Getting Started Guide for the Green Engineering Prototyping Kit

1. Required Parts

Back to Top

2. Software Installation

Insert the software DVD that comes with the Embedded Software Evaluation Kit and follow the on-screen instructions for installation. Next, navigate to the EPM Palette link above and download and install the palette. After you have completed the installation, reboot your machine.

Back to Top

3. Download

NI Electric Power Monitor Project (LabVIEW 8.6)

NI Electric Power Monitor Project (LabVIEW 2009)

Back to Top

4. Step-by-Step Getting Started Guide

 I. Connecting the Hardware

• Begin by connecting the NI C Series modules, power, Ethernet, load, and transducer.

a. Connect the C Series modules.

i. Connect the NI 9229 to the Mod2 port of the NI sbRIO-9631.

ii. Connect the NI 9225 to the Mod3 port of the NI sbRIO-9631.

b. Connect the power supply and Ethernet port directly to the PC.

i. Connect the included power supply to the power supply input of the NI Single-Board RIO device.

ii. Connect the included Ethernet wire to the Ethernet port.

c. Connect the load and current transducer to external power (see above).

i. Thread positive line from 120 V power supply through toroidal current transducer and connect line to positive terminal of load.

ii. Connect negative line from 120 V power supply to negative terminal of load.

d. Connect Mod2 (NI 9229) to current transducer.

i. Insert included two-terminal screw-terminal connector into channel 0 of the NI 9229.

ii. Optional: Remove excess wire from current transducer, ensuring that you still have a sufficient amount to reach from your sensor to the module.

iii. Connect positive line from toroidal current transducer to AI0+ of the NI 9229.

iv. Connect negative line from toroidal current transducer to AI0- of the NI 9229.

v. Make sure that the connection from current transducer to screw-terminal connection is secure by gently pulling on connected wires close to the connection.

e. Connect Mod3 (NI 9225) to load.

i. Insert included two-terminal screw-terminal connector into channel 0 of the NI 9225.

ii. Connect wire from positive terminal of load to AI0+ of the NI 9225.

iii. Connect wire from negative terminal of load to AI0- of the NI 9225.
Note: If you removed some wire from the current transducer, you can use the excess wire.

iv. Make sure that connections on the load and NI 9225 are secure by gently pulling on connected wires close to the connections.

II. Configuring Hardware

• Next, configure the IP address of the NI Single-Board RIO device using the NI Embedded Evaluation Setup Utility. To do this, you must install the evaluation software.

a. Launch the Setup Utility by navigating to Programs»National Instruments»Embedded Evaluation from the Windows Start menu.

b. Follow the Setup Utility from Step 1 to Step 5 to fully complete the hardware configuration.

III. Programming the Hardware

• Finally, set up the project for the NI Single-Board RIO target and deploy the real-time program to the target by simply running it.

a. Open the Electrical Power Monitoring sbRIO folder and double-click the NIEP Monitor – sbRIO.lvproj to launch the project.

b. Right-click the NI sbRIO-9631 target in the Project Explorer window and select Properties from the shortcut menu to display the General properties page.

c. In the IP Address/DNS Name text box, enter the IP address you wrote down from the National Instruments Embedded Evaluation Setup Utility and click OK.

d. Double-click the RT NIEP Monitor.vi to open the Real-Time VI.

e. Run the RT NIEP Monitor.vi by left clicking on the Run Arrow.

f. If power is supplied to the load, data appears on the front panel.

g. Software algorithms take data read in from the FPGA and compute power usage and power quality data.

Back to Top

5. Related Resources

Power Quality Monitoring and Power Metering Tutorial
Prototyping Faster with Graphical System Design
Green Engineering - Measure It, Fix It