EARTfelt Greetings, Dear friends of the protection and control engineering, the time has come: we finally had the opportunity to carry out an extensive test of the new CMC 430 in onsite use. Read in our exciting article, what we think of the new lightweight, what you can expect and for whom the purchase is really worthwhile, enjoy reading!
For reasons of occupational safety, a non-alcoholic beer was chosen in the picture ;-)
BTW: This article is not sponsored by Omicron! As always, we report independently, critically and according to personal taste. Here we go:
The first impression
Where did the good old adjustable handle of the CMC series stay? That was actually the first thought of some of our engineers. This refers to the handle with which we were able to carry our CMCs and put them on the table in front of us, in an individually angled position. Over the years, we had become so used to our adjustable handle that we were able to reach for the CMC in our sleep. History. The CMC 430 was bravely freed from the good old handle and replaced with a smaller hand-carrying handle.
For this it is now possible to place the CMC 430 upright on the back (control panel upwards), because for the first time all connections and controls were placed on the front of the device.
Size comparison
At first, we were interested in the proportions. Here, as a practitioner, you always take a familiar object to hand and compare it using this known reference variable. In our case, this was a beer bottle, since it can almost be spoken of basic sense of trust: The two could go in the limbo school in the same class (see cover picture).
The following two pictures show, on the basis of another familiar comparison, where we are in terms of size with the CMC 430. Here is the direct comparison with the CMC356. For those who want to know exactly, the 430 comes in the dimensions: 270 x 150 x 380 mm.
Size comparison CMC 356 and CMC 430
The lightest protection test box in the world
Whether the CMC 430 is actually the lightest protection test device in the world, we can not say. That certainly depends on what class you compare here and where the boundaries are drawn, but one thing is certain with absolute certainty: The crooked back of protection engineers heard with the 430 in the field of the legends.
With only 8.7 kg !!! weighs the test dwarf almost half of a CMC 356 (about 17 kg), making it even lighter than the Compano 100 (about 10 kilos). Of course, that convinces us right away.
Accessories
The Austrian guys did a great job about this point. There is a wide range of accessories, and depending on the taste, there are even different packaging and transport options.
For example, the good old shoulder bag is back on board. However, the new version for the CMC 430 comes without the two large lid pockets.
To see in the pictures: The well-tried shoulder-bag
Brand new is the trolley. The thing is certainly more than practical on rail and air travel. On the luggage belt you can lean back and wait until the "blue wonder of Bern" rises from the elevator. Danger of confusion is here 100% excluded.
The handle is extendable, the trolley has wheels and you can even put him as a backpack because he is equipped with shoulder straps.
Yes, and then of course there is the good old transport box in the classic plastic yellow with roles and pull-out handle, actually as usual. If there was not this one new feature: With the box comes immediately a pull-out table. Simply pull up the lid and the test PC is well placed.
In my trunk (Audi A4) I could also accommodate the box well, for travel by train or by plane, it would be too big for me. Especially when you see the small lightweight tester in proportion.
But again, everyone decides for themselves! In terms of mechanical protection, it is certainly the preferred variant.
The volume
For me as a musician there is a very important aspect of the protection test. Above all, the test in the office or at the laboratory workstation can become very tiring after some time, when the fan is louder than the typical noise of the sea in the Bahamas.
Here, the new CMC 430 performs very well. We recorded a little video about this, here you can hear the difference of the CMC 356 and the CMC 430 shortly after switching on.
Please pay attention to the lights, it is always only either the CMC 430 or the CMC 356, the video starts with the new CMC 430.
The features
The CMC 430 has 6 galvanically isolated analog and binary inputs as well as 6 voltage or 3 current outputs and, like all devices of the CMC family, it runs using the Test Universe software. Fast manual checks can be realized via CMControl App using a tablet or smartphone.
On the hardware side, a DC input and an AUX DC output for auxiliary voltage as well as various communication and accessory ports are still available. Since all connections were accommodated on the front side, the device copes in all imaginable positions.
The CMC 430 is primarily intended to perform testing tasks in the field of analog-static and digital IEDs as well as for IEC61850-IEDs. The 6 voltage outputs also allow convenient testing of parallel switching devices.
The reduced number of current outputs derives the restriction for the testing of differential protection functions. So here you have to look carefully when it comes to the definition of the test objectives. A 2-sided differential protection with 5 A CT's will not be supported with the new CMC 430. In this case, the proven devices CMC 256 (possibly with current amplifier) or the CMC 356 must still be used.
The current outputs can be configured as follows:
3 x 12.5 A with 8.5 A at 90 W
1 x 12.5 A with 8.5 A at 192 W
1 x 37.5 A with 17 A at 150 W.
For power comparison of the current outputs with the CMC 356:
6 x 32 A with 20 A at 250 W
3 x 64 A with 40 A at 500 W
1 x 128 A with 80 A at 700 W
I believe that each of us has an idea of why there are 8 kg weight difference between the two siblings. As I said, here is exactly to weigh which test target is pursued.
Also, the voltage amplifier is slimmed down a bit, we get a maximum of 150 volts (100 volts at 20 watts) from the box, but the same in 6-fold version. For comparison, the CMC 356 brings it to 3 x 300 volts at 100 VA.
The CMC 430 can be used to calibrate meters and transducers, as well as real-time measurements and recordings to analyze analog, binary or IEC61850 signals. For this purpose, there is now anew the test module "EnerLyzer Live".
I have extensively tested the new tool "EnerLyzer Live". A presentation of the new module is worth its own contribution, because there is a lot to report here. Only in advance, with EnerLyzer Live and the CMC 430, we have an ingenious solution for measuring and signal recording. Hybrid measurements make it possible to combine the new with the old world in a common tool. For example, sampled values are recorded and compared simultaneously with the analogue transducer signal.
Another great feature: in addition to the classic wired connection via Ethernet or USB, wireless communication via WI-FI USB adapter is now also possible. There were no problems at my test, everything was connected smoothly.
Anyone who is accustomed to working with a CMC series device can rely on proven structures with the 430. Everything is done as usual via TestUniverse.
So much for our first extensive test of the CMC 430. We hope that you also got a first impression of the device and are now able to decide for yourself on possible scenarios of the device in your environment. My conclusion is in any case: It can not hurt to have the handy test dwarf within reach, it does not always have to be approached by the 3-phase test transformer fed with three-phase current with the truck ;-)
HEARTfelt Greetings Alexander Muth
