Installation and I/O configuration of DEIF PPM-3 power management module

Installation and I/O configuration of DEIF PPM-3 protection and power management module engineering

The reliable deployment of power management and protection controllers in ship power systems, offshore platforms, and emergency power stations is directly related to the stable operation of the entire power grid. DEIF PPM-3（Protection and Power Management） As a highly integrated multi unit parallel controller, it supports various power supply scenarios such as diesel generators (DG), emergency diesel generators (EDG), shaft generators (SG), shore power connections (SC), and busbar connections (BTB). This article is based on the detailed installation manual of PPM-3, extracting a complete practical guide from physical installation, terminal function definition to communication networking and speed controller interface, to help on-site engineers quickly complete equipment cabinet installation and debugging.

Product Overview and Applicable Scenarios

PPM-3 is a protection and power management unit designed specifically for ships and industrial power plants, with core functions including:

Multi unit parallel control: supports power management, synchronization, and disconnection of up to 32 generator units.

Fault protection: Provides multiple protections such as overcurrent, reverse power, over/under frequency, over/under voltage, voltage imbalance, negative sequence current, etc.

Rich interfaces: standard power board, I/O board, AC measurement board, and expandable communication board (Modbus, Profibus, CAN) and additional I/O.

High reliability: wide operating temperature range (-25~70 ℃), high anti vibration level, meeting the marine IACS UR E10 standard.

This article is aimed at electrical engineers responsible for system integration and on-site installation, covering hardware installation, definitions of various types of terminal blocks, typical wiring methods, and debugging points.

Physical installation and mechanical dimensions

2.1 Installation method

The PPM-3 body is fixed with backplate screw holes, and there are 6 M4 mounting holes provided on the back of the chassis. The recommended installation torque is 0.3 Nm (2.7 lb in). The equipment is designed for cabinet installation, while the display panel (AOP-1/AOP-2) can be independently installed on the cabinet door and connected to the host through an optional display cable (option J). The cable is up to 6 meters long and uses a 9-pin Sub-D male and female standard extension cable.

2.2 Panel openings and dimensions

Panel opening: Cut according to the opening diagram in the manual to ensure the sealing of the display module after embedding (optional IP54 sealing gasket).

Overall dimensions: width of approximately 250mm, height of approximately 180mm, depth of approximately 120mm (see manual dimension diagram for details).

Tightening torque:

Panel door locking screw: 0.7 Nm (6.2 lb in)

Terminal block: 0.5 Nm (4.4 lb in)

Sub-D interface screw: 0.2 Nm (1.8 lb in)

Attention: During installation, avoid using cutting oil, lubricating oil, and other chemical reagents that come into contact with the casing, as this may damage plastic parts and void the warranty.

Hardware board slot structure

PPM-3 adopts a modular slot design, with a total of 8 slots, each corresponding to a different functional board:

Type of slot number function description

#1. Power supply board+status relay+basic I/O standard configuration (all models)

#Optional external communication (Modbus RTU/Profibus/CAN H8.2)

#3 load distribution lines (active/reactive)+multifunctional input/output standard configuration

#4 speed regulator/AVR output (relay or analog) standard/optional combination

#5 AC voltage/current measurement (generator and busbar) standard configuration

#6 Analog Transmission Output or Additional I/O (F1/M13.6/M14.6/M15.6) Optional

#7 engine interface board (MPU speed, multi-purpose input, start/stop relay, CAN communication) standard configuration (DG/EDG/SG)

#8 additional I/O or CAN extensions (H8.8/M13.8/M14.8/M15.8) optional

Engineers should confirm the actual configuration of the equipment's optional boards before wiring, and refer to the corresponding chapters for terminal definitions.

Detailed explanation of terminal block functions (by application type)

4.1 Universal Power Supply and Status Relay (Slot # 1- All Models)

Terminals 1-28 are shared by all PPM-3 variants:

Power input: Terminal 1 (+12/24V DC), Terminal 2 (0V), operating voltage range 8-36V DC, requires external 2A slow melting fuse.

Status relay (terminals 3-4): a normally closed contact used to monitor the processor and power supply status, which will disconnect in case of power loss or CPU failure.

Alarm horn relay (terminals 5-7): It can be configured as NO or NC to engage when any alarm occurs.

Configurable relay (terminals 8-13): default programmable, used to drive external indications or interlocks.

Opening and closing control of generator/circuit breaker (terminals 14-19):

Terminals 14-16: "Disconnect" relays (such as GB OFF, SGB OFF, etc.), used for tripping after unloading.

Terminals 17-19: "Close" relay (such as GB ON), used for synchronous closing.

Transistor output (terminals 20-22): Two open collector electrode outputs (24V/1A), configurable for pulse counting or relay replacement.

Digital input (terminals 23-28): Bidirectional optocoupler, with a common terminal of 28. Typical functions:

Terminal 23: SWBD control (forced switch to local manual mode).

Terminal 26/27: Circuit breaker open/closed feedback (such as GB Open/Closed).

4.2 Definition of Specific Terminals of Different Types

4.2.1 Diesel Generator (DG) Mode

Terminal 43: Feedback on shore power connection position (for locking and closing).

Terminals 44~47: Manual speed up/down and voltage up/down (SWBD mode only).

Terminals 48-51: Heavy load request and fixed load feedback (used for power management program to start standby machine).

Terminal 54/55: Alarm suppression external input.

Terminals 57~64: Heavy load confirmation and NEL (non critical load) trip output.

Terminal 65~72 (Slot # 4): Standard relay type speed/voltage regulation (up/down frequency, up/down voltage), or optional analog output (± 20mA/0~20mA/PWM).

4.2.2 Emergency Diesel Generator (EDG) Mode

Compared to DG, EDG has additional features:

Terminal 24/25: Contact circuit breaker (TB) on/off feedback, instead of regular configuration input.

Terminal 43: Port Operation Mode - When this input is activated, the EDG operates as a regular generator, turning off the timer and automatic disconnection in emergency mode.

Terminal 48: Main busbar live input, used to ensure correct disconnection of TB during islanding operation.

Terminal 52/53: Short circuit fault inputs for GB and TB respectively.

4.2.3 Shaft Generator (SG) Mode

Terminals 37-42 (load sharing line) in Slot # 3 are labeled as "NOT USED" because the shaft strip usually does not participate in reactive power distribution.

Terminals 43~47 are all configurable and have no predefined functions.

Still supports overloaded requests and fixed load feedback (terminals 48-51).

Terminals 26/27 provide open/close feedback for SGB (axle belt circuit breaker).

4.2.4 Shore Connection (SC) Mode

Terminals 26/27 are SCB (shore circuit breaker) feedback.

The voltage transformer on the AC measurement side (Slot # 5) is connected to the shore voltage instead of the generator voltage.

All other digital inputs (43~55) are configurable and do not have overload management functionality.

4.2.5 Busbar Connection (BTB) Mode

A circuit breaker used to connect two busbars, which does not control any prime mover.

Terminals 26/27 provide BTB on/off feedback.

The AC measurement side (Slot # 5) simultaneously measures the three-phase voltage of bus A and bus B for synchronous detection.

The MPU input in Slot # 7 (engine interface) is labeled as "NOT USED", but the multi-purpose input can still be configured.

Multi input and Analog Configuration

Terminals 102-110 (Slot # 7) provide three sets of multifunctional inputs (A/B/C contacts), each of which can be independently set to the following types:

Digital input with wire breakage monitoring (default): A 270 Ω resistor needs to be connected in parallel with external contacts to detect wire breakage.

0 (4)~20mA analog quantity: external two-wire or four wire transmitter (note impedance of 50 Ω).

Pt100/Pt1000 thermistor temperature measurement (-40~250 ℃).

RMI (Resistance Measurement): 0~1700 Ω.

0~40V DC voltage input.

Configuration method: Upload the parameter list through PC software, select the signal type and alarm limit (high alarm/low alarm) in the corresponding input channel.

Communication interface and bus networking

6.1 Internal CAN bus (power management)

Terminals A1/A2/A3 and B1/B2/B3 (Slot # 7) provide two redundant CAN interfaces for load distribution and data exchange between multiple PPM-3 devices.

The maximum length of the bus is 200 meters, exceeding which a fiber optic converter is required.

It is recommended to use shielded twisted pair cables with a terminal resistance of 120 Ω (optional built-in).

6.2 Modbus RTU (Option H2)

Terminals 29~36 (Slot # 2) provide two independent RS-485 interfaces (internally connected in parallel).

Shielded twisted pair cables are used for wiring, and the shielding layer is grounded at one end.

The end of the bus needs to be connected to a matching resistor (with a resistance value equal to the characteristic impedance of the cable, usually 120 Ω).

Note: Modbus modules usually do not require bias resistors. If there are more than 32 nodes or the line is too long, you can refer to the internal 22k Ω up/down resistor calculation.

6.3 Profibus DP (Option H3)

Terminals 29~36 are defined as Profibus signals (B line, A line GND）， Corresponding to the 9-pin Sub-D pin.

Shielded twisted pair cables are also used, with a single end grounded.

6.4 CAN engine communication (options H5/H7)

H5 and H7 correspond to engine ECU interfaces of different protocols (such as J1939, MTU MDEC, etc.).

The wiring also uses shielded twisted pair cables, with a terminal resistance of 120 Ω and a single end grounding of the shielding layer.

Attention: The terminal resistor on the engine side may be built-in, please refer to the engine manufacturer's manual.

Interface scheme between Governor (GOV) and AVR

PPM-3 offers multiple speed/voltage regulation output modes to accommodate actuators from different manufacturers.

7.1 Relay type speed regulation (standard)

Terminals 65~68 (Slot # 4): Upstream and downstream relay contacts (250V AC/8A).

The mechanical governor needs to be equipped with a droop characteristic of 4% ± 2% to achieve parallel equalization.

If using a DC driven motor, it is recommended to parallel freewheeling diodes (1N4007) at both ends of the motor coil to prevent arcing at the relay contacts.

7.2 Analog speed regulation (options E1/E2/EF2)

Terminals 66 and 70 can output ± 20mA or 0-20mA current signals, directly driving electronic speed controllers.

Current can be converted into voltage (± 5V or 0-10V) through parallel resistors (such as 250 Ω).

The output has an internal power supply, isolated from the system, and a maximum load of 500 Ω.

7.3 Combination Plan (Option EF4)

Provide an analog channel (terminals 65/66) and a pair of relay contacts (terminals 69~72).

Can be set in the menu: relay for speed regulation, analog for AVR; Or vice versa.

7.4 PWM output (option EF5)

Terminals 67/68 output PWM signals for the speed controller, while terminals 69~72 still retain relays for AVR voltage regulation.

Important notice: The common terminal connection and signal polarity of all speed/voltage regulation interfaces must strictly follow the actuator manufacturer's manual. The DEIF official website provides interface application notes for common speed regulators (GAC, Woodward, Barber Colman, etc.).

Key points of communication measurement wiring

Slot # 5 (terminals 73~89) is responsible for collecting three-phase voltage and current:

Current input: Terminals 73-78 are three-phase transformer inputs (s1/s2), suitable for 1A or 5A CT, with a power consumption of ≤ 0.3VA per phase. It can withstand 4 times the rated continuous current and 20 times the 1-second impulse.

Voltage input: Terminals 79-84 are for generator/shore voltage, and terminals 85-89 are for bus voltage. The voltage range is 100-690V AC (phase to phase), and there is no need to connect N wires (three-phase three wire system is also supported).

Wiring requirements: The CT secondary side grounding can be connected to either s1 or s2; The voltage circuit needs to be equipped with 2A slow melting fuse.

In BTB mode, terminals 79-84 measure the voltage of bus A, and terminals 85-89 measure the voltage of bus B, used for checking synchronous closing.

Engine control and shutdown circuit

Speed sensor (MPU): Terminal 100/101 receives 0.5-70V AC signals with a frequency range of 10-10000Hz, used for speed measurement and overspeed protection (response time<500ms).

Start/stop relay (terminals 119~124):

Terminal 119: Running coil (attracted during operation)

Terminal 120: Start preparation (preheating/pre lubrication)

Terminal 121/122: Start motor (Crack)

Terminal 123/124: Shutdown coil with wire breakage monitoring function (only 12/24V DC), continuously engaged during the "extended shutdown" period.

Emergency stop input (terminal 118): directly triggers shutdown, with the highest priority and response time<200ms.

Technical parameters and environmental requirements

Accuracy level: Measurement class 1.0 level, fast overcurrent 3% accuracy, analog output 1.0 level.

Working temperature: -25~70 ℃ (including option N, -25~60 ℃, UL certification limit of 55 ℃).

Altitude derating: From 2001 to 4000m, the upper limit of the measured voltage drops to 480V (three-phase four wire) or 690V (three-phase three wire).

Insulation withstand voltage: 3250V for 1 minute between AC voltage and other I/O; 2200V for 1 minute between the current and other I/O.

Vibration impact: meets IEC 60068-2-6 and IACS UR E10 standards, and can withstand a 50g impact.

Certification: UL/cUL Listed to UL508, meeting CE (EMC) and classification society requirements.

Common debugging and fault prevention suggestions

Power supply inspection: Confirm that the power supply voltage is stable (especially at the moment of startup), and the controller can withstand a drop from 24V to 0V for 10ms, but should avoid frequent and severe fluctuations.

Wiring verification: All digital inputs (with wire breakage monitoring) must be connected in parallel with a 270 Ω resistor, otherwise a "wire breakage" alarm will be triggered.

CAN bus networking: Ensure that the terminal resistance configuration of each node is correct (only the end node is enabled), the shielding layer is single ended grounded, and avoid ground loops.

Governor parameter matching: The droop setting value must be 4% ± 2%, otherwise the parallel active power distribution deviation will be significant.

Emergency stop circuit: The emergency stop input should use independent and reliable passive contacts, and shielded wires should be used to reduce interference.

Firmware and software configuration: All multifunctional inputs and configurable I/O require downloading the parameter list through PC software (DEIF Utility), saving and restarting it to take effect after modification.