Testers
To guarantee that systems will function permanently and safely, regular inspections in the form of preventive maintenance are of great importance. IEC 62305 Part 3 and 4 therefore stipulates repeated tests of all surge protection components as part of the maintenance procedure.
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Due to the nature of their function, surge protection devices are subjected to particularly high stress and this can lead to an overload of individual components after a certain length of time, even in the case of powerful protective devices.
Most cascade protective circuits consisting of gas-filled surge arresters, varistors and suppressor diodes (coarse, medium and fine protection) can only be tested in a laboratory by qualified test and measurement personnel. Phoenix Contact, however, has developed an intelligent tester for the pluggable surge protection devices of the TRABTECH product range.
CHECKMASTER
The portable CHECKMASTER also provides the option of carrying out the test on-site. Thus the system to be protected is no longer left unprotected and exposed to possible surge voltage risks for the duration of the test in a laboratory.
It is also not necessary to keep replacement protective plugs in stock to bridge the period in which external testing is carried out.
Diagnostics function
The CHECKMASTER and the seamless pluggability of FLASHTRAB compact make it possible for the first time to carry out comprehensive electrical testing of triggered spark gaps and the ignition electronics of triggered spark gaps.
The result of the functional check is not just an OK/Fault statement. If the tolerance level of an arrester has been reached, a corresponding message is sent.
The tolerance level means that the arrester can still function, but has been subjected to stress several times in the past. As part of preventive maintenance, it is recommended to replace such an arrester.
Fields of application
A particular asset of the CHECKMASTER is the fact that it can be utilized in systems in which many protective devices are used, and/or where high safety and performance requirements are set for the system to be protected.
Special test sockets are used to adapt the various designs and circuits of the protective devices to the tester. There are currently eight test sockets with which most pluggable protective devices can be tested, for example, the plugs from the following product ranges
- PLUGTRAB PT,
- COMTRAB modular,
- VALVETRAB and
- FLASHTRAB / VALVETRAB compact.
Handling
The barcode scanner of the CHECKMASTER allows you to recognize the protective device to be tested fast and accurately.
If required, it is possible to enter additional information such as installation sites using a keyboard.
Documentation and logging
Within the scope of revisions, it is necessary to document tests being carried out in a comprehensible manner.
The CHECKMASTER has an RS 232/C, 24 V interface for connecting a printer or PC. This allows the results of the individual arrester tests to be processed in detail. The test protocol contains the order no. and the result of the test with date and time.
Each part to be tested can also be allocated its own name to allow further identification. For newer computers without a serial interface, there is an adapter cable to connect to the USB interface.
Future-proof
To perform an update, you need the free CHECKMASTER Update Tool, the corresponding project file, and a programming cable (Order No.: 288 15 57). The software components can be downloaded from the download center.
Connect the CHECKMASTER to the computer and start the CHECKMASTER Update Tool application program. Follow the instructions in the help file. Once the update has been completed successfully, you have the latest version with all the functions.
Summary
The CHECKMASTER is a tester that fulfills all the requirements of standards for function tests for surge arresters.
This latest standard gives your system availability a new quality.