Page 110
©
2014 Magnum Energy, Inc
.
Using a PT Controller: Operation/Monitoring
CTRL:
04C PT Alarm Control
The alarm inside the PT controller can be programmed to turn on and off based on the battery
voltage, or turn on if a PT controller fault has occurred.
Default setting:
OFF
Range:
OFF, VDC, FAULT, ON
Info:
The alarm buzzer is located inside the controller and its sound level may be low.
If a louder sounding alarm is required, connect an external alarm to the Aux Relay.
Info:
When the
ON
,
OFF
, and
FAULT
settings are selected, the alarm turns on/off
without any time delay. The VDC setting has adjustable on and off delay settings.
• OFF
– Manually forces the alarm to stay off.
• ON
– Manually forces the alarm to stay on. This setting can also be used to test the alarm’s
sound and operation.
• VDC
– Automatically sounds the alarm based on adjustable DC voltage settings from the
SETUP: 06G PT Alarm
menu. The alarm uses the
Alarm ON Volts
and
Alarm OFF Volts
settings
to activate based on low or high battery voltage, and allows the alarm to be configured to
activate either as an “active high” or “active low” type alarm. This alarm also uses the
Alarm
ON Delay
and
Alarm OFF Delay
settings to control the PT alarm’s delay times (refer to the
SETUP: 06F PT Aux Relay
menu on page 106 for more information).
• FAULT
– This setting causes the alarm to stay off during normal operation, but sounds when
a PT controller fault is detected (see Section 5.3.4 “Fault Mode Messages” for a list of PT
controller faults).
Note
:
The Aux Relay automatically disengages when the PT fault is cleared.
CTRL:
04D PT MPPT Ctrl
To maximize energy harvest under partially shaded conditions, the PT controller performs an
initial sweep of the entire power-voltage characteristic of the array. It does this to ensure the ap-
proximated Maximum Power Point (MPP) is detected under partially shaded conditions. After this
initial sweep occurs, the sweep frequency (or how often the sweep occurs) can be changed in an
attempt to match the environmental conditions—using the following settings.
Default setting:
15 Min Sweep
Range:
5 Min Sweep, 15 Min Sweep, 1 Hour Sweep, Fixed Sweep
Info:
Unless there is an unusual environmental event that can change the MMP quickly,
such as fast moving clouds, then it is highly suggested that you not change the default
setting (15 Min Sweep).
• 5 Min Sweep¹
– After the initial sweep, performs a full sweep every 5 minutes.
• 15 Min Sweep¹
– After the initial sweep, performs a full sweep every 15 minutes.
• 1 Hour Sweep¹
– After the initial sweep, performs a full sweep every 60 minutes.
• Fixed
Sweep
– With this setting, there is no full sweep. At sunrise, the sweep begins and
holds at the
fi
rst peak and then increments around this point until sunset.
Info:
The
Fixed Sweep
setting is advantageous if used in areas with normally clear
skies and no obstructions on or around the array. However, if there are multiple peaks
as the result of partial shading, the controller may not be
fi
xated on the maximum
power point.
Note¹
– In each of these time sweeps, the PT controller continually increments to
fi
nd the MPP.