CBC

Capacitor Bank Controller

Instructional Leaflet
Technical Support: 763.595.7775
Technical Support Fax: 763.595.7774

INTRODUCTION PHYSICAL FEATURES

The Capacitor Bank Controller (CBC) is a one-way
receiver that allows remote control of distribution line
capacitors and other similar devices. The CBC typi-
cally energizes a capacitor bank by operating an oil
switch that closes the bank’s connection to the primary
distribution line, and de-energizes the bank by trip-
ping (opening) the bank’s oil switches. Single phase
capacitor banks use a single oil switch, while three-
phase banks have one switch per phase. Actual trip or
close control of the bank is achieved by momentarily
closing one of two 30-ampere 120 VAC relays for a
period of 30 seconds. These relays connect 120 VAC
to energize the trip or close coils of the capacitor bank
oil switch(es), which in turn disconnect the bank from,
or connect the bank to, the primary distribution circuit.
The CBC comes in a standard, four-blade, socket-
mounting enclosure suitable for a standard ring-type
meter socket and sealing ring. The door of the CBC
has provisions for both a meter-type seal and a pad-
lock. Externally viewable LEDs provide communica-
tions and bank status as well as receiver status and
receiver-to-controller transmission status. The CBC
enclosure is rated NEMA 3 raintight when it is mount-
ed vertically and the door sealing screw is tightened
down to compress the door’s neoprene rubber gasket.

WARNING

Use authorized utility procedures to in-

stall, test, and service CBCs. Dangerous
voltages are present. Equipment dam-
age, personal injury, and death can result CBC - Back CBC - Front
if safety precautions are not followed.
INTERIOR

The figure below shows the internal arrangement of
a CBC. The controller board in the base contains the
Remote/Local and Trip/Close toggle switches, pin
jumpers for selecting voltage thresholds and Close/
Reclose times, status LEDs, operation relays, and an
optional trip operations counter.
Removable Door
The base also contains the power supply circuitry for
the CBC. The controller/power supply board connects
with the receiver board on the door via two ribbon
connector cables. Control relays and power leads
are connected directly to the blades on the rear of the
CBC.
CBC Base

Receiver Circuitry
(FM/SCA, DLC, Paging)
(UV)
Undervoltage
117
SW2
5 MINUTES
SW6 SW7
3 MINUTES
SW1
129
(OV)
Overvoltage
Meter
Seal
116 3 MINUTES 1 MINUTE 128
Setpoint 115 DISABLED DISABLED 127 Setpoint
Volts AC 113 Reclose Close 125 Volts AC
112 Delay Delay 124
111
Disabled Disabled
Externally Visible LEDs
Padlock
Latch
Ribbon
Connectors

Sealing
Close
120 V Neutral
Trip Screw

N.O. N.C.
Voltage Test Points
N.O. N.C.

Warning/Wiring
Label
COM.

COM.

00000010
Optional Trip Operations Counter

CBC Capacitor Bank Controller - Interior View

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FUNCTIONAL FEATURES
The key functional features of the CBC include:
• Remote or Local Control Mode
• Voltage Threshold Operation
• Close and Reclose Timers
Each feature is discussed in the following sections.
Remote or Local Control Of Capacitor Banks
CBCs can be operated either from a Master Station
at a remote location (Remote mode) or from the CBC
itself at the site installation (Local mode). To remotely
operate a CBC, flip the Local/Remote toggle switch
to the Remote position. When the CBC is in Remote
mode, a user can remotely Trip/Close a capacitor
bank, reprogram the CBC addressing, or activate/
deactivate the voltage threshold feature. (When the
voltage threshold feature is remotely deactivated, a
special LED light sequence alerts local personnel of
the change.)
Voltage Threshold Operation
The voltage threshold feature, which is active only in
the Remote mode, allows the CBC to automatically
trip or close a capacitor bank based on overvoltage or
undervoltage conditions. The pin jumpers on the CBC
controller board are used to specify the overvoltage
and undervoltage thresholds. When these thresholds
are exceeded for more than four minutes, the CBC
automatically trips or closes the bank, as appropriate.
The voltage threshold option works in conjunction with
the Close and Reclose timers.
To enable the voltage threshold feature, select the
desired overvoltage and/or undervoltage setpoints
by placing the jumpers on the appropriate pin sets
(Overvoltage Setpoint or Undervoltage Setpoint). The
following list shows the various setpoints available for
setting overvoltage and undervoltage thresholds:
Undervoltage Setpoints Overvoltage Setpoints
117 Volts AC 129 Volts AC
116 Volts AC 128 Volts AC
115 Volts AC 127 Volts AC
114 Volts AC 126 Volts AC
113 Volts AC 125 Volts AC
112 Volts AC 124 Volts AC
111 Volts AC 123 Volts AC
Disabled Disabled
Note: The voltage threshold feature is disabled if no
pins are jumpered.
Close And Reclose Timers
The Close Delay and Reclose Delay timers, which
work in both Local and Remote modes, are provided
as safety features. The settings for both timers are
selected by placing jumpers on the appropriate pin
sets on the controller board.
Close Delay Timer
The Close Delay timer specifies a time delay between
the receipt of a Close command (originating either re-
motely, locally, or automatically due to an undervoltage
condition) and the actual operation of the CBC relay,
which causes the capacitor bank switch to close. The
Close Delay timer is designed to give service person-
nel extra time to move away from the capacitor bank
before the bank switch actually closes.
The available settings for the Close Delay timer are:
• Three minutes
• One minute
• Disabled
Note: The Close Delay timer is disabled if no pins are
jumpered.
Reclose Delay Timer
The Reclose Delay timer specifies a time delay
between a Trip (opening of the bank) and the next
acceptable Close command. This time delay prevents
multiple, rapid trip-close cycles, which could damage
the bank or affect utility service.
The available settings for the Reclose Delay timer are:
• Five minutes
• Three minutes
• Disabled
Note: The Reclose Delay timer is disabled if no pins
are jumpered.
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SOCKET-MOUNT CBC

The CBC comes in a standard, four-blade, socket-mounting enclosure suitable for a standard ring-type meter
socket and sealing ring. The CBC does not mount into a ringless type socket.

Two blades are wired for 120 VAC power. The other two blades provide momentary 120 VAC 30-ampere control
outputs for connection to the Trip and Close circuits of the capacitor bank’s oil switches. These are normally ener-
gized for 30 seconds.

The following diagram shows the rear view of the CBC:

AC Neutral AC Line

Close Trip

CBC Base - Rear view of blades

The CBC should be wired into a four-jaw meter-type socket with the following connections, viewed from the front
looking into the socket:

120 VAC
Power Input AC Neutral

To Close Coil
To Trip Coil (120 VAC Output)
(120 VAC Output)

CBC Mounting Arrangement - Socket Wiring

Front view

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LIGHT EMITTING DIODE (LED) INDICATORS

The CBC has two sets of LEDs—an internal set of three LEDs and an externally visible set of five LEDs.

Internal LEDs

The internal set of LEDs, which is on the controller board in the base, is visible only when the controller door is
open. The three LEDs indicate the status of the capacitor bank. The LEDs indicate the state of the last known
output, regardless of the mode of operation (LOCAL or REMOTE). The internal LEDs are arranged as follows:

TRIPPED O (Green)
OV/UV Operation O (Amber)
CLOSED O (Red)

Green LED On The bank switch is tripped normally.

Red LED On The bank switch is closed normally.

Green and Amber LEDs On The bank switch is tripped due to an overvoltage condition.

Red and Amber LEDs On The bank switch is closed due to an undervoltage condition.

Amber Slow Blink The CBC is tracking an overvoltage or undervoltage condition.

The amber LED slow blinks five times if no errors occur during startup.

Amber Fast Blink The CBC detected an error condition during startup.
The amber LED fast blinks five times when the local/remote switch is moved from lo-
cal to remote and OV/UV operation is disabled.

Red Slow Blink The close timer is operating.

Red Fast Blink The close relay is active.

Green Slow Blink The controller reclose timer is operating.

Green Fast Blink The trip relay is active.

External LEDs

The external LEDs are visible through a window on the front of the CBC door. The five LEDs include three bank
status indicators—Tripped, Closed, and OV/UV Operation —that are identical in function to the internal Bank Sta-
tus LEDs discussed previously. The other two LEDs in the external set are:
• Data LED - indicates that data is being transmitted from the receiver board to the controller in the base
• Status LED - indicates the status of the receiver and/or its communications

Data LED

For the CBC-2010 and CBC-3010, the Data LED (furthest right) transmits address information and other internal
data. For the CBC-5010, the Data LED transmits and receives address information and other internal data.

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Status LED

The meaning of the Status LED varies depending on the communications system in use: FM/SCA radio, Distri-
bution Line Carrier, or Paging. This is generally used to provide verification of the communications signal. The
meaning of this LED for the different communications systems is explained below.

Status LED - FM/SCA Radio (CBC-2010)

For the CBC-2010, which is used in an FM/SCA system, the Status LED is a green LED (fourth from the left) that
indicates the status of the receiver:

LED On Indicates lock-on to filler messages; this is normal operation of the receiver.

LED Off Indicates that the receiver status LED is disabled or that the receiver is contractually out-
of-service.

LED Slow Blink Indicates either of the following:

1. If the LED blinks every 0.5 seconds, all diagnostic routines (ROM checksum, RAM
read/write) passed with no errors after a cold start-up. The number of blinks is con-
figurable.

2. If the LED blinks every two seconds, there is a Comm Loss condition. A Comm Loss
condition has higher priority than a Propagation Display command.

LED Fast Blink A VERSACOM Propagation Display command causes the Status LED to blink, at a rate
of 100 ms per blink, either for a configurable duration (Propagation Display Time; PDT)
ranging from one to nine hours with one-hour resolution, or until a VERSACOM Propaga-
tion Terminate command is received. Additional Propagation Display commands reset
the propagation display time to the configurable duration.

Status LED - Distribution Line Carrier (CBC-3010)

For the CBC-3010, which is used in a carrier system, the Status LED is a yellow LED (fourth from the left) that
indicates the status of the receiver:

LED On Indicates that the CBC has heard an outbound message from the substation in the past
60 minutes.

LED Off Indicates one of three possible states:

• 60 minutes has elapsed and the CBC has not heard an outbound message from the
substation (The 60 minute “on” time is configurable.)
• LED is disabled
• CBC is contractually out-of-service

LED Slow Blink Indicates that all diagnostic routines passed with no error (ROM checksum, RAM read/
write) after a cold start-up. There are three blinks, and each blink is 0.5 seconds long.

LED Fast Blink Indicates a diagnostics error after power up or after receipt of a diagnostic initiator. The
Signal Detect LED keeps blinking (0.25 seconds per blink) while the error condition ex-
ists.

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Status LED - Commercial Paging System (CBC-5010)

For the CBC-5010, which is used in a commercial paging system, the Status LED is a green LED that indicates
the status of the receiver:

LED On This indicates that the CBC has received a VERSACOM Propagation Display command.
PDT), which ranges from 1 to 9 hours with 1 hour resolution.

Additional Propagation Display or Test On commands reset the LED On time to the con-
figurable duration.

LED Off Indicates that either:

• The configurable duration for LED On has elapsed, or
• The LED is disabled, or
• The CBC is contractually out-of-service.

LED Slow Blink After a cold start-up, the LED blinks slowly (0.5 seconds per blink) if all diagnostic rou-
tines pass with no error (ROM checksum, RAM read/write). The number of blinks is
configurable.

LED Fast Blink This indicates one of the following diagnostics errors:
• ROM checksum
• RAM read/write
• Brownout condition

A binary code is displayed by load status LEDs, indicating which diagnostics error oc-
curred. The table below shows the binary codes and the status of the load LEDs. A
status of “1” indicates that the LED is turned on.

Diagnostics Error Binary Code Status of Load LEDs

R1 R2 R3
ROM checksum 0 0 0 0
RAM read/write 1 0 0 1
Unused 2 0 1 0
Brownout 3 0 1 1

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SPECIFICATIONS

Communications Options Outputs

FM/SCA Broadcast Radio: Two 120 VAC 30 Ampere Relays for Trip and
Scanning receiver for 88 -108 MHz Close. Type 1 Form C contacts interlocked and
Distribution Line Carrier (DLC): wired as two Form A outputs. 12 VDC coils. Acti-
EMETCON™ format vation times typically set for 30 seconds.
Single frequency: 9.6 or 12.5 kHz
Electrical Connections
Commercial Paging:
900 MHz FLEX® messaging The following diagram shows the rear view of the
CBC:
Ordering Styles
AC Neutral AC Line
CBC-2010 FM/SCA 5D25169G01
Close Trip
CBC-3010 DLC -12.5KHz 5D25169G02 Output Output
CBC-3010 DLC - 9.6KHz 5D25169G03 Rear View of Blades
CBC-5010 Paging 5D25169G07
Surge Protection
Environment
ANSI C37.90A, IEEE 472-1974
Temperature:
-40 to +55o C for CBC-2010 and CBC-3010 Packaging
-40 to +85o C for CBC-5010
Socket Mount: 10.9" H x 8.2" W x 5.9" D
Humidity: 0-100% non-condensing
(27. x 20.8 x 14 cm)
Power Requirements Weight: 4.6 pounds (2.08 kg)
120 VAC +10/-20% 60 Hz +/- 2 Hz
Current:
Less than 100 mA typical
30 A momentary through relay contacts

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AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

THERE ARE NO UNDERSTANDINGS, AGREEMENTS, REPRESENTATIONS, OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING

WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OTHER THAN THOSE SPECIFICALLY SET OUT
BY ANY EXISTING CONTRACT BETWEEN THE SELLER AND BUYER. ANY SUCH CONTRACT STATES THE ENTIRE OBLIGATION
OF SELLER. THE CONTENTS OF THIS INFORMATION LEAFLET SHALL NOT BECOME PART OF OR MODIFY ANY SUCH PRIOR OR
EXISTING AGREEMENT.

The information, recommendations, descriptions, and safety notations are based on Cannon Technologies experience and judgment. THIS
INFORMATION SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS ALL-INCLUSIVE OR COVERING ALL CONTINGENCIES. If further information is
required, Cannon Technologies should be consulted. In no event will Cannon Technologies be responsible to the user in contract, in tort
(including negligence), strict liability or otherwise for any special, indirect, incidental, or consequential damage or loss whatsoever; or claims
against the user by its customers resulting from use of information, recommendations, descriptions, or safety notations.

Cannon Technologies, Inc. © 2001-2004 Cannon Technologies, Inc.

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Instructional Leaflet CBC-7
Golden Valley, MN USA 55427