Introduction to PSCAD

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 Tabbed Document Interface (TDI)

Toggle Ribbon Control Bar

Workspace

Messages
Design Editor Status Bar

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 Advances run by 1 time step
Stop Simulation
(while pause is invoked)

Change PSCAD plot step

Take a snapshot
Run Simulation Pause Simulation

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Project Settings dialog contains most features and settings related to simulation control in PSCAD. Important parameters, such as total
simulation time and time step, are here along with more advanced, project specific PSCAD and EMTDC features and processes.
General: Settings such as revision tracking and other file related information.
Runtime: Project related simulation controls.
Simulation: EMTDC related simulation controls.
Dynamics: PSCAD signal control and other features.
Mapping: PSCAD electric network related features.
Fortran: Fortran compiler and debug settings.
Link: Fortran and MATLAB linking options.
Project Settings can also be accessed from
- Right-click on the project title itself (either a case or a library) in the workspace window, and select Project Settings... From
the pop-up menu.
- Right-click on a blank area of the Design Editor and select Project Settings

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 Tools
1. Medic – Fortran Medic diagnostic tool
2. LiveWire – Post-analysis tool (optional)

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 To add components from Ribbon to circuit
1. Left click on the component of choice
2. Move cursor over to Design Editor
3. Left click again to place it in circuit
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 Save Project
New Project Open Project

Customizable with most icons from ribbons

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Library (*.pslx) Workspace
green icon (*.pswx)

Cases (*.pscx)
blue icon
Red dot indicates that changes have
been made since the last save

Right-click menu
on project name

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  If the user has multiple projects, they can be encapsulated into unique
workspaces
 Only one workspace can be loaded at a time

Workspace
options

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 Launch and run multiple EMTDC simulations
 Only projects loaded under the project branch may be added as a simulation in a
simulation set
 All simulations in a simulation set run simultaneously
 Control for multi-EMTDC can be found in two ways

Right click on
Run Button in the
simulation set
ribbon bar under Home

Simulation sets
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 A dock-able window for viewing component parameters
 The docked window will reflect the parameter dialog of whatever
component happens to be selected.
 Double-click the component to open a separate parameters dialog

click the Parameters in the View ribbon tab under Panes

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 Pin

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 Categories

Double click
here to see all
components in
this category

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 Model ribbon
 Double click master in Workspace
 Right click master in Workspace and select Open
 Press Ctrl + Right Click on an open area of the Design Editor

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 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
• Press Ctrl + Backspace
• Clicking the Up one module icon from Home ribbon
 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

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 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
(e.g. 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

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 Select components
 Add components to Design Editor
 Move, Cut, Copy, Paste
 Rotate and Flip
 Delete
 Change the order of graphically overlapping component
 Wire

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 Components can be selected two ways:
 Left click on the component to select it
• Home ribbon actions may now be used, as well as the
shortcuts keys
• To select Multiple components, hold down the Ctrl key and
left clicking the additional items
 Left click and hold to drag a box around (an) item(s)
• best for selecting multiple items
 Some actions can be performed on a component by
simply placing the cursor over it and using shortcut keys,
a box will form around the item once the cursor is in place
 Select an item first to access Right click menu

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 Some commonly used items on Component ribbon
• Left click an icon, then move the cursor over a blank
area in the Canvas and left click again to place it

Right click menu

 Right click a blank area and Select Add Component

 Copy components directly from the Master library
and paste them in the Canvas
• Or copy from other existing cases if loaded
 Press Ctrl + Right click, browse, left click the
desired component and then left click again to
place it in the Canvas

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 Left-click Drag & Drop to move items around
 Cut
• Move the cursor over an item or select it and press Ctrl + X
• Select the item(s) and click the Cut icon from Home ribbon
• Move the cursor over an item or select it, then right click and select Cut
 Copy
• Move the cursor over an item or select it and press Ctrl + C
• Select item(s) and click the Copy icon from Home ribbon
• Move the cursor over an item or select it, then right click and select Copy
• Ctrl + Left-click Drag & Drop
 You can release the Ctrl key once the cursor changes to the + symbol
 This method does not work with all components such as graph frames
 Paste
• Move the cursor over a blank area and press Ctrl + V
• Click the Paste icon from Home ribbon
• Right click on a blank area and select Paste

Right click menu

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 Select or move the cursor over a component and press R
to rotate it 90° clockwise
 Select or move the cursor over a component and press L
to rotate it 90° counter-clockwise
 Right click on the component and select Rotate Right, Right click menu

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 Components ribbon

 To Flip components vertically / horizontally:

• Select or move cursor over a component and press F / M
• Right click on the component and select Flip / Mirror
• Select the component and click the corresponding Flip icon
from Home ribbon

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 Components can be removed from the Canvas several ways
• Move the cursor over an item or select it and press the Delete key
• Some items are not removed when the Delete key is pressed (such as graph
frames) so they must be cut
 use any of the previously described methods to cut the object

 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

Right click menu

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 Wires can be added to a circuit in 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

Connected Not Connected Connected Connected

 The Pin component can be used to force a connection between wires that
cross

Components ribbon Master Library

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 To resize a wire left click and hold on an endpoint and then drag it to the
desired length
• Placing the cursor over a wire highlights it so you can determine its length
• Left clicking on a wire 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
 DO NOT use multiple small wires to make up a long one. ALWAYS resize a
single wire or use Wire Mode.

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 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
Components ribbon
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
 Wires created in Wire Mode can be resized by left clicking, Vertex
holding and dragging any vertex
 Wire Mode can form more complex shapes that are defined
as one entity (cannot delete one leg, only the entire shape
can be deleted)
 Click, hold and drag any other section of the wire to move
the entire shape

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