The Status Bar

The Status Bar fields, when in view, indicate various conditions for the user’s reference. Interactions with the Diagram View cause updates to items in the fields. The fields are listed below.

2.21 Program Automation

It is frequently necessary, once a study has progressed through the initial investigative phase, to produce large numbers of runs of substantially repetitive format. In making such runs, the user can be relieved from the need to manually operate the program through the interface menus and tool-buttons by prepackaging operations and inputs to dialog windows in a source file; referred to as a

"Response" file. Such files have the "idv" extension. PSS/E may then be instructed to operate in the standard way, but to accept inputs that would normally come from manual interaction with the inter-face from a variety of files instead.

More sophisticated control is available through operation of programs created with the IPLAN or Python programming language. Such programs control operation of PSS/E in a manner which enables not only basic program operations but also examination of data and results which can lead to subsequent operation of PSS/E based on looping through repetitive processes or boolean/logical decisions. Custom made reporting formats can be established. An IPLAN file has the extension "irf".

A Python file has the extension "py".

For details on the IPLAN programming language, the IPLAN language interface to the PSS/E working case and dynamics data, and the IPLAN compiler, refer to the IPLAN Program Manual.

For details on the Python programming language, refer to one of the widely available resource books or on the web at http://www.python.org.

Table 2-15. The Status Bar Pops-up tooltip or item under cursor.

Indicates the type of results currently shown in the Diagram View.

These include, power flow, impedances, case differences and short circuit results.

Indicates units currently in use for the indicated type of results.

The current cursor location in the Diagram View is constantly updated in the Status Bar. The X and Y location of the cursor are dis-played in the units specified for the Diagram View in the Diagram Settings dialog described above.

The current binding mode for new items created in the Diagram View is displayed in the Status Bar. The idea of the binding mode is intro-duced in Section 2.5.7. The field displays either Bind items, indicating that new network items added to the Diagram View will create new data in the PSS/E case, or No binding, indicating that no data is added to the PSS/E case. Items added when this field dis-plays No binding will be displayed in the color red, indicating no corresponding PSS/E case data exists.

The next bus number for new buses created in the Diagram View is also displayed in the Status Bar. Autonumbering is handled with the Power Flow Options menu; see Section 2.7.6. If autonumbering is on, this field displays the number of the next bus created. If autonum-bering is off, this field displays Autonumber disabled.

Program Automation Users Manual

2.21.1 Running a Program Automation File

To run an automation file, the user should employ the I/O Control>Run program Automation file... option or the Run Automation File toolbar button (see Figure 2-118).

Figure 2-118. Menu and Toolbar Button for Running Automation Files

Selecting from the I/O Control>Run program Automation file... option or the Run Automation File toolbar button will open the Select Program Automation File dialog shown in Figure 2-119. The drop-down menu provides access to a Response file, an IPLAN or a Python file. When the selected file is opened, the processes packaged in the Response file or programmed into the IPLAN or Python file will be initiated.

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Users Manual Program Automation

2.21.2 Constructing a Response File

An experienced user can created a response file using a text editor. The simplest and most robust way, however, is to select the I/O Control>Start recording option (see Figure 2-120). Note that this equivalent to executing the activity ECHO in previous versions of PSS/E.

Figure 2-120. Constructing a Response File

Selecting the Start recording... option displays the Select Program Automation File dialog, shown in Figure 2-121, where the user selects a file in which the response file elements will be recorded.

Figure 2-121. Selecting a Program Automation File for Recording

Having selected the file, the user now executes the required sequence of activities or operations using the menu and toolbar facilities in the interface. The resulting response file will contain, in

Program Automation Users Manual

Response File form, a series of commands reflecting the user’s sequence of activities. This file can be opened when using the Run program Automation file... option described in Section 2.21.1.

The user can to tailor this basic Response File for subsequent runs by editing the created response file by changing some of the filenames and bus numbers specifying faulted nodes, switched branches, and so on.

As an example it can be assumed that, using the savnw.sav power flow case, the user wishes to open one circuit between buses 151 and 152, solve the case and then output the power flow results for bus 151.

Using the interface:

• Right-click on the branch in the Diagram View and select Switch from the pop-up menu.

• Employ the Power Flow>Solution>Solve option or the Solve toolbar button.

• Select the Bus Based Output toolbar button and, subsequently, bus number 151.

If this series of operations were recorded, a response file would be constructed as shown in Figure 2-122.

Figure 2-122. Created Response File

It can be seen that the Response file contains PSS/E batch (BAT_) commands. Consequently, the manual creation of a Response File, which could be done with the text editor, requires an intimate familiarity with the PSS/E batch commands. These commands are covered in the PSS/E API manual.

2.21.3 Constructing Python and IPLAN Files

The process described in the previous section for creating a Response file can also be used to create a Python file (*.py) by selecting this file type instead of the Response file type (*.idv). The file type is selected as shown in Figure 2-121. The program records the sequence of events selected by the user in the same manner.

Alternatively the user can create a Python file using the Python programming language. This will facilitate a more sophisticated control of PSS/E by enabling looping and decision making based on results of analyses. Standard concepts such as looping and subroutine calling are available. For

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language and the standard programming concepts such as assignment statements, looping and subroutine calls.

For details on the IPLAN programming language, the IPLAN language interface to the PSS/E working case and dynamics data, and the IPLAN compiler, refer to the IPLAN Program Manual.