Fundamentals of PSCAD and

General Applications
The PSCAD Environment

Ref. PSCAD/ EMTDC, www.hvdc.ca/pscad

 Main Menu Bar

Workspace Electrical Palette

Controls Palette

Design Editor

Output Window
Status Bar
 Workspace

Library (*.psl) Red Text indicates that changes have been made since the last save

Cases (*.psc)

Inactive Case

Active Case
 The Main Toolbar

Up One Module Level

Pan (Dynamic Scroll)

Print Find

Forward Create Default Module

Load Project Copy Zoom Out
Undo

Cut Redo Back

Wire Mode
Zoom Control List Box
Save Active Project
Paste Zoom In Create New Component
New Case Project (*.psc file)

* Leave your cursor stationary over an icon for a few seconds if you are unsure of its function, a small popup will tell you its name
 The Runtime Bar
Compile modified modules (active project only)

Stop Simulation (active project only)

Make Project (active project only) Advances run by 1 time step (while pause is invoked)

Change PSCAD plot step

Control Settings template list

Take a snapshot

Run Simulation (active project only)

Controls settings menu button

Pause Simulation (active project only)

Compile all modules (active project only)

 The Rotation Bar

Rotate selection clockwise

Flip selection

Mirror selection

Rotate selection counter-clockwise

Add Data Tap The Controls Palette
Add Data Merge

Add Data Label

Add Integer Constant

Add Real Constant

Add Import

Add Export
Add RadioLink

Add Output Channel

Add Slider

Add Switch
Add Dial

Add Push Button

Add Graph Frame

Add XY Plot

Add Control Panel

Add Annotation
Add Sticky Note

Add Divider
 The Electrical Palette
Add Wire

Add Resistor

Add Inductor

Add Capacitor

Add Ground

Add Node Label

Add Xnode

Add Breakout

Add Pin

Add Ammeter

Add Voltmeter

Add Voltmeter to Ground

Add Multimeter

Add Tline Configuration

Add Tline Interface

Add Cable Configuration

Add Cable Interface

 Creating a New Case
Click File New Case

Click the New Case Icon

Press Ctrl + N

Creating a New Library

Click File New Library

Loading an Existing Project

Click File Load Project

Click the Load Project Icon

Press Ctrl + O
 Saving a Project
Right click the project name in the Workspace and then click Save or Save
As

- Save As will allow you to choose a new name and then save the
project

- Save will save the project with the current name, overwriting any
previous version

Click File Save Active Project or Save Project As

- Save Active Project will save the active project with the current
name, overwriting any pervious version

- Save Project As will allow you to rename the active project and then
save it

Press Ctrl + S to save the active project

Click the Save Active Project Icon

 Making a Case Active
Right click the case name in the Workspace and then select Set as
Active

- The icon to the left of the case name will turn blue

Unloading a Project
Right click the project name in the Workspace and select Unload

Select the project name in the Workspace then go to File Unload

Project

Select the project name in the Workspace and then press Ctrl + U

Opening a Case in the

Design Editor
Double click the case name in the Workspace

Right click the case name in the Workspace and select Open
 The Master Library
Categories

Double click here

to see all the
components in
this category
 To Access the Master Library
Double click master in the Workspace

Right click master in the Workspace and select Open

Press Ctrl + Right Click on an open area of the Design Editor

Contents of the Master Library

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 one module

- Left clicking in an open area of the Design Editor and then press Backspace

- Clicking the Up one module icon

* 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
 Selecting an Item
Items can be selected two ways

- Left click on the component to select it

- The Edit menu (main menu bar) may now be used, as well as the
shortcuts keys

- Multiple components can be selected by holding down the Ctrl key and left
clicking the additional items

- Left click and hold to drag a box around an item or items

- best for selecting multiple items

Some actions can be performed on a component by simply placing your pointer over
it and using shortcut keys, a box will form around the item once your cursor is in
place

* Right click menus can be accessed by first performing any of the methods listed
above
 Adding Components to the Design Editor
Components for constructing your system can be found in a number of locations

- Some commonly used items can be found on the Electrical and Controls Palettes

- Left click an icon and then move your cursor over an open area of the Design Editor and
left click again to place the object

- Right click an open area of the Design Editor and then Select Add Component

-Copy items directly from the master library and then paste them in the Design Editor

-Press Ctrl + Right Click, left click the menu items or leave your cursor stationary to navigate through
the categories to the desired component, left click the item and then left click again to paste it

* Once you are in the master library

and have copied the component, open
the Design Editor for your project so
the item can be pasted
 Moving and Cutting Components
Left click and hold on the component and then move your mouse, to place the object release the left mouse button

The components can also be cut and then paste to change their location

- Move your cursor over and item or select it and then press Ctrl + X

- Select the item(s) and click the Cut icon

- Select the component(s) and then click Edit Cut

- Move your pointer over an item or select it, then right click and select Cut

Copying Components
Move your cursor over the object or select it and press Ctrl + C

Select the component(s) and click the Copy icon

Select the item(s) and click Edit Copy

Move your pointer over a component or select it, then right click and select Copy

Left click and hold on an item, press and hold the Ctrl key and then drag the item and release the mouse button (drag and drop)
* You can release the Ctrl key once the pointer changes to the +
symbol
This method does not work with all components such as plot frames
 Pasting Components
Move your pointer over a blank area of the Design Editor and press Ctrl + V

Click the Paste icon

Click Edit Paste

Right Click on a blank area of the Design Editor and select Paste

Rotating Components
Select or move your pointer over a component and press R to rotate it 90° clockwise

Select or move your pointer over a component and press L to rotate it 90° counter-clockwise

Right click on the component and select Rotate Right, 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

 Flipping Components
To Flip components vertically:

- Select or move your pointer over an object and press F

- Right click on the component and select Flip

- Select the component and click the Flip Vertically icon

To Flip components horizontally (mirror):

- Select or move your pointer over an object and press M

- Right click on the component and select Mirror

- Select the component and click the Flip Horizontally icon

 Deleting Components
Components can be removed from the Design Editor several ways

- Move your pointer over an item or select it and press the Delete key

- Some items are not removed when the Delete key is pressed (such as plot
frames) so they must be cut

- use any of the previously described methods to cut the object

Changing the Order of

Components
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
 Wires
Wires can be added to your circuit several ways

- Use the Wire icon from the Electrical Palette

- Use Wire Mode

Connected Not Connected

- 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

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

Resizing Wires
To resize a wire left click and hold on an endpoint and then drag it to the desired
length

- Placing your pointer over a wire will highlight it so you can determine its length

- Left clicking on a wire will 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
 Wire Mode
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 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

- Wire Mode can form more complex shapes that are defined as one entity
(you can’t delete one leg, only the entire shape can be deleted)

- Wires created in Wire Mode can be resized by left clicking, holding and
dragging any vertex

- Clicking, holding and dragging any other section of the wire will allow you to
move the entire shape
 Signal Types
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 (such as 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