Fundamentals of PSCAD and General Applications

1. Fundamentals of PSCAD and General Applications The PSCAD Environment

2. Main Menu Bar Electrical Palette Workspace Controls Palette Design Editor Output Window Status Bar

3. Workspace Library (*.psl) Red Text indicates that changes have been made since the last save Cases (*.psc) Inactive Case Active Case

4. The Main Toolbar Up One Module Level Pan (Dynamic Scroll) Print Find Forward Create Default Module Load Project Copy Zoom Out Undo Back Cut Redo Wire Mode Zoom Control List Box Save Active Project Paste Zoom In Create New Component New Case Project (*.psc file) * Leave your cursor stationary over an icon for a few seconds if you are unsure of its function, a small popup will tell you its name

5. The Runtime Bar Compile modified modules (active project only) Stop Simulation (active project only) Make Project (active project only) Advances run by 1 time step (while pause is invoked) Change PSCAD plot step Control Settings template list Take a snapshot Run Simulation (active project only) Controls settings menu button Pause Simulation (active project only) Compile all modules (active project only)

6. The Rotation Bar Rotate selection clockwise Flip selection Mirror selection Rotate selection counter-clockwise

7. The Controls Palette Add Data Tap Add Data Merge Add Data Label Add Integer Constant Add Real Constant Add Import Add Export Add RadioLink Add Output Channel Add Slider Add Switch Add Dial Add Push Button Add Graph Frame Add XY Plot Add Control Panel Add Annotation Add Sticky Note Add Divider

8. The Electrical Palette Add Wire Add Resistor Add Inductor Add Capacitor Add Ground Add Node Label Add Xnode Add Breakout Add Pin Add Ammeter Add Voltmeter Add Voltmeter to Ground Add Multimeter Add Tline Configuration Add Tline Interface Add Cable Configuration Add Cable Interface

9. Creating a New Case Click File New  Case Click the New Case Icon Press Ctrl + N Creating a New Library Click File New  Library Loading an Existing Project Click File Load Project Click the Load Project Icon Press Ctrl + O

10. Saving a Project Right click the project name in the Workspace and then click Save or Save As - Save As will allow you to choose a new name and then save the project - Save will save the project with the current name, overwriting any previous version Click File  Save Active Project or Save Project As - Save Active Project will save the active project with the current name, overwriting any pervious version - Save Project As will allow you to rename the active project and then save it Press Ctrl + S to save the active project Click the Save Active Project Icon

11. Making a Case Active Right click the case name in the Workspace and then select Set as Active - The icon to the left of the case name will turn blue Unloading a Project Right click the project name in the Workspace and select Unload Select the project name in the Workspace then go to File Unload Project Select the project name in the Workspace and then press Ctrl + U Opening a Case in the Design Editor Double click the case name in the Workspace Right click the case name in the Workspace and select Open

12. The Master Library Categories Double click here to see all the components in this category

13. To Access the Master Library Double click master in the Workspace Right click master in the Workspace and select Open Press Ctrl + Right Click on an open area of the Design Editor Contents of the Master Library The components in the master library are organized into categories - Each category can be accessed by double clicking its arrow icon or right clicking the icon and selecting Open Some commonly used components can also be found on the main page of the master library Once you are inside a category within the master library you can go back to the main page by: - Right clicking an open area of the Design Editor and then select Up one module - Left clicking in an open area of the Design Editor and then press Backspace - Clicking the Up one module icon * It is good practice to left click an open area of the Design Editor prior to performing certain commands- if you have selected a component some actions may not be available

14. Selecting an Item Items can be selected two ways - Left click on the component to select it - The Edit menu (main menu bar) may now be used, as well as the shortcuts keys - Multiple components can be selected by holding down the Ctrl key and left clicking the additional items - Left click and hold to drag a box around an item or items - best for selecting multiple items Some actions can be performed on a component by simply placing your pointer over it and using shortcut keys, a box will form around the item once your cursor is in place * Right click menus can be accessed by first performing any of the methods listed above

15. Adding Components to the Design Editor Components for constructing your system can be found in a number of locations - Some commonly used items can be found on the Electrical and ControlsPalettes - Left click an icon and then move your cursor over an open area of the Design Editor and left click again to place the object - Right click an open area of the Design Editor and then Select Add Component -Copy items directly from the master library and then paste them in the Design Editor -Press Ctrl + Right Click, left click the menu items or leave your cursor stationary to navigate through the categories to the desired component, left click the item and then left click again to paste it * Once you are in the master library and have copied the component, open the Design Editor for your project so the item can be pasted

16. Moving and Cutting Components Left click and hold on the component and then move your mouse, to place the object release the left mouse button The components can also be cut and then paste to change their location - Move your cursor over and item or select it and then press Ctrl + X - Select the item(s) and click the Cut icon - Select the component(s) and then click Edit Cut - Move your pointer over an item or select it, then right click and select Cut Copying Components Move your cursor over the object or select it and press Ctrl + C Select the component(s) and click the Copy icon Select the item(s) and click Edit Copy Move your pointer over a component or select it, then right click and select Copy Left click and hold on an item, press and hold the Ctrl key and then drag the item and release the mouse button (drag and drop) • * You can release the Ctrl key once the pointer changes to the + symbol • This method does not work with all components such as plot frames

17. Pasting Components Move your pointer over a blank area of the Design Editor and press Ctrl + V Click the Paste icon Click Edit  Paste Right Click on a blank area of the Design Editor and select Paste Rotating Components Select or move your pointer over a component and press R to rotate it 90° clockwise Select or move your pointer over a component and press L to rotate it 90° counter-clockwise Right click on the component and select Rotate Right, Rotate Left or Rotate 180 Select the item(s) and click the Rotate Left icon Select the item(s) and click the Rotate Right icon

18. Flipping Components To Flip components vertically: - Select or move your pointer over an object and press F - Right click on the component and select Flip - Select the component and click the Flip Vertically icon To Flip components horizontally (mirror): - Select or move your pointer over an object and press M - Right click on the component and select Mirror - Select the component and click the Flip Horizontally icon

19. Deleting Components Components can be removed from the Design Editor several ways - Move your pointer over an item or select it and press the Delete key - Some items are not removed when the Delete key is pressed (such as plot frames) so they must be cut - use any of the previously described methods to cut the object Changing the Order of Components If one component is overlapping another you can select which one will be in front - Right click the component and select Bring to Front or Send to Back

20. Wires Wires can be added to your circuit several ways - Use the Wire icon from the Electrical Palette - Use Wire Mode - Copy and paste wires from other circuits, the master library etc…. Wires are assumed to be connected whenever the end point of one wires touches any point on another wire The Pin component can be used to force a connection between wires that cross Resizing Wires To resize a wire left click and hold on an endpoint and then drag it to the desired length - Placing your pointer over a wire will highlight it so you can determine its length - Left clicking on a wire will show its endpoints * You don’t need to left click the wire once before dragging the endpoints, you can simply click near an end, hold and drag Connected Not Connected Connected Connected

21. Wire Mode Wire mode is a quick way to create wires of any length or number of vertices - Start Wire Mode by pressing Ctrl + W or clicking the Wire Mode icon - Left click to place the starting point of the wire - Left click again to place a vertex or right click to end the wire - You can exit Wire Mode by pressing Esc, Ctrl + W or clicking the Wire Mode icon - Wire Mode can form more complex shapes that are defined as one entity (you can’t delete one leg, only the entire shape can be deleted) - Wires created in Wire Mode can be resized by left clicking, holding and dragging any vertex - Clicking, holding and dragging any other section of the wire will allow you to move the entire shape

22. Signal Types PSCAD has 2 signal types, Electrical and Data - These signals can not be directly connected to one another - Some components allow you to convert an Electrical signal to a Data Signal (such as ammeters, voltmeters, instrument transformers, etc…) - You can use a data signal to control some electrical sources - Wires work for both Electrical and Data signals - When the circuit is compiled the wire color will change if it is carrying a data signal - The wire will turn blue if it is carrying an Integer value - The wire will turn green if it is carrying a Real value