MCS™ Star Con guration Software – Tutorial
Table of Contents
Page
Designing a Mounting System Solution Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
1. Identify System Loads and Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2. Enter System Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3. Enter Rack Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4. Enter Supply Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
5. Confi guring Two Component Starters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
6. Enter Starter Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
7. Copying Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
8. Editing Component Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
9. Confi guring a Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
10. Moving Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
11. Adding Additional Racks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
12. Changing Supply Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
13. Adding a Circuit Breaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
14. Confi guring a Soft-starter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
15. Con fi guring ree Component Starters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Additional MCS Star Functionality Adding Busbar Covers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Creating Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Locking the Rack Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Exporting Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Exporting Assembly to TRCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Printing and Exporting Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
User Defi ned Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
e following tutorial requires that you have the MCS Star Confi guration Software installed on
your computer. If you do not have it installed, you can install it from the “Line-to-Load” DVD.
Go to:
Learning Modules > MCS Star Confi guration Software > and click on Download MCS Star >
Follow the prompts to complete the install.
Open MCS Star by double clicking on the short cut from your desktop or by going to the following:
Start Menu > Programs > Rockwell Automation > MCS Star
When you run MCS Star and are connected to the Internet, select “Yes” in the fi rst popup
window. is will check for updates to the software and prompt you to run Current Program
Updater if any updates are available.
In the next popup window, select “Confi gure a Busbar Assembly”;
then select [ OK ] button.
Designing a Mounting System Solution
Introduction
MCS Star is a powerful product selection and system planning software as well as a graphical
design tool. It allows the user to confi gure a multitude of starter and loadfeeder variations and
then visually represents the confi guration on the graphical interface. e software can help
design systems compliant with UL/CSA or IEC standards. It also calculates wire sizing, support
spacing and dimensional restrictions. Once the layout is completed, it can easily be exported
to the user’s CAD system. In addition, MCS Star can generate wiring diagrams, dimension
drawings and bills of material.
MCS Star Tutorial
2
With MCS Star, there are certain planning steps required before using the software. e user
must fi rst gather information about the assembly they will be creating. ings such as:
Identifying system parameters and loads•
Determining if the assembly will be busbar mount or panel mount•
Estimating the total current and dimensional restrictions•
Considering the layout of the rack(s)•
Determine what electrical standards must be met•
Step 1:
Identify System
Loads and Parameters
Below is the list of motors and loads that will be used in our tutorial. We need to confi gure a
horizontally mounted busbar assembly for a line voltage of 480V 60 Hz, control voltage 120V
60 Hz, designed per UL standards, in a 900 mm wide cabinet and have a short-circuit current
rating (SCCR) of 5 k A. e 12 loads are as follows:
Motor 1 DOL 30.0 Hp 40.0 A
Motor 2 DOL 10.0 Hp 14.0 A
Motor 3 DOL 15.0 Hp 21.0 A
Motor 4 Reversing 15.0 Hp 21.0 A
Motor 5 Reversing 1.5 Hp 3.0 A
Motor 6 Drive 0.5 Hp 1.1 A
Resistive 7 Circuit Breaker – 40.0 A
Motor 8 Soft Starter 10.0 Hp 14.0 A
Motor 9 DOL w/E1+ OLR 3.0 Hp 4.8 A
Motor 10 DOL w/E3 OLR 3.0 Hp 4.8 A
Motor 11 Reversing w/E1+ OLR 2.0 Hp 3.4 A
Motor 12 Reversing w/E1+ OLR 2.0 Hp 3.4 A
Estimated Total Ampacity: 170.5 A
In North America, busbar should be sized at 125% of the FLA of the largest motor + the sum
of all other motor FLAs + 125% of all non-motor loads. Based upon the loads above, the busbar
needs to be rated at least 190.5 A. Let’s use the 20x5 busbar rated 320 A.
We also need to decide how we will feed power to the racks, as well as protect them.
If we choose a circuit breaker to do both jobs, it will save us time and space. Circuit breakers in
North America should be sized at least 125% of the total load and up to 250% of the load.
Let’s choose a 250 A circuit breaker for this application.
We now have enough information to design a system using MCS Star.
To save your design, click on the File Menu > Save Project. If you have not saved the project
previously, you will be presented with a standard windows save dialog where you can browse to a
folder, specify a fi lename and save your project.
Saving this project will allow you to download the project output to Rockwell Automation
Temperature Rise Calculation Software (TRCS).
Be sure to save your project often to ensure that confi guration work is not lost.
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Step 2:
Enter System
Information
In the appearing confi gurator window, select the busbar system parameters.
Here you specify the electrical standards, the units of measure you prefer to use,
supply voltage and SCCR requirements. Enter the “System Information”
per the following example.
Step 3:
Enter Rack Data
As you scroll down the left hand side of the window, you can now enter the rack data.
is is where you enter the rack orientation, the busbar length and size, and support
information. Some items will automatically be completed, based upon previous selections.
Enter “Rack Data” per the following example.
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Step 4:
Enter Supply Data
Finally, you will enter the supply information such as supply type, position and terminal size.
Enter “Supply Data” per the following example. en select the [ Accept ] button.
You will now confi gure the feeder circuit breaker.
Enter the “Circuit Breaker Data” per the following example.
You will also need lugs on the line side of the circuit breaker for the incoming power.
Enter the “Terminal Lug Data” per the following example. en select the [ Accept ] button.
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Step 4:
Enter Supply Data
(co ntin ued )
You will now see a graphical representation of the busbar rack. MCS Star adds additional
busbar supports if the rack length exceeds the allowable support spacing. is is based upon
the SCCR requirements and the size of the busbar. You will also notice that a bill of material is
being created on the left hand side of the window for all the components required to assemble
the system.
Note: e center support was added because of the mechanical strength of the busbar.
It is based upon the graph below.
e force between conductors is proportional to the square of the instantaneous current.
In case of a short circuit, which is protected by a short-circuit protective device (SCPD), the
maximum force occurs at the peak let-through current of the protective SCPD (circuit breaker or
fuse). e higher the forces during a short-circuit are, the narrower the spacing between busbar
supports needs to be. Observe that the peak value of the s-c current is plotted on the y-axis.
e maximum support distances for smaller cross-section conductors are given by pure
mechanical considerations, i.e. static loads and plugging forces.
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Step 5:
Con guring Two
Component Starters
e next step is to confi gure two component starters.
First, select the [ Product Library ] button in the main tool bar.
In the Product Library window, select the desired starter type. Since Motor 1 requires a
DOL starter with no special overload requirements, you can select the Bulletin 103S and
select the [ OK ] button.
You will notice that some parameters may be pre-loaded. e supply voltage is inherited from
the busbar rack parameters. To save time, most other parameters are inherited from previous
confi gurations. It is usually good practice to place the largest loads closest to the incoming feed.
It will reduce the overall heating aff ect on the busbars.
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Step 6:
Enter Starter
Parameters
Here you will enter the control voltage, the type of short-circuit coordination required,
the SCCR required, horsepower or motor FLA, the starter style and the type of mounting
module desired. Let’s choose a Type F starter which will also require the Type E spacing
adapter. e starter will be mounted on the MCS Iso busbar module.
Enter the “Starter Parameters” for Motor 1 per the following example.
Scrolling down the window, you can now enter the parameters for the contactor, circuit breaker,
factory installed options and separate accessories.
Enter the “Control Circuit Data, Circuit Breaker Data and Options” per the following
example. When completed, select the [ Accept ] button.
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Step 6:
Enter Starter
Parameters
(co ntin ued )
Once you select the [ Accept ] button below the catalog number, the starter drawing will be
added to the rack in the graphical interface, as well as the product detail in the bill of material.
You could confi gure the next starter by repeating the same steps for Motor 2. Since this is a
DOL starter, you would choose Bulletin 103S from the Product Library. After entering all the
starter parameters for Motor 2, select the [ Accept ] button. e starter is then added to the
rack and BOM.
However, a faster method would be to “copy” the starter confi guration you just created and edit
the starter parameters
Step 7:
Copying
Components
Since all the parameters for the next two starters (Motors 2 & 3) are very similar, you can copy
the starter for Motor 1 and edit the horsepower requirements. To copy a starter:
Click on the starter with the mouse cursor•
Press and hold the “Control” key and the left mouse button simultaneously•
Drag and drop the copy of the starter to the left•
Repeat this sequence one more time for Motor 3•
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Step 8:
Editing Component
Attributes
You can now edit the parameters of the copied starters to match the loads for Motors 2 and 3.
To edit the starters:
Right-click on the starter for Motor 2 to show the popup menu•
Select “Edit“ to open the confi gurator window • or just double click on the starter you
wish to edit
Adjust the contactor Hp rating and Frame Size of the circuit breaker according the load list•
– Horsepower = 10 Hp, Frame Size = 140M-C2E (C-Frame)
Select the “Accept” button•
Repeat this sequence for the Motor 3 starter •
– Horsepower = 15 Hp, Frame Size = 140M-D8E (D-Frame)
For Motors 4 & 5, the application requires reversing starters. Repeat the process you used for
Motor 1, except confi gure Bul. 107S reversing starters, beginning with Step 5.
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