In the low-voltage distribution sector, to monitor the operational status of the entire control system, the distribution system needs a human-machine interface (HMI) to display parameters of the equipment inside the electrical control cabinets. However, the HMI is absent from traditional residential circuit breakers. In this case, a certain electrical equipment manufacturer introduced an intelligent micro circuit breaker(MCB) product based on the FS9 touchscreen, offering smart control and user-friendly interactive experience.
Challenges
1. Dealing with a high number of connected devices (usually over a hundred units, communicated through Modbus-RTU)
2. Handling various devices that need to be flexibly configurated through HMI according to the situation, therefore a modular and standardized design of the HMI is required.
Solution
1. Low-Voltage Electrical Equipment: In a field setup, multiple electrical control cabinets will be present, each housing numerous devices, with a total device count ranging between 100 and 200. Based on Modbus-RTU communication protocol, to ensure communication quality, DTU will be deployed to connect to all lower-level serial devices, subsequently converted to Modbus-TCP to connect to HMI. The HMI will access DTU’s data via Modbus-TCP.
2. Smart MCB: Control cabinets will accommodate multiple MCBs, with a maximum of 72. Based on Modbus-RTU communication protocol, HMI will be directly connected to MCBs via 3 serial ports, while each port connected to 24 MCBs.
Benefits
1. Increased extendibility, meaning future addition or maintenance of the equipment only requires adjustments on templates, reducing maintenance costs.
2. Improved convenience and visualization, realized to check device status through mobile devices.
3. Provided real-time alarm notification,more secure and reliable.
