ASPEN

Overcurrent Curve Editor

Version 2013
User's Manual

Advanced Systems for Power Engineering, Inc.

i
 NOTICE

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor is a proprietary computer program of Advanced Systems for Power Engineering,
Inc. (ASPEN).

The information in this document is subject to change without notice. ASPEN assumes no responsibility for any errors
that may appear in this document.

Copyright 1988-2013 Advanced Systems for Power Engineering, Inc. All rights reserved.

HOW TO ORDER MORE MANUALS

This User's Manual may be duplicated by the Licensee for its own use. You can order a new copy by writing to the
address below. Please refer to document OE-UM-2013.

HOW TO REACH ASPEN

Mailing address: ASPEN

49 N. San Mateo Drive
San Mateo, CA 94401
U.S.A.

Telephone: (650)347-3997
Fax: (650)347-0233
eMail (English): support@aspeninc.com
eMail (Spanish/Portuguese) suporte@aspeninc.com
WEB Page: www.aspeninc.com

Our office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific time (GMT-8 in the winter; GMT-7 in the summer), Monday
through Friday.

_________________________________________________________________________________

ASPEN OneLiner, ASPEN Breaker Rating Module, ASPEN Power Flow, ASPEN DistriView,
PowerScript, ASPEN Relay Database, ASPEN Line Constants Program, and ASPEN Line Database
are trademarks of Advanced Systems for Power Engineering, Inc.

ii Contents ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013

Contents
SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................5
1.1 FEATURES ........................................................................................................................................................5
1.2 CURVE MODELING.........................................................................................................................................7
1.3 TAP UNITS ........................................................................................................................................................7
SECTION 2 INSTALLATION.............................................................................................................................9
2.1 INSTALLING THE PROGRAM........................................................................................................................9
2.2 STARTING THE PROGRAM............................................................................................................................9
2.3 FILES................................................................................................................................................................10
SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE .........................................................................................................11
3.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................11
3.2 MAIN WINDOW COMMANDS .....................................................................................................................12
FILE MENU ........................................................................................................................................................13
NEW COMMAND............................................................................................................................................................. 13
OPEN COMMAND............................................................................................................................................................ 14
SAVE COMMAND............................................................................................................................................................ 15
SAVE AS COMMAND...................................................................................................................................................... 16
PRINT SETUP COMMAND ............................................................................................................................................. 17
EXIT COMMAND............................................................................................................................................................. 18
DEVICE MENU...................................................................................................................................................19
OPEN COMMAND............................................................................................................................................................ 19
NEW COMMAND............................................................................................................................................................ 20
DELETE COMMAND....................................................................................................................................................... 25
DUPLICATE COMMAND................................................................................................................................................ 26
RENAME COMMAND ..................................................................................................................................................... 27
COPY FROM ANOTHER LIBRARY COMMAND ......................................................................................................... 28
REPORT COMMAND....................................................................................................................................................... 29
TAP MENU..........................................................................................................................................................30
OPEN COMMAND............................................................................................................................................................ 30
NEW COMMAND............................................................................................................................................................ 32
DELETE COMMAND....................................................................................................................................................... 33
DUPLICATE COMMAND................................................................................................................................................ 34
COPY FROM ANOTHER LIBRARY COMMAND ......................................................................................................... 35
REPORT COMMAND....................................................................................................................................................... 36
3.3 RELAY WINDOW COMMANDS...................................................................................................................37
CURVE MENU ....................................................................................................................................................38
EDIT COMMAND............................................................................................................................................................. 38
UNDO CHANGES COMMAND....................................................................................................................................... 40
PRINT COMMAND .......................................................................................................................................................... 41
CLOSE COMMAND ......................................................................................................................................................... 43
ZOOM MENU .....................................................................................................................................................44
SIZE 1.0x COMMAND...................................................................................................................................................... 44
SIZE 1.5x COMMAND...................................................................................................................................................... 45
SIZE 2.0x COMMAND...................................................................................................................................................... 46
SECTION 4 COMPATIBILITY ........................................................................................................................47
4.1 FORMAT COMPATIBILITY ..........................................................................................................................47
4.2 METHOD COMPATIBILITY ....................................................................................................................47
INDEX ........................................................................................................................................................................49

iii
iv Contents ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013
SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 FEATURES
Overcurrent curves used by ASPEN OneLiner and DistriView are stored in binary files called relay libraries. The
ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor is an auxiliary program for maintaining these files.
The ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor can accommodate any protective device or damage curve that is
characterized by a family of time-versus-current curves or operating equations. These protective devices
include:
Overcurrent relays, both phase and ground.
Fuses.
Reclosers.
Other low-voltage and industrial devices.

You can use the Curve Editor to:

Change the characteristics of existing devices in the relay library.

Add, duplicate, rename or delete curves in the library.
Copy curves from one library to another.
Produce a report of the relays and damage curves in the library.
Export a file containing relay curve parameters that can be downloaded directly to a GE DLP relay.

The program employs an interactive graphics interface. It allows you to display relay and damage curves on the
screen and change their characteristics with ease. Any changes you make are reflected immediately in the
graphical display of the curves.
The Curve Editor also helps you maintain the tap units in the relay libraries. The tap unit is a component of the
overcurrent relay models within OneLiner and DistriView. Each tap unit can be either discrete or continuous.
The program allows you to:
Change the tap values of existing tap units.
Add, rename or delete tap units in the library.
Copy tap units from one library to another.
Produce a report of tap units in the library.

Note: For brevity, the terms "relay" and "relays" are used in this manual to refer to overcurrent protective
devices in general. Thus a "relay" can be an ordinary phase or ground relay, a fuse, a recloser or any other
protective device.

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION 5

The following are examples of curves created and maintained by the program.

6 SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013

1.2 CURVE MODELING
The program employs two methods to model the curves: by points and by equation.
POINTS METHOD
Each curve, including those for intermediate time dials, is specified by a collection of up to 40 discrete points.
To display or calculate the curve, the program simply joins adjacent points with straight-line segments.
EQUATIONS
The curves are described by an equation of this form:
a1 D
T= + a 2 D + a3
( M + b1 ) b2 + b3
In this equation, T is the trip time in seconds, D is the time dial, M is the tap multiple, and the rest are constants
provided by relay manufacturers.

1.3 TAP UNITS

The tap unit models the discrete or continuous nature of the actual tap unit in the field. This program allows you
to add new tap units, modify the values of existing units and remove tap units from the library. Each tap unit
can be continuous or discrete.
Continuous: The tap unit is specified by a minimum and a maximum value. In OneLiner and
DistriView, the user can select any value within the range. For example, a tap unit may have the values
5, 10, 30, and 50 amperes.
Discrete : The tap unit has three or more discrete values. In OneLiner and DistriView, the user is
prompted to select one of these values.

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION 7

SECTION 2 INSTALLATION

2.1 INSTALLING THE PROGRAM

The Overcurrent Curve Editor is installed during the installation of OneLiner or DistriView. See Section 2 in
the respective Getting Started Manual for details.

2.2 STARTING THE PROGRAM

On the Windows desktop, look for a program group labeled OneLiner or DistriView. Inside the program group
you will find an icon labeled 'Overcurrent Curve Editor' that looks like this:

Start up the Overcurrent Relay Editor:

1. Double click on the Overcurrent Relay Editor icon to start the program.
When the program starts up, you will see the Main Window.

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 2 INSTALLATION 9

2.3 FILES
The input data files for the program are binary files called relay libraries. By convention, relay libraries have an
.RLY extension. These libraries contain the parameters of curves and tap units. The Overcurrent Curve Editor
can be used to create new and edit existing libraries.
The relay libraries created by the program v3.1 and later have a different format than those created by previous
versions of the program. The version does not work with relay files prior to v3.1.
Note: Please contact ASPEN Tech Support if you need to convert an old file to the new format.
The program generates the following files:
Relays report file with .REP extension: The relays report file contains a list of the relay's names and
annotations in the relay library in the text form.
Taps report file with .REP extension: The taps report file contains a list of the tap's names and units in
the relay library in the text form.
GE DLP Data File with .TXT extension: This text file contains the relay curve parameters in a form that
can be downloaded directly into a GE DLP relay.

10 SECTION 2 INSTALLATION ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013

SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE

3.1 INTRODUCTION
This section documents the commands in the Main Window and in the Relay Window.

Main Window Commands

The Main Window has commends to open and save relay libraries, and to manage the curves and tap units
within the libraries. The commands in the Main Window are described in Section 3.2.

Relay Window Commands

The Relay Window is used to display and edit the curves. The commands in the Relay Window are described in
Section 3.3.
______________________________________________________________________

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE 11

3.2 MAIN WINDOW COMMANDS
The Main Window contains menus for manipulating libraries, curves and tap units. The client area of the
window is initially dark gray. After a library is opened or created, the name of the library is shown in the
window caption bar.

12 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013

Main Window
FILE MENU
NEW COMMAND
The New command lets you create a new relay library.
TO CREATE A NEW LIBRARY:
1. Select the File | New command.
A dialog box will appear asking you to specify the name of the new
library.
2. Use the controls in the standard file dialog box to specify the name of the
new library.
You should name all your library files with the .RLY extension.
3. Click on "OK" to close the dialog box.
The screen will turn to a white background and the library name will
appear at the top of the Main Window.

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE 13

Main Window
FILE MENU
OPEN COMMAND
The Open command lets you open an existing library for editing.
TO OPEN AN EXISTING LIBRARY:
1. Select the File | Open command.
A dialog box will appear asking you for the name of the library that you
want to open.
2. Use the controls in the standard file dialog box to specify the name of the
library.
3. Click on "OK" to close the dialog box.

14 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013

Main Window
FILE MENU
SAVE COMMAND
The Save command saves the current library to disk under the current library name. The contents of the old
library are overwritten by the new information. It is wise to periodically save the file you are editing to guard
against information loss in the event of a program or system failure.
TO SAVE A LIBRARY:
1. Select the File | Save command.
The cursor will turn into an hourglass while the current library is being
written to disk. You may continue working after the cursor is restored to
the original arrow shape.

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE 15

Main Window
FILE MENU
SAVE AS COMMAND
The Save As command saves the current library to disk under a different name. The original library is not
altered.
TO SAVE THE LIBRARY UNDER A NEW NAME:
1. Select the File | Save As command.
A dialog box will appear asking you to specify the name of the library.
2. Use the controls in the standard file dialog box to specify the name of the
library.
You should name all your library files with the .RLY extension.
3. Click on "OK".
The cursor will turn into an hourglass while the current library is being
written to disk. The new file name will appear in the caption bar of the
Main Window. You may continue working after the cursor is restored to
the original arrow shape.

16 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013

Main Window
FILE MENU
PRINT SETUP COMMAND
The Print Setup command in the Main Window allows you to select and setup your printer.
1. Select the File | Print Setup command.
A dialog will appear.

You should follow the procedure in your Microsoft Windows manual to

configure your printer.

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE 17

Main Window
FILE MENU
EXIT COMMAND
The Exit command lets you close the current library and shut down the program.
TO EXIT THE OVERCURRENT CURVE EDITOR:
1. Select the File | Exit command.
If no library has been opened or if the current library has not been
changed, the Main Window of the program will simply disappear.
If the current library has been modified, a dialog box will appear asking
you whether the changes should be saved.

2. Click on "Yes" if you wish to save the updated library; otherwise click on
"No".
The program will shut down and its window will disappear.

18 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013

Main Window
DEVICE MENU
OPEN COMMAND
The Open command allows you to open a curve for viewing or editing.
Note: This menu command is grayed and cannot be activated if the current library has no relays.
TO OPEN A CURVE:
1. Select the Device | Open command.
A dialog box will appear asking you to select a relay curve or a damage
curve.

2. Locate the curve of interest by enter a portion of the relay in the edit box.
The program will scroll into view the curve whose name best matches the
name you entered.
3. Select a device to be opened and click on "OK".
A Relay Window will appear displaying the curve(s).

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE 19

Main Window
DEVICE MENU
NEW COMMAND
The New command allows you to create a new relay or damage curve.
TO CREATE A NEW CURVE:
1. Select the Device | New command.
A dialog box will appear asking you the name and parameters of the new
relay or damage curve.

2 Enter in the name of the new relay or damage curve in 'Name'.

The name can be up to 12 characters long.
3. Select the type: Click on:
Relay or Recloser: Typically a relay has a family of curves, each
associated with a time-dial value. A recloser
usually has just one curve. (The fast and slow
curves of a recloser are considered curves of
two different devices.) The recloser curve
must have a time dial of 1.0.
Fuse: A fuse has two curves: the minimum-melt
curve and the total-clear curve. These curves
must have time dial of 1.0 and 2.0,
respectively.
Damage curve: A damage curve has one or two curves. If the
curve has one curve, the time-dial value of the
curve must be 1.0. If it has two curves, the
bottom curve must have a time dial of 1.0, and
the top curve must have a time dial of 2.0.
Compounded Curve OC Device:
This class of device can have up to four
overcurrent tripping functions: Long time,
Short time, High current and Ground. Each of
the functions has two curves: the Min (time
dial=1) and the Max (time dial=2),
respectively.

20 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013

 4. Select how the curves will be specified.
Points: Each curve is specified by up to 40 points. The
points method can be used for all curve
types.
Standard Equation: The curves associated with different time dials
are described by a single equation. The
standard equation is intended for relays. The
program does not prevent you from using it
for reclosers or fuses, however.
5. Click on "OK" to close the 'Curve Parameters' dialog box.
Depending on the type of curve parameters, one of the following
sequences of dialog boxes will appear.
CURVES SPECIFIED BY POINTS:

6a: Enter the points.

MANUAL METHOD
Press Add under the Time Dial group box.
This dialog box will appear.

Enter a time dial value in the edit box and press "OK".
Enter points for this time dial using the Add Point button.
Each point has an x and a y value. The x coordinate represents the tap
multiple of relay and amps for fuses. The x coordinate of a recloser
curve can be either multiple of pickup or amperes. The y coordinate
represents time delay in seconds.

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE 21

 Each curve must have at least two points, but not more than 40 points.
Repeat this process for each time dial. When finished, go to step 7.
USING POINTS FILES
Press the Load button under the Time Dials group box to read the
x-y coordinates from a points file.
The points file is a text file containing x-y coordinates for a single time
dial. An example points file is shown below. The lines that begin with
keywords Memo= and Time dial= are optional but if they are present
they must appear first. Use \n in the Memo field to indicate line break
in the curve annotation. The rest of the file contains a number of x-y
coordinates, delimited by tab character. The x coordinate represents the
tap multiple of relay and amps for fuses. The x coordinate of a recloser
curve can be either multiple of pickup or amperes. The y coordinate
represents time delay in seconds.
Memo=Curve annotation\nCreated 1/1/2011
Time dial=11
1. 20.
1.5 15.4
2. 10.
15 1.054
20 0.8573

Once the program reads in the coordinates from the points file, it will list
the coordinates in the list box on the right. Each point is given an index
in the first column, starting with 1 for the first coordinate pair, 2 for
the second coordinate pair, and so on. The index of the last entry is the
total number of points for this time dial.

The points file can have any number of x-y pairs. However, if the number
exceeds 40, you will get a warning message advising you to reduce the
number of points to 40 or less (with the Delete Point command) before
you go on to the next time dial.
Repeat this process for each time dial. When finished, go to step 7.

22 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013

CURVES SPECIFIED BY AN EQUATION:

6b: Enter the equation and other parameters.

Press the Edit button under the Time Dial group box to enter the time
dials.
The following dialog box will appear.

Enter up to 13 time dial values in the edit boxes and press OK.
The time-dial values can be in any order. The program will sort them
automatically. The values you entered will appear in the list box under Time
Dial.
The minimum and maximum time-dial values determine the time-dial range of
this device. For each time-dial value you enter, the program will draw a curve in
the Relay Window during editing.
Enter the equation coefficients in the edit boxes labeled a1, a2, a3, b1,
b2 and b3.

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE 23

 These coefficients are from the following standard equation for relays :
a1 D
T= + a 2 D + a3
( M + b1 ) b2 + b3
In this equation T is the trip time in seconds, D is the time dial, M is the
tap multiple or current magnitude in amperes.
Enter the range of tap multiples or current magnitude in the edit
boxes labeled Min and Max.
7. Enter notes on this device in the Annotation memo box.
8. Enter x and y value range for Compounded Curve OC device curves.
Include a line in the curve Annotation field with acceptable range of the x
and y input in the format:
tpn=[X1,X2,Xmin-Xmax] ttn=[Y1,Y2,Ymin-Ymax]
where:
tpn= is list of acceptable X value. Set n equal 1 to 4 for the Long time
time, short time, High current and Ground trip functions respectively
ttn= is list of acceptable Y value (trip time in seconds). Set n equal 1 to 4
for the Long time, short time, High current and Ground trip functions
respectively.
X1, X2 are allowed discrete values of X input for the protection
function.
Xmin-Xmax is range of acceptable X input for the protection function
Y1, Y2 are allowed discrete values of Y input that are acceptable for the
protection function.
Ymin-Ymax is range of acceptable Y input for the protection function
When curve with annotation field containing input value range is used in
ASPEN OneLiner and DistriView programs, user can enter only X and Y
value that is one of the allowed discrete values or inside specified ranges.
9. Press the OK button.
The dialog box will disappear and the curves will be drawn in the Relay
Window.

24 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013

Main Window
DEVICE MENU
DELETE COMMAND
The Delete command allows you to remove one or more device curves from the library.
TO DELETE A RELAY:
1. Select the Device | Delete command.
A dialog box will appear asking you to select the relay to delete.
2. Select relay to be deleted.
Enter the name the relay to be deleted in the Find edit box. The program
will scroll into view the curve you are seeking.
Click on the relay name to highlight it.

3. Press Delete to delete the device you just highlighted.

A dialog box will appear to ask you to confirm the deletion of the device.

The name of the deleted relay will disappear from the list box. The
highlight will move to the next item in the list box.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you are done deleting curves. Click on "Done"
when finished.
The dialog box will disappear.

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE 25

Main Window
DEVICE MENU
DUPLICATE COMMAND
The Duplicate command allows you to create a new relay by duplicating the characteristics of a relay that is
already in the library.
TO DUPLICATE A RELAY:
1. Select the Device | Duplicate command.
A dialog box will appear asking you to select the relay to duplicate.
2. Select relay to be duplicated.
Enter the name the relay to be duplicated in the Find edit box. The
program will scroll into view the curve you are seeking.
Click on the relay name to highlight it.

3. Click on "Duplicate".
A dialog box will appear asking for the name of the new relay. The name
can have up to 12 characters.

The old name will remain unchanged in the list box. The new relay name
will appear highlighted.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you are done renaming curves. Click on "Done"
when finished.
The dialog box will disappear.

26 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013

Main Window
DEVICE MENU
RENAME COMMAND
The Rename command allows you to rename one or more device curves.
TO RENAME RELAYS:
1. Select the Device | Rename command.
A dialog box will appear asking you to select the names of the relays to
rename.

2. Select relay to be renamed.

Enter the name the relay to be renamed in the Find edit box. The
program will scroll into view the curve you are seeking.
Click on the relay name to highlight it.
3. Click on "Rename".
A dialog box will appear asking for the new name. The name can have up
to 12 characters.

Enter in the new name and click on "OK".

4. Click on "Done" to close the dialog box.

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE 27

Main Window
DEVICE MENU
COPY FROM ANOTHER LIBRARY COMMAND
The Copy From Another Library command allows you to copy one or more relay curves from a second library
into the current library. Any relay from the second library that has the same name as an existing relay will,
after confirmation, supersede the corresponding relay in the current library.
TO COPY RELAYS FROM ANOTHER LIBRARY:
1. Select the Device | Copy from another library command.
2. Use the controls in the standard file dialog box to specify the name of the
source library and then click on "OK".
A dialog box will appear listing the names of the relays in the source
library.

3. Select one or more relays to copy from the source library by highlighting
the relay names. Press Select All if you wish to select all the devices.
4. Click on "Copy".
Each time the program finds that a relay from the source library with the
same name as a relay already in the current library, you will see the
following dialog box.

Click on "Yes" to overwrite the existing relay in the current library;

otherwise click on "No".
When all the selected relays have been copied, the 'Copy Relays' dialog
box will disappear.

28 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013

Main Window
DEVICE MENU
REPORT COMMAND
The Report command gives you a report of the relay curves and damage curves in the current library.
TO OUTPUT RELAYS REPORT:
1. Select the Device | Report command.
A dialog box will appear asking you to specify the name of the relay
report.
2. Use the controls in the standard file dialog box to specify the name of the
relay report.
You should name all your report files with the .REP extension.
3. Click on "OK".
Once the program accepts the file name, the dialog box will disappear. A
list of names and annotations of the relays or damage curves in the
current library will be written to the file.
A sample report is shown below:

Relays in library C:\Aspen05\ABB.rly

A-60
BBC Brown Boveri Overcurrent Relay: Type A,Inverse,
60cycles.
Created 5/22/95.
ABB-PCD-11
ABB PCD Recloser curve 11(141)
T=D*(21.6149/(M^2.69489-1)+10.6768)
Created 05/08/2003
ABB-PCD-2
ABB PCD Recloser curve 2(135)
T=D*(11.4161/(M^1.84911-1)+0.488986)
Created 05/08/2003
ABB-PCD-3
ABB PCD Recloser curve 3(140)
T=D*(13.5457/(M^1.76391-1)+0.992904)
Created 05/08/2003
ABB-PCD-8
ABB PCD Recloser curve 8(113)
T=D*(1.68546/(M^1.78873-1)+0.158114)
Created 05/08/2003

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE 29

Main Window
TAP MENU
OPEN COMMAND
The Open command allows you to open a tap unit for editing.
Note: This menu command is grayed and cannot be activated if the current library has no tap units.
TO OPEN A TAP UNIT:
1. Select the Tap | Open command.
A dialog box will appear asking you to select the tap unit to open.

2. Select a tap unit to view and edit.

Enter the name the tap unit to be renamed in the Find edit box. The
program will scroll into view the tap unit you are seeking.
Click on the tap unit name to highlight it. Press OK.
A dialog box of the selected tap unit will appear.

3. Change the name of the tap unit, if necessary.

30 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013

 4. Edit the tap values and notes, as needed.
The tap values can be in any order. The program will sort it automatically.
5. Click on "OK" to accept the new tap-unit parameters.
The dialog box will disappear.

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE 31

Main Window
TAP MENU
NEW COMMAND
The New command allows you to create a new tap unit.
TO CREATE A NEW TAP UNIT:
1. Select the Tap | New command.
An empty tap-unit dialog box will appear.

2. Enter the name of the new tap unit.

The names can have up to 8 characters.
3. Specify tap type: Continuous or Discrete.
4. Input the tap values in amperes.
If the tap type is continuous, enter the minimum and
maximum value of the range.
Enter three or more values if the tap type is discrete. You can
enter the tap values in any order. The program will sort it
automatically.
5. Optional: Enter notes in the Annotation edit box.
6. Click on OK to create the new tap unit.
The dialog box will disappear.

32 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013

Main Window
TAP MENU
DELETE COMMAND
The Delete command lets you remove one or more tap units from the library.
TO DELETE A TAP UNIT:
1. Select the Tap | Delete command.
A dialog box will appear asking you to select the tap units to delete.

2. Select a tap unit to be deleted.

Enter the name the tap unit to be deleted in the Find edit box. The
program will scroll into view the tap unit you are seeking.
3. Click on the tap unit name to highlight it. Press Delete.
A message box will appear asking you to confirm the deletion.

Click on "Yes" to delete the unit; otherwise click on "No".

The name of the deleted tap unit will disappear from the list box. The
highlight will move to the next item in the list box.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for all the tap units that you wish to delete. When
finished, click on Done to close the dialog box.

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE 33

Main Window
TAP MENU
DUPLICATE COMMAND
This command allows you to create a new tap unit by duplicating the tap setting of a tap unit that is already in
the library.
TO DUPLICATE TAP UNITS:
1. Select the Tap | Duplicate command.
A dialog box will appear asking you to select an existing tap unit to be
duplicated.

2. Select a tap unit to be duplicated.

Enter the name of the tap unit to be duplicated in the Find edit box. The
program will scroll into view the tap unit you are seeking.
3. Click on the tap unit name to highlight it. Click on Duplicate.
A dialog box will appear asking for the name of the new tap unit.

4. Enter the name of the new tap unit and click on OK.
The old name will remain unchanged in the list box. The new tap-unit
name will appear highlighted.
5. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for all the tap units that you wish to duplicate. When
finished, click on Done to close the dialog box.
The dialog box will disappear.

34 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013

Main Window
TAP MENU
COPY FROM ANOTHER LIBRARY COMMAND
The Copy from Another Library command allows you to copy one or more tap units from a second library into
the current library. Any tap unit from the second library that has the same name as an existing tap unit will, after
confirmation, supersede the corresponding tap unit in the current library.
TO COPY TAP UNITS FROM ANOTHER LIBRARY:
1. Select the Tap | Copy from another library command.
A dialog box will appear asking you for the source library from which to
copy the tap unit.
2. Use the controls in the standard file dialog box to specify the file name of the
source library, and then click on "OK".
A dialog box will appear listing the names of the tap units in the source
library.

3. Select one or more tap units by click on the names. You can also click on
"Select All to select all the tap units. Click on Copy.
Each time the program finds that a tap unit from the source library with
the same name as a tap unit already in the current library, you will see the
following message box.

Click on "Yes" to overwrite the existing tap unit; otherwise click on "No".
When all the selected tap units have been copied, the Copy Tap Units
From Another Library dialog box will disappear.

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE 35

Main Window
TAP MENU
REPORT COMMAND
The Report command gives you a report on all the tap units in the current library.
TO GENERATE A TAPS REPORT:
1. Select the Tap | Taps Report command.
A dialog box will appear asking you to specify the name of the taps
report.
2. Use the controls in the standard file dialog box to specify the name of the
taps report.
You should name all your report files with the .REP extension.
3. Click on "OK".
Once the program accepts the file name, the dialog box will disappear. A
list of the names and parameters of the taps in the current library will be
written to the file. A sample tap-unit report is shown below.
Tap units in library C:\Aspen05\Aspen.rly
1 GC1
Tap values: 0.25 0.5 0.75 1. 1.25 1.5 1.75 2. 2.25 2.5
2.75 3. 3.25
2 GC2
Tap values: 3.5 3.75 4. 4.25 4.5 4.75 5. 5.25 5.5 5.75
6. 6.25 6.5
3 GC3
Tap values: 6.75 7. 7.25 7.5 7.75 8. 8.25 8.5 8.75 9.
9.25 9.5 9.75

36 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013

3.3 RELAY WINDOW COMMANDS
The Relay Window displays the curves for a relay. Up to two Relay Windows can be open at one time.
The name of the relay is shown in the caption bar at the top of the window. The coordinates of the cursor
(whenever the cursor is within the window) are shown near the lower left corner of the window.
The commands in the Relay Window are described in this section.

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE 37

Relay Window
CURVE MENU
EDIT COMMAND
The Edit curves command lets you change the parameters of the curves.
TO EDIT THE CURVE PARAMETERS:
1. Select the Show | Edit curves command.
Depending on the method used to model the curves, one of the following
dialog boxes will appear.
CURVES MODELED BY AN EQUATION:

2a. Make necessary changes in the edit boxes.

Parameters that you can change directly include the equation coefficients,
the range of tap multiples or current magnitude, and the annotation.
Please refer to the documentation for the Device | New command in the
Main Window for the meaning of various the curve parameters.
3a. Add or remove time dials.
Click on Edit.
The time-dial dialog box will appear.
Delete a time dial by blanking out an edit box. Modify a time dial by
changing its value. Add a time dial by typing its value in any blank
edit box.
4a. Press the OK button.
The updated curves will appear in the Relay Window.
Skip the rest of the instructions for this command.

38 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013

 CURVES MODELED BY POINTS:

2b. Click on any time dial value on the Time Dials list box.
The program will show the x-y coordinates for that time dial on the
Points list box.
Make necessary changes to the point coordinates by means of the
Remove Point and Add Point buttons.
Alternatively, you can overwrite all the points for the current time
dial by pressing Load and read in a new points file.
3b. Add or remove time dials.
Use the Remove and Add button to remove or add a time dial.
Please refer to the documentation for the Device | New command in the
Main Window for more information on this dialog box.
4b. Modify the annotation as needed.
5b. Press the OK button.
The updated curve will appear in the Relay Window.

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE 39

Relay Window
CURVE MENU
UNDO CHANGES COMMAND
An edit session for a relay or damage curve begins when you execute the Device | Open command (in the Main
Window) to open the Relay Window. The edit session ends when you close the Relay Window.
Any time during the session, you can execute the Undo Changes command to revert the curve back to the way it
was at the beginning of the session.
TO UNDO CHANGES:
1. Select the Curve | Undo Changes command.

The relay will reappear to the way it was at the beginning of the session.

40 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013

Relay Window
CURVE MENU
PRINT COMMAND
The Print command lets you print the relay curves using the current printer. You may change the current printer
using the Select Printer command in the Main Window.
TO PRINT THE RELAY CURVES:
1. Select the Curve | Print command.
A dialog box will appear asking you to input a scaling factor, size of the
font, and the typeface. The name of the printer will be shown at the top
of the dialog box.

2. Enter in a scaling factor in "Scaling Factor".

The scaling factor allows you to adjust the size of the image on the
printed page. When the scaling factor is 1.0, the program will map the
visible portion of the relay curves to the printed page. When the scaling
factor is less than 1.0, all the curves will be reduced in size and a larger
portion will be copied onto the printed page. You can experiment with
different values of scaling factor to find the one that works best for your
printer and paper size.
3. Enter the font size in "Font size".
Font size controls the height of the type in units of points defined as
multiples of 1/72 of an inch. The font size is unaffected by the scaling
factor. For example, a 10-point font will be 10/72 inch high on the
printed page no matter what the value of the scaling factor happens to be.
For this reason, you will usually specify a small font size to go with a
small scaling factor.
4. Select a typeface in the list box labeled "Type Face".
The typeface controls the style of the type which will be used when
printing the numbers, names, etc. The typefaces shown in the list box are
those available on your printer. Some common typefaces are Courier,
Helvetica and Times Roman. The program uses Helvetica on your
monitor. You may wish to select another typeface if 1) Helvetica is not
available on your printer or 2) you prefer the appearance of another
typeface.

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE 41

 5. Click on "OK".
The dialog box will disappear and printing will begin.
Printing is done in two stages. During the first stage, the program writes
the graphics commands to a temporary metafile. While this is being
done, you will see a dialog box with the words "Printing in progress" on
the screen. At the end of this phase, the dialog box will disappear.
During the second stage, a Windows program called Print Manager will
translate the graphics commands in the metafile to low-level commands
that can be understood by the printer. The Print Manager icon will
appear at the bottom of your screen although it may not be visible if it is
covered by another window.
You may continue working on the program after the Printing-In-Progress
dialog box disappears.
The Print Manager will work in the background sending output to the
printer.
For more information on Print Manager, see the Print Manager chapter of
the Microsoft Windows User's Guide.

42 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013

Relay Window
CURVE MENU
CLOSE COMMAND
The Close command lets you close the Relay Window and return to the Main Window.
TO CLOSE THE CURVE WINDOW:
1. Select the File | Close command to close the Curve Window.

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE 43

Relay Window
ZOOM MENU
SIZE 1.0x COMMAND
The Size 1.0x command displays the relay curves with no magnification.
TO DISPALY THE RELAY CURVES UNDER NORMAL MAGNIFICATION:
1. Select the Zoom | Size 1.0x command.
The window will be redrawn with no magnification.

44 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013

Relay Window
ZOOM MENU
SIZE 1.5x COMMAND
The Size 1.5x command displays the relay curves at 1.5 times the normal magnification. When redrawn, the
window will be centered at the position last clicked with the mouse.
TO DISPALY THE RELAY CURVES WITH 1.5x MAGNIFICATION:
1. Select the Zoom | Size 1.5x command.
The window will be redrawn at 1.5 times the normal magnification.

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE 45

Relay Window
ZOOM MENU
SIZE 2.0x COMMAND
The Size 2.0x command shows the relay curves at 2.0 times the normal magnification. When redrawn, the
window will be centered at the position last clicked with the mouse.
TO DISPALY THE RELAY CURVES WITH 2.0x MAGNIFICATION:
1. Select the Zoom | Size 2.0x command.
The window will be redrawn at 2.0 times the normal magnification.

46 SECTION 3 COMMAND REFERENCE ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013

SECTION 4 COMPATIBILITY

4.1 FORMAT COMPATIBILITY

There are two versions of relay library files: Version 1, and the current version. You are unlikely to have a
Version-1 file because it has been obsolete since 1990.
This version of the Curve Editor is not able to read Version 1 files. If you have a Version-1 file, please call
ASPEN for assistance.

4.2 METHOD COMPATIBILITY

Version 4 of the Curve Editor is the first 32-bit implementation. It supports both the Point Model and the
Equation Model of previous versions.
Version 4 does not have the capability to edit curves that were built with the Splines model of previous versions.
When you ask the V4 to edit a splines curve, the editor will first convert the splines to points before showing
you the Points Model dialog box. The edited curves are modeled by points thereafter.
Version 4 leaves splines curves unchanged if you not edit them.
Outputs of Curve Editor V4 are compatible with any OneLiner and DistriView programs that work with outputs
of Relay Editor V3.

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 SECTION 4 COMPATIBILITY 47

 save library 15
save library under another name 16
tap unit report 10

L
Index Library
create new 13
open existing 14
save current 15
save current as 16

P
Points File 22
Points Method 7
C Print Curves 41
Compatibility Printer
with OneLiner and DistriView 47 setup 17
with previous versions of Relay Editor 47
Compounded Curve OC Device 20, 24 S
Curve Models
by equation 7 Standard Equation for Relays 24
by points 7
T
D Tap Unit 7
Damage Curve copy from another library 35
create new 20 create a report of 36
Device create new 32
copy from another library 28 delete 33
create new curve 20 duplicate 34
delete 25 open for editing 30
duplicate 26 Time Dials 23
edit parameters 38 for recloser, fuse, damage curve and CCOC devices
open 19 20
print curves 41
rename 27 U
report 29
Undo 40
undo changes 40

Z
E
Zoom
Equation Method 7
Size 1.0x 44
Size 1.5x 45
F Size 2.0x 46
File
create new library 13
curve coordinates 22
device report 29
exit 18
GE DLP data 10
open existing library 14
relay report 10

ASPEN Overcurrent Curve Editor v2013 Index 49