PowerNet software

[Dave Loucks]

PowerNet Manuals and Documentation
(after clicking on this link, scroll to the bottom of the page that appears)

PowerNet was the replacement for Series III software when the release of Windows NT made it mandatory that this power monitoring software be upgraded (Series III did not run on NT).  Originally conceived as a maintenance upgrade, the scope of the project required a major rewrite.  Since the project scope expanded, the decision was to change the package from a running on a single PC to permitting different modules of the program to be loaded on multiple computers in a distributed client-server architecture.

These different modules included:

• Device Server
  This was the I/O scanner application.  Typically one or more computers and/or Netlinks were fitted with one or more CONI cards or MINTs with each collecting field bus data (INCOM twisted pairs, one INCOM network per CONI or MINT) from dozens to thousands of devices such as meters, protective relays or I/O.  The data was collected by the Device Server application and pushed onto the Ethernet network at a rate specified by the user (fast, slow, or on-demand only).
  
  More up-to-date information on CONIs and MINTs (as well as the more modern replacements called PowerXpert Gateways or PXGs) is available on the Eaton Communication Hardware web site .
  
  
• Modbus Gateway
  This application typically ran in a Netlink and would permit data available on the PowerNet Ethernet backbone to be shared with a Modbus RTU master.  The external Modbus master (such as a PLC, DCS or building manager system) could interrogate the PowerNet system to read data (such as voltage, current, etc.) or write data (to open or close breakers, etc.).
  
  
• Configurator
  Application that allowed the programmer to tell the PowerNet system which IQ devices were connected to which , provide a name, establish how fast the device should be polled, whether its data should be logged and if its data should be time stamped.
  
  
• License Manager
  Permitted "floating" licenses rather than connecting a license to a particular PC.
  
  
• Security Manager
  Created users on the PowerNet system, each with specific privledges.
  
  
• Setpoints / Trip Curve
  This application gave the user remote access to meter, circuit breaker and protective relay settings.  If the device was configured to permit remotely changing the setpoints, this application would configure the devices.  If remote changing was inhibited, this application would allow displaying the setpoints of the device(s).
  
  
• Tools
  This application collected data from the various device servers and stored it in a common ODBC database.  This database was commonly used with E-Bill and E-Trend to creating billing data using historical data.
  
  
• Waveform Viewer
  Allowed displaying and uploading waveform files collected in meters, protective relays and circuit breakers.
  
  
• DDE Server
  Allowed a remote computer running the Windows Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) and acting as a master to collect data from a PowerNet system as a DDE slave.
  
  
• Integrator
  An implementation of the Iconics Genesis^TM graphics software that communicated with PowerNet using the NetPower DDE Server application.  More details on the Integrator application can be found by viewing Appendix E of the PowerNet manual.
  
  
• E-Bill
  Allowed users to generate bills for energy consumers.  Included ability to change rate schedules, rate periods, seasons and individual billing formulas.
  
  
• E-Log DDE
  This application allowed non-Eaton programs to collect the energy data that was stored the PowerNet system from each of the devices.
  
  
• E-Trend
  This program displayed trended energy data graphically.