Options (Preferences) : Etap 4-1 Etap User Guide

Chapter 4
Options (Preferences)
ETAP contains initialization files (INI files) that are used to set various preferences and parameters for
the local PC where the software resides. These changes can be as simple as defining a favorite project to
open automatically, or as varied as selecting Arc Flash analysis results to be also sent to MS Excel format.
ETAP automatically maintains a PSGRID.INI and an ETAPS.INI file in your application folder (ETAP
1400 or current version). Normally, you would not need to make changes in this file. However, you may
want to manipulate certain fields to customize ETAP’s behavior to suit your specific needs.
ETAP 4-1 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

Preferences Options (Preferences) Editor
4.1 Options (Preferences) Editor

Entries in ETAPS.INI can be changed by using the Options (Preferences) Editor. The advantage of using
this interface is that the majority of the changes are applied to ETAP without requiring the software to
restart.

This editor can be accessed from the Tools Menu within the ETAP environment as shown below.
Sorting
By default the entries for ETAPS.INI are shown in a categorized view based on the analysis module, one-
line diagram, printing and other functionality.
If the name of the entry is known, then you may also search for it alphabetically by sorting the list of INI
entries as shown below.

Expand all items

Click on ‘Expand all’ to view the contents of each preference category.
Collapse all items

Click on ‘Collapse all’ to hide the contents of each preference category.
Description
Click on the INI entry to view a brief description as well as ranges and default values for that field.
Adjustable
Show / Hide Description

Click to view or hide the detailed description for each item.

Edit ETAPS.INI
Click to directly view and edit the ETAPS.INI file currently being utilized.
Note: By editing the ETAPS.INI file directly using this method while ETAP is open will require a
manual restart of ETAP in order for the changes to be applied.
The following categories have been included to allow quicker access to a particular entry.
CATEGORY NAME DESCRIPTION

Arc Flash Options affect Arc Flash calculation
Battery Sizing / Discharge Options affect Battery Sizing and Discharge calculation
Cable Sizing Options affect the cable earthing and sizing calculations
Contingency Analysis Options affect Contingency Analysis
Control System Diagram Options affect Control Circuit Diagram Load Flow calculation
Database Compare Options affect the database comparison utility
ETAP Application Options control the ETAP application
ETAP Project Options that affect all ETAP calculations
Harmonic Analysis Options affect Harmonic Load Flow calculations
Geospatial View Options affect the ETAP geospatial view look and feel
Ground Grid Systems Options affect the Ground Grid calculations
Load Flow Options affect Balanced Load Flow calculations
Motor Starting Options affect Motor Starting calculations
One-Line This group contains options that modify behavior of the one-line diagram
Optimal Capacitor Placement Options that affect Optimal Capacitor Placement calculations
Optimal Power Flow Options that affect Optimal Power Flow calculations
Printing / Plotting Options that changes the print style of the ETAP one-line diagram
Project Database Options that sets how ETAP handles project databases
Real-Time Options that that are used when ETAP is running in Real-Time Mode
Reliability Options that affect Reliability Assessment calculations
Reporting Options that affect Output Report
Short Circuit Options that affect ANSI and IEC Short-Circuit calculations
Star Options that affect display and behavior of ETAP Star
Star Z Options that affect display and behavior of ETAP Star Impedance Relay
Switching Optimization & Options that affect Switching Optimization and FMSR
Fault Management and Service
Restoration
Transient Stability Options that affect Transient Stability calculations
UGS Options that affect Underground Raceway System calculations
Unbalanced Load Flow Options that affect Unbalanced Load Flow calculations

If you are manually editing the ETAPS.INI file, you will notice that there are four sections in this file:
[ETAP PowerStation]
[AppVariables]
[Colors]
[Recent File List]
Users can modify entries in three of these sections – [ETAP], [AppVariables], and [Colors]. The
allowable entries below are listed by section.
Default values for the indicated entries are shown below. You may NOT find all of these entries in your
INI file since ETAP automatically use the default values without making an entry in the INI file.

Preferences PSGRID.INI
4.2 PSGRID.INI
This initialization file referred to Ground Grid Systems. If a Ground Grid is created within ETAP, the
PSGRID.INI file will be automatically created.
The first entry in the INI file is:
[Grid]
Initialized=1
If this entry is set to 1, then ETAP recognizes that Ground Grid Systems have been activated on the local
PC.

Preferences OTIGraph.INI
4.3 OTIGraph.INI
The default Star View Plot Options settings (Defaults Plot Options Star View) are saved in the
OTIGraph.INI file. The location of OTIGraph.INI file can be specified in Options (Preferences) editor
(Tools Options) by setting “ETAP Star TCC Plot Options Path” located in ETAP Application
category. The location of the INI file can be set to App, User, Common, or Local.
App
Select App to access the OTIGraph.INI file located in ETAP application folder (i.e. ETAP 14.0.0 or
current version). The ETAP application folder is set the path chosen during installation.
User
Select User to access the OTIGraph.INI file located in user’s ‘AppData’ folder. For example, if a user
logs in as John Smith, the OTIGraph.INI file is saved in C:\Users\John
Smith\AppData\Roaming\OTI\ETAPS\14.0.0 (or current version).
Common
Select Common to access the OTIGraph.INI file located in ‘Program Data’ folder. The OTIGraph.INI file
is saved in C:\Program Data\ OTI\ETAPS\14.0.0 (or current version).
Local
Select Local to access the OTIGraph.INI file located in user’s ‘AppData’ ‘Local’ folder. For example,
if a user logs in as John Smith, the OTIGraph.INI file is saved in C:\Users\John Smith\
AppData\Local\OTI\ETAPS\14.0.0 (or current version).
‘AppData’ and ‘Local’ are hidden folders. Windows folder options should be set accordingly to view
these folders and the OTIGraph.INI file

Preferences OTIGraph.INI
Changing the OTIGraph.INI file location in Options (Preferences) editor requires ETAP to be restarted
for the changes to take effect. When ETAP application is restarted, a new OTIGraph.INI file, with
default ETAP settings (factory settings) is created in the new location (if it does not already exist).
Note: In order to use your existing/customized Star View Plot Option defaults, it is necessary to manually
copy the OTIGraph.INI file from the old location to the new location.
For more details on the default Star View Plot options settings, refer to Chapter 17 – Star View.

Preferences Themes (OTH file)
4.4 Themes (OTH file)

The Theme Manager allows (Project Toolbar) changing color and line styles for devices, device
connectors and one-line background. New themes created are saved as ‘.OTH’ files (i.e. Theme1.oth). The
location of theme files can be specified in Options (Preferences) editor (Tools Options) by setting
“Theme File Location” located in ETAP Application category. The location of the OTH file can be set to
App, User, Common, or Local.
App
Select App to access the theme files located in ETAP application folder (i.e. ETAP 14.0.0 or current
version). The ETAP application folder is set the path chosen during installation.
User
Select User to access the theme files located in user’s ‘‘AppData’ folder. For example, if a user logs in as
John Smith, the theme files are saved in C:\Users\John Smith\AppData\Roaming\OTI\ETAPS\14.0.0 (or
current version).
Common
Select Common to access the theme files located in ‘Program Data’ folder. The theme files are saved in
C:\Program Data\ OTI\ETAPS\14.0.0 (or current version).
Local
Select Local to access the theme files located in user’s ‘AppData’ ‘Local’ folder. For example, if a
user logs in as John Smith, the theme files are saved in C:\Users\John Smith\
AppData\Local\OTI\ETAPS\14.0.0 (or current version).

‘Application Data’ and ‘Local Settings’ are hidden folders. Windows folder options should be set
accordingly to view these folders and the theme files.
Changing the theme file location in Options (Preferences) editor requires ETAP to be restarted for the
changes to take effect.
Note: In order to use your existing/customized themes, it is necessary to manually copy the theme files
from the old location to the new location.
For more details on the Theme Manager settings, refer to Chapter 9 – One-Line Diagram GUI.
Notes:
1. The location of ‘mslog.txt’ and ‘psrept.log’ files can also be set in the Options (Preferences)
editor to App, User, Common or Local as explained above for OTIGrpah.INI and Themes.
2. If older versions of ETAP do not exist (new installation of ETAP 14.0 or current version), the
default locations for Themes, OTIGraph.ini, Msglog.txt and Psrept.log files set in the ETAP
Preferences editor are:

Themes - App
OTIGraph - User
Msglog.txt - User
Psrept.log - User
3. If one or more versions of ETAP exist (upgrade to ETAP 14.0 or current version), the default
locations for Themes, OTIGraph.ini, Msglog.txt and Psrept.log files set in the ETAP Preferences
editor are:
Themes - App
OTIGraph - App
Msglog.txt - User
Psrept.log - User

Preferences ETAPS.INI
4.5 ETAPS.INI
File Locations
The ETAPS.INI file is used by ETAP in the following locations and in the order specified:
1. Local - e.g., C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\OTI\ETAPS\<ETAP Version #>\etaps.ini

2. User - e.g., C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\OTI\ETAPS\<ETAP Version #>\etaps.ini
3. Common - e.g., C:\ProgramData\OTI\ETAPS\<ETAP Version #>\etaps.ini
4. App - e.g., C:\ETAP XXXX\etaps.ini (app folder)
5. Windows - e.g., C:\Windows\etaps.ini
Any manual changes to the ETAPS.INI file will require re-launching ETAP in order for that change to
take effect.
[ETAP PowerStation]
AllowProjectRename=1
A default value of 1 indicates automatic renaming of project files when they are copied outside of ETAP.
ArcFlashMaxDuration=2
This entry specifies the number of plotted points in the Arc-Flash Analysis Tabulated Report. The default
value is 2 (120 Cycles) which equals 2 sec @ 60 Hz and 2.4 sec @ 50 Hz. Two extra points for every
second past the default value will be added. The maximum value is 999 seconds.
AutoRecover=1
This entry creates a temporary entry in each subsequent project database that is opened by your local PC.
This entry tells ETAP that there is an unregistered One-Line-Element. This allows ETAP to deal with the
element. Setting this value to 0 will cause ETAP to report the error and shut down the application rather
than dealing with the unregistered One-Line-Element.
AverageSourceBranchNumber=10
This entry indicates the average source contributing branches on a faulted bus. A source contributing
branch contains short-circuit current from a power grid or a synchronous machine. The range for this
entry is 5 – 999.
Calc3CCableG1ByIECMethod=1
When the Neher–McGrath Method is selected in the Cable Derating Study Case for UGS calculations,
this entry indicates to ETAP to use the same method specified in IEC 60287 to calculate the geometric
factor G1 for insulation thermal resistance calculation for 3/C cable.
ConversionY=40
ConversionX=20
Shown above are the conversion default factors for setting element layout in a one-line diagram when
converting ETAP DOS database files into ETAP. Reduction of the Conversion Y value results in a
vertically compressed bus distance. Reducing the Conversion X value results in horizontally compressed
bus distances.
CurrentAnnotation orientation=15

These values determine the slope for the displays of annotation results for short-circuit currents. Some
video cards may not be able to draw the rotated annotations used by ETAP. In that case, set the
orientation entries to 0.
DCLFMaxIterNoForSrcChange=200
This is the default maximum number of inner loop iterations in load flow calculations for adjusting DC
power sources, including charger, DC converter, UPS, battery, PV Array, etc. This is also applied to
adjustments for inverter MPPT control.
DCLFMPPTWattPrecision=1.0 watt
This is the default convergence threshold value for PV array and inverter MPPT control. The default
value is 1 watt and the minimum value is 0.001 watt. In load flow calculations, a PV array or an inverter
in MPPT control adjusts its operating values based on system conditions. When the change of power
between two adjustments is smaller than this threshold value, the calculation is considered to be
converged.
DCLFMPPTVPrecision=0.01 volt
This is the default convergence threshold value for PV array and inverter MPPT control. The default
value is 0.01 volt and the minimum value is 0.001 volt. In load flow calculations, a PV array or an
inverter in MPPT control adjusts its operating values based on system conditions. When the change of
voltage between two adjustments is smaller than this threshold value, the calculation is considered to be
converged.
DCSC LFPrecision=.0001
This is the default precision for load flow resolutions in DC Short-Circuit. Valid range is .0000001 to
0.1.
DCSCNLSrcMaxIter = 500
This is the default maximum number of iterations for calculating contribution from non-linear short-
circuit sources, such as PV array. The default value is 500. In DC short-circuit calculation, the
contributions from non-linear sources vary based on terminal bus voltage of the sources and the
calculation process is iterative.
DCSCNLSrcPrecisionKA= 0.000001 kA
This is the default convergence threshold value for contributions from non-linear short-circuit sources,
such as PV array. The default value is 0.000001 kA and the minimum value is 0.00000001 volt. In DC
short-circuit calculation, the contributions from non-linear sources vary based on terminal bus voltage of
the sources and the calculation process is iterative. When the changes of contribution from all non-linear
sources are smaller than this threshold value between two iterations, the calculation is considered to be
converged.
DisplaySynMachineAbsoluteRotorAngleOrVoltageAngleDifference=1
If this is set to 1 the results for the synchronous generator absolute rotor angle plots stay the same as
previous versions. The program will plot the rotor angle deviation from the initial angle determined
during initial steady-state conditions. This plot indicates if the generator rotor speeds up or slows down. If
this entry is set to 0, the program will plot the difference between the terminal voltage angle and the rotor
angle. This plot is useful to see how much power angle deviation occurs during a transient event.
DrawDown=1

DrawLeftRight=1
DrawArrow=1
These values indicate the default values for the position of the branch flows (power and current) and
arrows on the one-line diagram. DSN Version=2
ETAP maintains and updates the ODBC System Data Source Name version for 'otiaccess' automatically.
This value will be set to 2 during the installation of ETAP. Setting this value to 0 will cause ETAP to
create an ODBC System Data Source 'otiaccess' during startup. Setting the value to 1 will cause ETAP to
reconfigure the ODBC System Data Source 'otiaccess'.
Dump OL IncX=15
Dump OL IncY=15
Dump OL MaxX=3000
When a database audit is performed, ETAP may recover orphaned database items to a Dumpster cell.
The recovered one-line diagram elements are placed in rows with Dump OL IncX distance apart up to a
maximum width of Dump OL MaxX with Dump OL IncY distance between the rows, i.e., Dump OL
IncX controls the X-interval, Dump OL IncY controls the Y-interval, and Dump OL MaxX is the
maximum X of successive elements recovered to the Dumpster. For example, given the default values
(above), ETAP would place the first element at X=15, Y=15; the second at X=30, Y=15, etc., until the
3000 logical units is encountered. At that point, the next elements would be placed at X=15, Y=30, and
next at X=30, Y=30, etc.
Dump UGS IncX=20

Dump UGS IncY=20
Dump UGS MaxX=3000
When a database audit is performed, ETAP may recover orphaned database items to a Dumpster cell.
The recovered UGS elements are placed in rows with Dump UGS IncX distance apart up to a maximum
width of Dump UGS MaxXwith Dump UGS IncY distance between the rows, i.e., Dump UGS IncX
controls the X-interval, Dump UGS IncY controls the Y-interval, and Dump UGS MaxXis the maximum
X of successive elements recovered to the Dumpster. For example, given the default values (above),
ETAP would place the first element at X=20, Y=20; the second at X=40, Y=20, etc., until the 3000
logical units is encountered. At that point, the next elements would be placed at X=20, Y=40, next at
X=40, Y=40, etc.
EstimateAtFixedAmp=1
This entry is used to interpolate points from battery characteristic curves for battery sizing and discharge
calculations. If this entry is set to 1, the interpolation will be done at a fixed amp value; otherwise, it is
done at fixed AH or Time depending the value of “UseAH_AmpCurve” entry also in the INI file.
HAUseEquipmentBase=1
If HAUseEquipmentBase is set to 1, element/device rated data will be used as harmonic source bases;
otherwise if it is set to 0, elements/device fundamental load flow data will be used as harmonic source
bases.
IncludeFLAInSCMaxThrough=1
This entry indicates to the Short-Circuit program to include (or exclude) the rated Full Load Amps (FLA)
of induction/synchronous machines in the calculation of the maximum through short-circuit current duty
(momentary or interrupting) of protective devices directly connected to those machines. If this entry is set
to 0, the FLA will not be considered (this includes generator circuit breakers). This entry only applies for

ANSI Short-Circuit calculations (IEC Short-Circuit does not consider the FLA and thus is not affected by
this option).
IncludeSystemImpedance=0
This entry affects modeling method for harmonic current sources in Harmonic Analysis module. It takes
effect when the option of Thevein/Norton Equivalent for Non-Electronic Sources or Thevein/Norton
Equivalent for All Sources is selected in the Model page of Harmonic Analysis Study Case. Assuming
one of these two options has been selected, if this entry equals 0, the pure current source will follow the
harmonic spectrum of the source, independent of system and source internal impedance values. If this
entry equals 1, the pure current source will be adjusted so the harmonic current injection into the system
will follow harmonic spectrum of the source.
Initialized=1
If this entry is set to 1, then ETAP has been activated on your local PC.
LoadBusKVMatch=40
LoadBusKVMatch is the percent deviation allowed between load voltages and the bus kV to which the
load is attached. The allowable range is 1 to 99.
MaxBusAngMismatch=1
This entry defines the maximum angle mismatch at a bus. When the transformer angle shift is considered
in a calculation, it can cause angle mismatch in a looped system if angle shifts of transformers involved in
a loop are not compatible, which will cause circulating power flow in the loop. ETAP identifies such a
situation and informs the user before a system study. The value defined by this entry is used as the
threshold for checking bus angle mismatch. The allowable range is 0 to 360.
MaxBusIniAngDiff=10
This entry defines the maximum difference between the bus initial voltage angle from the Bus Editor and
the angle calculated with consideration of transformer angle shift, for determining the initial voltage angle
used in load flow calculation. In load flow calculation, if the “Apply XFMR angle shift” option is
checked and the bus voltage is used as the initial value, ETAP calculates bus voltage angle considering
transformer angle shift. The calculated bus angle is referenced at the angle of first swing machine. Then
this calculated voltage angle is compared with the bus initial voltage angle displayed in the Bus Editor. If
the difference between the two angles is smaller than the MaxBusIniAngDiff value, the angle from the
Bus Editor is used as the initial bus voltage angle in the calculation; otherwise, the calculated angle is
used as the initial bus voltage angle.
MaximumPhaseShift=1
The continuity check will determine whether a looped transformer (2W or 3W) has a mismatched phase
angle shift by comparing the phase shifts with the allowable shift specified in this entry. ETAP checks
for the violation when running the following studies: SC ANSI Max, 4 Cycle, Min, IEC 60909, and 1Ph
Device Duty. This is also checked for Sequence of Operation and 1Ph ANSI Arc Flash.
MaxIterForAmpCalc=200
This is the default value for the maximum number of iterations for the Underground Raceway System
(UGS) for Uniform-Temperature and Uniform-Ampacity calculations.
MaxIterForCableSizeCalc=1000
This is the default value for the maximum number of iterations performed by the Underground System
(UGS) for Cable Sizing calculations.

MaxIterForTempCalc=50
This is the default value for the maximum number of iterations performed by the Underground Raceway
System (UGS) for Steady-State and Transient Temperature calculations.
Max Open LightRS=10

Max Open HeavyRS=10
These values indicate the default number of database handlers kept open at any time by ETAP in the
current session. The default values should be sufficient for most cases involving ODBC drivers for
Microsoft Access and Microsoft SQL Server.
Due to the limitation imposed on the Microsoft ODBC Driver for Oracle (driver version 2.00.006325),
Oracle users may need to reduce the aforementioned values to 5 (set Max Open LightRS=5 and Max
Open HeavyRS=5).
MaxSourcelfLevel=3
This entry defines the number of levels of source contributing branches for a faulted bus. A source
contributing branch contains short-circuit current from a power grid or a synchronous machine. The
short-circuit currents for these branches are calculated by the Arc Flash program to determine arcing
current clearing time. The range for this entry is 1 – 20.
MaxTransientStep=5000
This is the default value for the maximum number of steps for the Underground System (UGS) for the
Transient Temperature calculations.
MinOLVScale=1
Some video cards may have difficulties drawing ETAP’s one-line diagrams at their minimum scaling
factors. These difficulties may even cause application errors on some computers. If you experience these
difficulties, try setting the MinOLVScale to a higher number. Allowable values are 0 through 16. A
value of 16 effectively disables scaling and zooming on the one-line diagrams.
Mouse Wheel Timer=400

The Mouse Wheel scrolling is driven by a timer whose value is set by this INI entry. Normally, this value
does not need to be changed. If, however, you want to increase or decrease the initial speed, it may be
changed within the following bounds (minimum = 10ms, maximum=1000MS)
MsgLogInitialSize=12
MSSoftStarterConstSOnly=0
When this value is 1, the soft starter input load (to terminal bus) is always treated as constant power.
When this value is 0, it is modeled as constant power load if the bus voltage is higher than the control
settings, otherwise it is modeled as constant Z load.
MSSoftStarterLFEpsilon=0.005
This is the threshold value used to check convergence of load flow calculations for adjusting soft starter
operating values at a given time. The value is in pu for voltage. (Range is from 0.0000001 to 1.0)
MSSoftStarterLFMaxIterNo=100
This is the maximum iteration number used in Load Flow calculations for adjusting soft starter operating
values at a given time.

NonLoadBusKVMatch=40
The nominal kV of the two terminal buses (From Bus and To Bus) of a branch, excluding a transformer,
should be the same or very close. This field defines the maximum difference allowed between the
nominal kV values of such two buses. If the difference is more than this limit (defaulted to 40%), an error
message will be given and ETAP exits the calculation. User can set it to a different value to tighten or
relax the error checking.
For transformers this limit is used to compare transformer rated kV with the nominal kV of the terminal
bus on the same side.
OLDSpaceManagerCols =10
OLDSpaceManagerRows=10
CxSpaceManagerCols=10
CxSpaceManagerRows=10
These entries dimension the internal space manager used by the one-line diagram views or composite
network views to speed up redrawing. The columns and rows define the internal resolution for the space
manager. Higher values of columns and rows will result in faster redrawing, but requires additional
memory. Additional memory is allocated on the basis of Rows * Columns.
ReloadLastProject=0
When set to 1, ETAP will automatically load the last project that was open.
Report Font / Report Scaling Factor

When viewing a localized version of ETAP, make sure the following settings are applied:
Report Font Scaling

Localized ETAP Report Font
Factor (%)
ReportFontTypeFace= ;
Chinese 85 OLVPrintFooterFontTypeface=
Italian 85 Times New Roman
ReportFontTypeFace==
OLVPrintFooterFontTypeface=
PlotGraphFontTypeface=
OLVPrintHeaderFontTypeface=
SymbolFontTypeface=
Japanese 85 AlertPrintFontTypeface=
ReportFontTypeFace=Malgun Gothic
OLVPrintFooterFontTypeface=Malgun Gothic
PlotGraphFontTypeface=Malgun Gothic
OLVPrintHeaderFontTypeface=Malgun Gothic
SymbolFontTypeface=Malgun Gothic
Korean 85 AlertPrintFontTypeface=Malgun Gothic
Portuguese 85 Times New Roman
OLVPrintHeaderFontTypeface=Arial Unicode MS
PlotGraphFontTypeface=Arial Unicode MS
OLVPrintFooterFontTypeface=Arial Unicode MS
Russian 100 AlertPrintFontTypeface=Arial Unicode MS
Spanish 85 Times New Roman

If installing multiple language output reports, also including Portuguese and German, with the English
version, the default Report Font Scaling Factor will be set to 85. If only English output reports are
selected, the default will be set to 100.
Note: To view any output reports in a language other than English, make sure the operating system
contains the proper language package settings for that selection. For Korean fonts you can also use
Batang if Malgun Gothic is not available. Refer to Chapter 2 - ETAP Installation - Step 10 for details
regarding the language package settings for each type of operating system.
Note: From ETAP 14.1 and on, Report Scaling Factor will not be considered for Arc Flash Labels. The
scaling for labels is set to 100 percent.
Save Initial Bus Updates=0

The initial bus updates obtained from Load Flow calculations are not written to the database by default.
Setting this value to 1 will cause ETAP to write the values to the project database when it is saved.
SCANSICondenserMFOpt=2
This entry determines how a synchronous condenser is modeled in ANSI short circuit calculations. There
are three options (0, 1, & 2) and the default value is 2.
When the option 0 is used, a synchronous condenser is modeled exactly the same as a synchronous motor.
The synchronous condenser positive reactance for calculating interrupting duty (for 1.5 to 4 cycles) is
equal to 1.5Xd”
When the option 1 is used, the synchronous condenser positive sequence reactance for calculating
interrupting duty (for 1.5 to 4 cycles) is equal to Xd”. However, in the device duty calculation, the
multiplying factors including dc decrement only (Figure 10, IEEE Std C37.0.10-1999) are applied even if
a fault occurs at the terminal bus of a synchronous condenser. This means that ac decrement in short
circuit contribution from a synchronous motor is not included in the calculation. This method may
provide overly conservative results.
When the option 2 is used, a synchronous condenser is modeled similar to a synchronous generator in
interrupting duty calculation. The synchronous condenser positive sequence reactance for calculating
interrupting duty (for 1.5 to 4 cycles) is equal to Xd”. And the multiplying factors including both ac and
dc decrement (Figures 8 and 9, IEEE Std C37.0.10-1999) are applied for a fault near the synchronous
condenser. This means that ac decrement in short circuit contribution from a synchronous motor is
handled as if a synchronous generator. This option is the default selection.
Scrub Database=0
When this is set to 0, ETAP will not automatically scrub the database during startup.
Scrub Database=1
When this is set to 1, ETAP will scrub the Database Automatically during startup.
The Scrub Database function uses the Compact Database utility provided by Microsoft Access. As you
change data in a database, the database file can become fragmented and use more disk space than is
necessary. Additionally, items deleted, from your one-line diagram and Dumpster, are retained within the
database file until the database is “Scrubbed.” The Compact Database utility will compact your database
to de-fragment existing data and remove deleted data from the database file. Compacted databases are
usually smaller in size and generally run faster.

The Scrub Database function is only available for Microsoft Access 7.0 and higher databases. ETAP will
automatically scrub the database when converting 1.4.1 project files to 2.0 project files.
SerializeAudit=1
This entry verifies all elements in the serialized stream and reports errors on unexpected elements found
in the stream. Setting this value to 0 will cause ETAP to skip the verification process.
SpanDischDutyCycleToOneMinute=1
IEEE Standard 485 requires that when sizing a battery, is a discrete sequence load can be established, the
load for a one minute period should be assumed to be the maximum current at any instant within that
minute. Hence, the maximum load is expanded to the whole minimum time span of one minute.
In ETAP Calculation of battery discharge, if SpanDischDutyCycleToOneMinute=1, the minimum span
of 1 minute will be applied to the battery duty cycle. If SpanDischDutyCycleToOneMinute=0, the
actual battery duty cycle will be used in the discharge calculation. The default value is set to “1.” This
gives more conservative results. Please note that for battery sizing calculations, the minimum time span
of 1 minute is used for calculations.
Star FitMaxScaleFactor
Integer value, default = 400
This is the maximum scale factor that will be used by Star when Zooming the one-line diagram elements
to fit in the lower corner of the Star View.
Star FitBottomPercent
This is the percent of the graph width and height that will be used to display the one-line diagram
elements when zooming in on the one-line diagram to fit in the lower corner of the Star View.
Star GroupByDefault
If 1, elements are grouped when they are dropped on a Star View. If 0, they are not grouped.
SQL_TextSize 79152
This establishes the maximum length of a binary stream that can be written to SQL Server. If you get
SQL Server errors when writing a large project to SQL Server, you may need to increase the size of this
variable.
SVCCoefficient=0.01
SVCCoefficient is used to control SVC adjustment step. The default value is 0.01. You may set it to a
smaller value to improve load flow convergence or a bigger value to increase load flow converging speed.
SwingEquation=1
If this parameter is set to 1, which is set by default, Transient Stability program will use an enhance
integration method for synchronous generator swing equations.
Time-outs
The following entries are calculation time-out defaults in seconds:
CDTimeOut=60
HATimeOut=60

LFTimeOut=60
MSTimeOut=600
OPFTimeOut=600
RATimeOut=60
SCTimeOut=60
TSTimeOut=600
TS_Flag1=0
If entry is set to zero (default) the ETAP Transient Stability Module uses the frequency dependent model
for the induction machines and calculates bus frequency based on weighted machine speed.
If this entry is set to 1, the ETAP Transient Stability Module uses a non-frequency dependent model for
induction machines and bus frequency is calculated based on bus voltage phase angle.
tsSVCInitialLoadFlowMethod=1
If this parameter is set to 1, which is set by default, Transient Stability program will employ a method to
automatically adjust SVC reference voltage (Vref) to achieve the best possible voltage regulation by SVC
during the initial load flow solution. If this parameter is set to 0, Transient Stability program will keep
SVC reference voltage (Vref) to the editor defined value during the initial load flow solution. Depending
on the system configurations and SVC locations and parameters, the automatically adjusting Vref method
sometimes may experience difficulty in initial load flow convergence. When this occurs, the parameter
can be set to 0.
UseWeightedFrequency=1
The default setting for this field in the ini file is UseWeightedFrequency =1. This ini entry is used for
Transient Stability to select Use Weighted Machine Frequency. To change Synchronous Machine
Damping to Use Nominal System Frequency set the ini entry UseWeightedFrequency =0. The system
frequency will affect the synchronous machine damping effect.
UGS MaxX=10000
UGS MaxY=10000
These values determine the maximum size of the Underground Raceway System (UGS). These values
can range from 5000 to 50000. However, this value should be altered only on Windows 2000 or NT since
Win 98 or Me do not have enough resources.
UseAH_AmpCurve=1
This entry determines the type of battery characteristic curves used for battery sizing and discharge
calculations. The battery characteristic curves entered in the Battery Library describe the relationship
between the discharging current and the time of the discharging with respect to a certain cell voltage,
referred to as the Time-Amp curve. If this entry is set to 1, the Time-Amp curve is converted to an AH-
Amp curve and then used in the calculation; otherwise the Time-Amp curve is used in the calculation.
UserDefinedCfFactor=1.5
Placing this entry below the [ETAP PowerStation] header section of the ETAPS.INI file allows the
modification of the correction factor used to calculate the incident energy for low voltage equipment
configurations. If this entry is not present in the INI file, keeps the Cf value used as 1.5 (per IEEE 1584
2002). The Cf value is modified using the value entered into this INI entry.
UTAmpAccelFactor=0.7

This parameter is used in the Uniform-Temperature Ampacity calculation in the Underground Raceway
System (UGS). The allowable range is 0.0 to 2.0. The value can be set higher than the default setting of
0.7 to speed up the calculation; however, the calculation may diverge.
UpdateConnections=0
If set to 1, ETAP will automatically update the connections for all of the elements in the project database
every time the project database is saved.
VoltageAnnotation orientation=15
These values determine the slope for display of annotation results for bus voltages. Some video cards
may not be able to draw the rotated annotations used by ETAP. If this is the case at your site, set the
orientation entries to 0.
Message Log
The following entries are related to the ETAP message log.
Max Display Msgs=255

ETAP’s message log, displayed within ETAP, shows up to 255 messages. The maximum value that can
be entered is 16384.
MsgLogInitialSize=12
This entry sets the initial height of the log window displayed at the bottom of the screen in logical units.
ETAP will save the height of the log window into this entry during the shutdown process.
MsgLog Size=128
ETAP maintains a text message log on disk that records all messages sent to the message log. This file is
named “~msglog.tmp.” ETAP maintains the last completed messages up to the maximum file size as set
by this INI file entry. The size of the message log files is in kilobytes, i.e., 128 is 128 kb. Setting
MsgLogSize=0 will disable message text logging. The maximum size you can set for the message.log
file is 1024 kb.
Bus and Node Drawing and Printing

The following entries are related to the width of a vertical bus, or height of a horizontal bus, and diameter
of the nodes. These entries will define how the bus and the node are printed.
INI Entry Default value Valid values and notes

Print Bus Substitutes 0 Not limited. This enables the use of the following entries if
non-zero.
Bus 1 Print 0 0-5. Disabled if 0
Print Node Substitutes 0 Not limited. This enables the user of the following entries if
non-zero.
Node 1 Print 0 0-5. Disabled if 0

These INI entries allow the user to over-ride the automatic selection provided by the tables in the
following manner. If the Print Bus Substitutes, or Print Node Substitutes entry is non-zero, the print draw
routines consult the appropriate Bus n Print, or Node n Print (n stands for the symbol size). If the Bus n
Print, or Node n Print, value is 0, that entry is disabled and the standard table look-up is used. If that
value is 1-5, ETAP treats the bus, or node, as using the symbol size specified by value.
For example, if the Print Node Substitutes is set to 1, ETAP will retrieve the values from Node 1 Print ….
Node 5 Print as each node of the specific symbol size is printed. If Node 1 Print is set to 5, all nodes of
symbol size 1 are printed as if they were of symbol size 5. If Node 1 Print is set to 0, ETAP disregards
the Node 1 Printing substitution and prints the node with its normal size (symbol size 1).
Print Gray Line=1

Some printers cannot print a gray line. Setting this value to 0 will cause the printer to print a black line
instead of a gray line for de-energized connectors.
Relax UGS Dumpster Controls=1

Relax OLD Dumpster Controls=1
The controlled dumpsters provide security for a password-protected ETAP project by prohibiting the
deletion of elements on the dumpster unless the dumpster has been checked by the checker. Subsequent
to normal operation, the checker is presented with the controlled dumpster to check. If the checker
checks the dumpster, the dumpster may then be safely deleted by the engineer.
This revision modifies the controlled dumpster logic in the following manner. When an element(s) is cut
to the dumpster, the dumpster checks the element to determine if the “Checked by Name” is blank. If so,
this is taken to indicate that the element is a newly created element that has never been seen by the
checker. In such conditions, the element is placed on a non-controlled dumpster when it is deleted from
the OLD or the Underground.
When any elements are cut from the OLD, or UGS, the newly created dumpster must recursively check
all elements involved in the cut to determine if there is any element that has been previously seen by the
checker. If so, the dumpster is designated a controlled dumpster and the normal checker controls are
applied. If the recursive check passes, the dumpster is left in an un-controlled state. Recursively
checking the elements means that the dumpster must check every element, not only on the OLD, but in
any nested composites regardless of depth. This same logic applies to the UGS.
The two INI entries are established to over-ride this behavior. Both entries default to 1, which implements
the revised behavior. Changing the entry to a 0 causes the dumpster to ignore the revised logic (uses the
old behavior).
PanelSystemLFMaxIteration=200
This entry gives maximum number of iterations for panel system load flow calculation.
PanelSystemLFPrecision=0.00001
This entry gives the precision value for checking panel system load flow convergence. The precision is
applied on bus per unit voltage values.
Name Type default Min Max

PanelSystemLFMaxIteration Int 200

PanelSystemLFPrecision Float .00001 .0000001 .001
ConvertToMSAccess2000Format=1
Due to support of the features available later to the international version, ETAP needs to convert the
project databases (*.MDB, *.GRD, and *.CPX files in the current project location) to the format of the
database engine (Jet engine) used in the Microsoft ACCESS 2000 program. Setting this value to 0 will
cause ETAP to skip the conversion. The default setting for this entry is 1.
AutoConversion = 0
Setting this value to 0 will cause ETAP to ask for user permission to convert the project databases
(*.MDB, *.GRD, and *.CPX files in the current project location) each time ETAP opens a project. Set
this value to 1 means ETAP will no longer ask for permission to convert. The permission to convert the
project databases itself is based on the setting in the entry "ConvertToMSAccess2000Format". The
default setting is 0.
CompactDBIni = 1
The value of this setting determines the value of the checkbox "Compact Database When Saving" in the
Logon dialog when opening the next project. Upon closing the current project, ETAP will update this
setting in the configuration file (ETAPS.INI). The default value is 1.

[AppVariables]
DefaultStandard=English
ETAP uses English units as a default for all new projects created. This may be changed to metric by
replacing ‘English’ with ‘Metric.’
LastLibrarySubDir=C:\etaps\powerstn\lib
ETAP stores the location of the library file associated with a project.
LastProject=C:\etaps\powerstn\example\example.oti
ETAP stores the name of the last project opened.
LastSubDir=C:\etaps\powerstn\example
ETAP stores the location of the last project opened.
Project Default Path=C:\etaps\powerstn

ETAP will use its own directory as the default project path unless this entry is placed into the ETAPS.INI
file. The ETAP default path is C:\etaps\powerstn if ETAP is installed using default settings. For
example, if you set: Project Default Path=D:\temp\testproj, then a new ETAP project named userproj will
have a folder created with the name of the project. ETAP will store all associated project files, output
reports, plots, etc. in the subdirectory shown: Project Default Path=D:\temp\testproj\userproj
KeyAdapter=U
Use this entry if you are using an USB Key.
KeyAdapter=P
Use this entry when using a Parallel port key. This is the default configuration.
KeyAdapter=S[, [COMx][, [nnnn]]]
1. COMx means COM1, COM2, COM3 or COM4. Default is COM1 if it is not provided.
2. nnnn means bauds rate. Default is 9600 if it is not given.
3. For Example, KeyAdapter=S, or KeyAdapter=S, COM2, 9600
License Manager Server

Two options are available for the licensing of ETAP. The primary option utilizes Microsoft Name Pipes
(text names for PC’s). The secondary option is direct TCP/IP communication where the Name Pipe
service is not available, for example, Novell networks.
The Named Pipe License Manager is named ETAPSLM.exe.
The TCP/IP License Manager is named ETAPSLMT.exe.
ETAPSLMT and ETAPSLM cannot run simultaneously on the same License Manager Server.
LM Port=
LM Port=<Communication Port>

<Communication Port> specifies the port number that ETAP uses to communicate with the TCP/IP
server. If this entry does not exist, the port number defaults to 6260. However, this can be configured by
modifying the following registry entry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Operation Technology, Inc.\LM\Port
LM Server=
LM Server=<Server Name>
This entry identifies the location of the License Manager Server where the ETAP License Manager and
network hardware key are installed. Default <Server Name> is blank. This entry is required if you are
using a network hardware key for simultaneous usage of ETAP, i.e., this entry is not required if you have
a stand-alone license.
When LM Server=<Server Name> is available, ETAP will ignore the values of <TCP/IP Server Name>,
<Server’s IP Address>, and <Communication Port>. In such a case, Named Pipes are used for
communications.
When <Server Name> does not exist, ETAP will find the value of <TCP/IP Server Name> and try to
connect to it. If <TCP/IP Server name> is also missing, ETAP seeks to connect to the server with IP
Address found in <Server’s IP Address>. In the event when none of <Server Name>, <TCP/IP Server
Name>, and <Server’s IP Address> exist, ETAP will try local license authentication.
LM Server IP=
LM Server IP=<Server’s IP Address>
<Server’s IP Address> allows the user to enter the License Manager Server’s IP address when <TCP/IP
Server Name> is not available. This entry can only be made if the Server is using a fixed IP address.
LM TCP Server=
LM TCP Server=<TCP/IP Server Name>
<TCP/IP Server Name> indicates the License Manager Server’s TCP/IP address. The name is resolved to
an IP address using any available Domain Name Service (DNS) or the HOSTS file can be used to point to
a fixed IP address.
CD Key=XXX-YYY-ZZZ
ETAP automatically creates this entry when you enter the Activation Code provided with your ETAP
CD-ROM. This sequence of letters and numbers needs to match with your company’s specific license.
This sequence changes with each major release.
LM Server=lm
LM TCP Server=tcplm.oti.com
LM Server IP=10.10.10.191
LM Port=5000
Specifies that the host lm will be used as License Manager through Named Pipes. All TCP/IP entries are
ignored.

Specifies that the host with IP address 10.10.10.191 will be used as License Manager through TCP/IP via
default port number 6260.
LM TCP Server=tcplm.oti.com
LM Port=5000
Specifies that the host tcplm.oti.com will be used as License Manager through TCP/IP via port number
5000.
ReportProcessor=C:\program files\Microsoft Office\Office\Winword.exe

ETAP uses Notepad by default to view the output report of calculations. You can change this entry to use
your preferred viewer. In most cases, you must enter the fully qualified path and application name as
shown above for Microsoft Word.
%N=String
Enter a customized macro (string) to be used within the ETAP INI file. You can set up to 10 macros (%0,
%1…%9).
The following is a list of macros available for use within the ETAP INI file:
%o ODBC connect string including the path and name of the project source database
%p Fully qualified path (path+project name) of the currently open ETAP Project
%d Path of the currently open ETAP Project
Note that macros can only be used for arguments for the Tool entry. In all cases, the trailing \ is not
provided by macro expansion. Expansion does wrap the appropriate phrases in "" to allow for long
filenames and spaces, etc.
ETAP provides a mechanism allowing you to define external programs (external tools) in the ETAPS.INI
file. ETAP lists external programs on its Tools menu bar allowing you to launch and execute the external
programs. You may define up to 20 external programs (menu entries).
You can define each external program’s menu entry in ETAP, the name and location where the program
resides, and arguments to be passed. Overall, this mechanism provides a flexible interface to external
programs from ETAP.
Tool1=text|path|argument1|argument2|argument3|argument4
Tool1 Up to 20 external tools (Tool1, Tool2, Tool20)
text Text to be displayed in ETAP submenu “Tools”
path Fully qualified path (path + program name) of the external program
argument Arguments to be passed to the external program
Macros may be entered into the path and arguments (argument 1, argument 2 etc.). The macros are
expanded when the tool is invoked according to the following rules:
MACRO expansion
%p expands to the fully qualified project path and project name
e.g. -f%p.MDB expands to -fD:\fullProjDir\ProjName.MDB
%d expands to the fully qualified project path
e.g. |%d\pdconfig.exe|... expands to d:\FullProjDir\pdconfig.exe

%o expands to the full ODBC connect string which would be utilized to allow
an external program to make an ODBC connection to the project database.
%0...%9 expands to the contents of ETAPS.INI entry 0...9 as defined in the

ETAPS.INI
[AppVariables]
0=string0
1=string1
...
9=string9
In all cases, the trailing \ is not provided by macro expansion

Expansion does wrap the appropriate phrases in ""
Using Tools examples:
Start Microsoft Word from ETAP:
Tool1=MS Word| C:\program files\Microsoft Office\Office\Winword.exe
Launch “PDConfig” as an external tool within ETAP:
Tool2=Configuration Report|C:\ETAPS\PowerStn\PDConfig.exe|%o|C:\etaps\powerstn\target.mdb
PDConfig is an external program that creates an MS Access database that contains the status of all
protective devices, motors, and loads for each Configuration Status you have defined. In this example,
PDConfig.exe requires an argument for the ETAP project file (including ODBC connect string) and an
argument for the target file where the results are saved. Macros may be used to simplify the entries.
Tool2=Config Tables|C:\ETAPS\PowerStn\PDConfig.exe|%o|%d\Target.mdb
Oracle database users have three additional entries in the INI file. These entries store the name, user ID,
and password of the associated Oracle database.
ORACLE Database=MyOracleDB
Name of the Oracle database (default ‘2:’ for local Oracle)
ORACLE UserID=MyOracleID
Oracle user ID (default ‘SCOTT’ for local Oracle)
ORACLE UserPassword=MyPassword
Oracle user valid password (default ‘TIGER’ for local Oracle)
Wizard Path=""
This entry defaults to "". Typically, the ETAP Wizard is located in the ETAP directory and ETAP
directory is used if the Wizard Path entry is blank (its default). If you want to relocate the ETAP Wizard
to another directory, set Wizard Path="d:\someotherDirectory" where d:\someotherDirectory is the
directory where you want to place the ETAP Wizard file.

[Colors]
Refer to the Theme Manager for details on using colors for the one-line diagram.
[Recent File List]

ETAP stores the last nine ETAP project names and locations for easy access directly from the File Menu
inside ETAP.
File1=C:\etaps\powerstn\example\example.oti
File2= C:\etaps\powerstn\sample\sample.oti
File3= C:\etaps\powerstn\userproj\userproj.oti
File4= C:\temp\example\example.oti
File5= D:\powerstn\example\example.oti
File6= D:\powerstn\sample\sample.oti
File7= D:\powerstn\userproj\userproj.oti
File8=D:\temp\projfile\sample\sample.oti
File9= D:\temp\projfile\example\example.oti

Chapter 5
Database and Project Management

ETAP organizes an electrical system into a single project. Within this project, ETAP creates three major
system components:
Presentation - Unlimited, independent graphical presentations of the one-line diagram that

represent design data for any purpose (such as impedance diagram, study results, or plot plan).
Configuration - Unlimited, independent system configurations that identify the status of

switching devices (open and closed), motors and loads (continuous, intermittent, and spare),
Generator Operating Modes (swing, voltage control, reactive power control, power factor control)
and MOVs (open, closed, throttling, and spare).
Revision Data - Base Data and unlimited Revision Data IDs that keep track of the changes and
modifications to the engineering properties (for example, nameplate or settings) of elements.
These three system components are organized in an

orthogonal fashion to provide great power and
flexibility in constructing and manipulating your
ETAP project. Using this concept of Presentation,
Status Configuration, and Revision Data, you can
create numerous combinations of networks of
diverse configurations and varying engineering
properties that allow you to fully investigate and
study the behavior and characteristics of the
electrical networks using one database. This means
that you do not need to copy your database for
different system configurations, “What If” studies,
etc.
ETAP relies on a three-dimensional database concept to implement all Presentations, Configurations, and
Base and Revision Data. The use of this multi-dimensional database concept allows you to independently
select a particular Presentation, Configuration Status, or Revision Data within the same project database.
These selections can be used in conjunction with multiple loading categories and multiple Study Cases to
quickly and efficiently perform system design and analysis, while avoiding inadvertent data discrepancies
created when multiple copies of a single project file are used to maintain a record of various system
changes.

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Chapter 4

ETAP 4-1 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

4.1 Options (Preferences) Editor

ETAP 4-2 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

ETAP 4-3 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

Expand all items

Collapse all items

Show / Hide Description

ETAP 4-4 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

CATEGORY NAME DESCRIPTION

ETAP 4-5 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

ETAP 4-6 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

The first entry in the INI file is:

ETAP 4-7 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

ETAP 4-8 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

ETAP 4-9 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

4.4 Themes (OTH file)

ETAP 4-10 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

ETAP 4-11 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

ETAP 4-12 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

1. Local - e.g., C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\OTI\ETAPS\<ETAP Version #>\etaps.ini

ETAP 4-13 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

ETAP 4-14 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

Dump UGS IncX=20

ETAP 4-15 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

ETAP 4-16 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

Max Open LightRS=10

Mouse Wheel Timer=400

ETAP 4-17 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

Report Font / Report Scaling Factor

Report Font Scaling

ETAP 4-18 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

Save Initial Bus Updates=0

ETAP 4-19 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

ETAP 4-20 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

ETAP 4-21 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

Max Display Msgs=255

Bus and Node Drawing and Printing

INI Entry Default value Valid values and notes

ETAP 4-22 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

Node 5 Print 0 0-5. Disabled if 0

Print Gray Line=1

Relax UGS Dumpster Controls=1

Name Type default Min Max

ETAP 4-23 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

PanelSystemLFMaxIteration Int 200

ETAP 4-24 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

Project Default Path=C:\etaps\powerstn

KeyAdapter=S[, [COMx][, [nnnn]]]

License Manager Server

The Named Pipe License Manager is named ETAPSLM.exe.

The TCP/IP License Manager is named ETAPSLMT.exe.

ETAP 4-25 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Operation Technology, Inc.\LM\Port

ETAP 4-26 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

ReportProcessor=C:\program files\Microsoft Office\Office\Winword.exe

ETAP 4-27 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

%0...%9 expands to the contents of ETAPS.INI entry 0...9 as defined in the

In all cases, the trailing \ is not provided by macro expansion

Using Tools examples:

Start Microsoft Word from ETAP:

Tool1=MS Word| C:\program files\Microsoft Office\Office\Winword.exe