A circuit for automatically monitoring equipment, including a plurality of transducers for measuring operating parameters and providing data to a multiprocessor system comprising stations interconnected by a local network and constituting a distributed database, the system being capable of interchanging data with a higher level including a computer with a bridge connected to said network, wherein said bridge is a "terminal" microcontroller interchanging data with the stations via first messages corresponding to requests issued by the terminal and received by all of the stations in determined memory zones referred to as "first dedicated zones", and second messages corresponding to response from the interrogated stations and received by said terminal in determined memory zones, referred to as "second dedicated zones".

A circuit breaker with a digital trip unit has a protection mode and a waveform capture mode of operation. In the protection mode, an equivalent sampling technique based upon pairs of samples spaced 90 electrical degrees apart with a pattern of delays between pairs is used to digitize the waveforms in the protected electrical system. Synchronous sampling is used in the waveform capture mode. The value of each sample is monitored in the waveform capture mode and a transfer is made back to the protection mode if a threshold value indicating an overcurrent condition is exceeded. The percentage total harmonic distortion, and per harmonic distortion for harmonics, up to and including the 27th are sequentially presented on a display on the front panel of the circuit breaker and can be transmitted along with the raw waveform data to a remote processor.

A digital monitor/analyzer for an ac electrical power system samples the current and voltage waveforms at a slow rate for performing metering functions, and at a high rate for analyzing harmonic content. Sampling is performed in sampling frames comprising a plurality of repetitions of sampling for a selected number of cycles followed by a delay of a fraction of a cycle. This effects equivalent sampling at a higher rate for slow speed sampling over a frame. High speed sampling is performed over only one repetition of the selected number of cycles in a frame so that it can be carried out sychronously as required for the harmonic analysis. The high speed sampling rate is an integer multiple of the slow speed rate so that slow speed data can be extracted from the high speed samples for continuous metering. Fourier analysis of the harmonic content of the waveforms is performed on the odd interrupts while all of the other tasks are apportioned out over the even interrupts of a sampling frame. Both the odd and even interrupts initiate sampling.

An overvoltage protection apparatus for use with a data transmission interface, having at least one data transmission line associated therewith, for protecting the interface from power spikes, transients, and/or the continuous application of an excessive voltage. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus includes at least one voltage limiting device associated with each data line. Each voltage limiting device being connected at one end to the associated data line, and at a second end to a current sensing and switching structure, which is in turn connected to ground. The current sensing and switching structure monitors the current through the voltage limiting device. In the event an excessive voltage is applied to a pin or data line of the interface, the voltage limiting device briefly absorbs the excess power and generates an increased current. This increased current is sensed by the current sensing and switching structure, which responds by opening a switch which disconnects the interface from ground. The current sensing and switching structure automatically reconnects the switch after a preselected time period. The switching structure continues to monitor the current from the voltage limiting device, and open and close the switch, for an indefinite period of time until the excessive voltage condition is removed.

A monitor/analyzer for an ac electrical system can be programmed through a display on the front panel to respond to selected events by generating triggers signals when selected monitored electrical parameters including neutral current exceed programmed thresholds. The trigger signals initiate simultaneous waveform capture of multiple waveforms in the ac system. Multiple trigger signals result in sequential waveform capture so that if a plurality of triggers are programmed for the same event, extended waveform data is captured for the event. Alarm screens are generated in response to the events, as well as for hardware failure, an excessive neutral-to-ground voltage or reverse sequence.