The increased demand for Distributed Energy Resource (DR) products such as PV Inverter and Wind Energy systems, have increased the demand for regulation test standards to insure proper operation and safety of on-grid products. Manufacturers testing to prove compliance, need test equipment that can simulate and measure and test their products. Chroma's 61800 family of Regenerative Grid Simulators provide a full 4 quadrant, regenerative, grid simulation for compliance, safety, and product verification testing

Besides manually operating the 61800, Chroma offers software to ease test operation.

The SoftPanel uses GPIB, RS232C, USB and Ethernet for connection and supports single/3-phase configurations.

▲ Single Phase Mode

▲ 3-Phase Mode

In addition to the pure AC voltage, frequency settings and Fixed Mode and DC voltage (for offset), the 61800 has many powerful functions as described below.

• LIST Mode:  The 61800 provides 100 sequences for users to define the voltage/frequency/dwell (period) that can easily program various kinds of power grid abnormal states such as power outage, transient high voltage or low voltage.
• Pulse Mode: Different from the diversity of LIST mode, the Pulse mode is focused on the testing of transient high voltage or low voltage short duration pulses. The user can easily output the following waveform by setting the ratio of normal voltage and Pulse voltage.
• STEP Mode: Same as the Pulse mode, it is focused on the voltage or frequency change in one single direction. The user can set a start voltage and frequency, and then aΔV and a ΔF to complete the test effortlessly.

• Harmonic Masurement: The user only needs to set the operating frequency (50 or 60Hz), voltage or current source, and start the measurement. The SoftPanel will show the harmonic components of each order using 50 or 60Hz fundamental frequency.
• Synthesize: The user can set 50 orders of harmonic components and angles using 50 or 60Hz fundamental frequency. A preview of voltage waveform generated by the settings will show on the upper side of the window. When Trig on is clicked, the 61800 will output the distorted waveform.
• Interharmonic: The inter-harmonic test in the 61800 adds another variable frequency of the voltage component on top of the basic voltage output. This item is used to inject distortion at frequencies that are not integers of the Fundamental frequency.

In addition to the above functions that facilitate user testing, the 61800 SoftPanel has built in IEC 61000-4-11 (pre-certification testing), 61000-4-13, 61000-4-14 and 61000-4-28 standards for immunity test.

▲ IEC 61000-4-11(pre-certification testing)	▲ IEC 61000-4-13
▲ IEC 61000-4-14	▲ IEC 61000-4-28

User Waveform: Different from Synthesize, the user defined waveform does not limit to the fundamental frequency at 50 or 60Hz. Following are the two ways to define it.

No matter which method is selected, the SoftPanel will import the data to the 61800 specified waveform location (US1 ~ US6). Later, when the user selects to output a USer waveform in Fixed mode, it will output this distorted waveform.

• Auto Run: Similar to the LIST mode, this function is focused on long-time and multiple loops testing. It provides 100 sequences of voltage/frequency variations, but the dwell time for testing is counted by second. Moreover, it can set Loop and Count for repetitive testing in long hours.
• Report Generator: The user selects the desired parameters, sampling rate and record time, and then click Report Start, the SoftPanel will start recording.