You are here: Using EasyPower With Other Programs > Using AutoCAD® to Read the File

Using AutoCAD® to Read the File

The simplest way to put the one-line drawing into AutoCAD®:

  1. Make sure you are in the EasyPower focus you want to be sent to AutoCAD®, and write to a DXF file as explained in Export Drawings to a DXF File.
  2. Use the AutoCAD® Import command to read the DXF file that you created in Step 1 into your AutoCAD® drawing.

Layer Names

The following is a list of the layers in the DXF files EasyPower creates. Using CAD system commands, you can turn on, turn off, rename, and otherwise manipulate these layers.

Layer Name Contents

OLI_EQUIP

Symbols associated with equipment—for example, transformers, motors, and so on.

OLI_FAULT

Buses that have been faulted in EasyPower's Short Circuit focus.

OLI_WARNING

EasyPower items that are highlighted as a warning. For example, buses with voltage violations (by default, highlighted in red on an EasyPower one-line) appear on this layer.

OLI_BUS

Ordinary buses (not faulted or highlighted).

OLI_LINE

Lines that connect buses and equipment together.

OLI_IDTEXT

Identification text, such as "BUS-XL21" or "TX-13."

OLI_ANTEXT

Analysis text.

OLI_INACTIVE

Items that were deactivated in EasyPower (by default, shown as dimmed on an EasyPower one-line).

OLI_NOTE_ALL

Notes visible in all focuses.

OLI_NOTE_DB

Notes visible in the Database Edit focus only.

OLI_NOTE_SC

Notes visible in Short Circuit focus only

OLI_NOTE_PF

Notes visible in Power Flow focus only

OLI_NOTE_HM

Notes visible in Harmonics focus only

OLI_METER

All meters.

SCADA Importing and Exporting

EasyPower enables the input and saving of motor, load, MCC, and Panel data through an ASCII file format. This provides a facility for reading in near real time data from a Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) or a Power Monitoring System. Near real time data is used for the control of generation and the utility inter-tie for maximum efficiency. It can also be used for reviewing histories to study specific events or problems.

In this same manner, data cases can be saved from real data and can be modified and reused for load forecasting, contingency, and what-if cases with minimal effort. The following information describes the ASCII file structure.

File Structure

File Header: Defines the EasyPower database file which created the ASCII load file. The header is not necessary for EasyPower to read the file. It is simply used as a reference to determine which database created the file. The file name is listed in the System Info dialog box in EasyPower.

If the file was created from a SCADA system or spreadsheet, the file header is not required.

Unit Header: Defines the units of all watt and var entries. Units can be watts, kW, or MW. EasyPower then scales the load data to the appropriate unit for the database.

UNIT=WATTS UNIT=kW UNIT=MW

Different units for different equipment types are allowed.

SPEC/SCADA Field: The SPEC/SCADA field determines if the data is placed in user Specified or SCADA data fields when it is read in. For files created from a SCADA system or spreadsheet, you will almost always use SCADA. For files saved from EasyPower both types are saved in the file. This field is not required for generators or utilities since the database does not support both Specified and SCADA entry for these types.

Load Field: There are three formats for importing load data. Each starts with a BEGIN statement and ends with an END statement. Below is a detailed description of each format:

Sample File

;Sample ASCII File Specification

FILE=BIGGER;This is the file header

 

UNIT=KW ;This is the units

 

BEGIN MOTORS;Beginning of motor section

M-1,SPEC,500,,-0.9,0.9,1.00,I,100 ;SPEC is read first and is the default

M-1,SCADA,423,-334,kji

M-14,SPEC,,,,,,,;These fields are allowed to be blank

M-14,SCADA,,,

END MOTORS ;End of motor section

 

UNIT=MW;Change the units

 

BEGIN LOAD1;Beginning of LOAD1 section

L-10,SCADA,0,0,0.5,0.2,0,0;SCADA is read first and is the default

L-10,SPEC,0,0,100,0.5,0.2,100,0,0,100

L-11,SCADA,,,,,,;These fields are allowed to be blank

L-11,SPEC,,,,,,,,,

END LOAD1;End of LOAD1 section

 

BEGIN LOAD2;Beginning of LOAD2 section

L-1,SPEC,20,10,50,25,25,;The last field can be left blank

L-1,SCADA,20,10,100,0,0,75

END LOAD2;End of LOAD2 section

 

BEGIN LOAD3;Beginning of LOAD3 section

inverter,SCADA,.5,.9,100;ID Names can be written in lower case

RECTIFIER,SPEC,.3,,;These fields are allowed to be blank

END LOAD3;End of LOAD3 section

 

BEGIN GENERATORS;Beginning of generator section

GEN-3,26.5,18,12,PV

GEN-4,,,,;These fields are allowed to be blank

END GENERATORS;End of generator section

 

BEGIN UTILITIES;Beginning of utility section

UTIL-1,0,0,115,Swing;Blank fields are same as for generator

END UTILITIES;End of utility section

Saving an ASCII File

EasyPower enables you to save motor, load, generator, and utility data to an ASCII file.

  1. With the one-line as the active window, click the EasyPower button and select Export > Database.
  2. In File name, type a file name.
  3. In the Save as type box, ensure SCADA data files (*.csv) is selected.
  4. Click Save

The Specified data for each utility and generator record is saved in the file. Additionally, the Specified and SCADA data for each load and motor record is saved in the file. The type which is selected in the database (either Specified or SCADA) is saved first in sequence for that record. (See the Sample File for clarification.) EasyPower saves the load data in the LOAD1 format.

Reading an ASCII File

You can import an ASCII file, as follows:

  1. With the one-line as the active window, click the EasyPower button and select Import.
  2. Select the CSV import file.
  3. Click Options to select which options are to be overwritten with the import.
  4. Figure 1: Import SCADA Data Options Dialog Box

  5. Click OK to save the options.
  6. Click Open to start the import.

As shown in the Sample File, the first type read (Specified or SCADA) for a record becomes the default type. Blank fields in a record leave that field unchanged in the database (refer to the sample file). The ID names in the ASCII file can be either upper case or lower case. The default is to overwrite existing data, but by choosing the Options button you can prevent certain data from being overwritten.

More Information

Using EasyPower with Other Programs  
     

www.easypower.com

EasyPower, LLC

7730 SW Mohawk St.

Tualatin, OR 97062

(503)655-5059

techsupport@easypower.com

feedback@easypower.com

EasyPower Version 9.7

Copyright © 1991-2016 EasyPower, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Help was last updated on 2/8/2016