWRXSJUDGH
320×240 and 240×128. This parameter is preset and re- FXUUHQWGULYHU¿OH
quires no further change.
8SJUDGHWR1HZ'ULYHUGRHVQRWFKDQJHFXUUHQWFRQ¿JXUDWLRQV
- LCD graph import It only upgrades internal fixed configurations of the device.
PCS-Explorer can import an existed LCD graph into the Once the internal fixed configurations have been upgraded,
current project. please upgrade configurations of the current device using
Upgrade function.
- LCD toolbar
When clicking on the LCD main interface node, a graph • '133URWRFRO&RQ¿JXUDWLRQ
toolbar will appear on top of the editing window. The user If the device supports DNP 3.0 protocol, PCS-Explorer can
may edit and modify graphs according to the project’s re- EHXVHGWRFRQ¿JXUHFRPPXQLFDWLRQLQIRUPDWLRQPDSEDVHG
quirements. on DNP 3.0 protocol. DNP communication information file
- 6KRUWFXWNH\FRQ¿JXUDWLRQ can be exported, imported, downloaded or uploaded.
7KHGHYLFH¶VVHYHQIXQFWLRQNH\VRQWKH/&'SDQHO³Ÿ´

180
 www.nrec.com/en

• RIO File Export • Communication Information Export

PCS-Explorer can export RIO (Relay data Interchange All the IEC61850 dataset signals and remote control signals
IRUPDWE\2PLFURQIURPRIÀLQHFRQ¿JXUDWLRQRURQOLQHGHYLFH can be exported, the DNP communication information map
WREHXVHGE\20,&5217HVWHU&XUUHQWO\RQO\WKH5,2¿OH signals can also be exported.
of distance protection function of PCS-902 and PCS-931 can
be exported). • 2IÀLQH6HWWLQJV&RQ¿JXUDWLRQ
The PCS-Explorer software offers offline device settings
• Multi-user Authority Management FRQ¿JXUDWLRQLQFOXGLQJWKHVHOHFWLRQRIDFWLYHVHWWLQJJURXS
PCS-Explorer can set different operation authority for setting configuration, printing settings, importing/exporting
GLIIHUHQWXVHUE\FRQ¿JXULQJXVHULQIRUPDWLRQLQFOXGLQJXVHU settings, uploading/downloading settings, etc.
name, password and operation authority.
• Active Setting Group Selection
There are two types of settings: global setting (Global)
and group setting (Group 1-30). Global setting cannot be
replaced in the device. In setting groups Group1~Group30,
only one group is active in device operation. The active
setting group can be switched among the 30 groups when
required.

• 6HWWLQJV&RQ¿JXUDWLRQ
There are two types of settings: global settings (Global)
and group settings (Group1-30). Global settings include
system settings, function logic links, device parameters
and communication parameters (number of sub-nodes
may vary with different device models). Group settings are
mainly protection settings. Users can modify the value of
each setting according to the actual situation on site and the
protection requirement.
Figure 4 Distance protection function displaying with graph
• Operations of Setting File
To facilitate browsing and other operations of settings, the
PCS-Explorer also provides with various operations of
setting files, e.g. print/print preview settings, and import/
H[SRUWVHWWLQJ¿OHHWF

• Settings Downloading and Uploading

- Settings downloading
At settings nodes, users are allowed to directly download
settings to the device. After successful downloading of
settings, PCS-Explorer will automatically reboot the de-
vice to validate them.

- Settings uploading
Users can call settings file from specified device, and
compare them with current project settings. After suc-
cessful uploading, settings comparison window will be
opened automatically. In this window, users can apply
settings being used in the device to current project.
)LJXUH0XOWLXVHUDXWKRULW\FRQ¿JXUDWLRQ
Software

Online Debugging
• 8VHU/HYHO+0,&RQ¿JXUDWLRQ
User level HMI configuration supports configuring two In addition to offline device configuration, PCS-Explorer can
groups of analog quantity, status quantity group and user perform online debugging on devices.
level settings group, it can select the new added logic
programmed output variable to be configured to binary • IEC103Tool
state change reports, self-check reports and binary quantity IEC103Tool is the communication program of PCS-Explorer
waveforms. based on IEC 60870-5-103. Users can select and use View

181
Protection Automation Control

Online Status menu under the device node, or run this

program directly in the Start menu. Via this tool, users can
accomplish following functions:
- Check real-time information of the device, including basic de-
vice information, sampling values, all sorts of status, reports
and settings etc.;
- Save basic device information, status or measurement val-
ues to local directory;
- Display, refresh, export and delete device reports;
- $XWRPDWLFDOO\RSHQZDYHIRUP¿OHDQDO\VLVVRIWZDUHDQGXS-
ORDGZDYHIRUP¿OHV Figure 6 Visual debugging example
- Modify, download, print, export and import settings;
- Management settings download password;
- Remote control; PCS-Explorer also supports batch debug variable operation
- Binary output test; and batch close variable operation.

- Signal reset; • Device Diagnose

- Time synchronization etc. Device diagnose function enables PCS-Explorer sending
diagnose command to the device, and the device will check
• Visible Debugging its current state and report the result to PCS-Explorer.
Run PCS-Explorer and the default mode is edit mode.
However, PCS-Explorer also provides online debugging • On-line Virtual LCD Debugging
function. Virtual LCD can accomplish all the operations of the conventional
LCD panel, it provides more comprehensive and convenient
After entering debugging mode, double click connection
browsing and searching function, it can resolve the debugging
lines, the operating value of corresponding variable for
problem of the devices without LCD.
connection lines will be uploaded from device. Double click
again to close connection line debugging. Up to 20 signals Virtual LCD tool can be used to view the analog quantity, sta-
can be debugged simultaneously under one window. It shall tus quantity, settings, reports, information of the device, LED
be noticed that for connection lines with same signal source lights etc. It can also be used to set the settings.
in one window, the variables are only displayed where the
lines are double clicked.

182