Electronic trip unit capable of analog and digital setting of circuit breaker setpoints

A circuit breaker comprising:

• a set of contacts for making and breaking an electrical connection between an electrical load and an electrical power supply and a
• trip unit operably connected to said contacts, said trip unit including:
• a sensor for sensing a condition of a circuit providing electricity to said load;
• a signal converter for converting signals generated by said sensor into a digital value indicative of said condition;
• a first selecting means configured to select a first trip setting value from a plurality of trip setting values;
• a second selecting means configured to select a second trip setting value from said plurality of trip setting values;
• a first storage device configured to store said first trip setting value;
• a second storage device configured to store said second trip setting value;
• a switch configured to switch between a digital means and an analog means to select said first and second trip setting values;
• and
• a microcontroller including an output generating a trip signal in response to said digital value indicative of said condition in the circuit and one of said first and second trip setting values selected by said switch.

A method of setting multiple trip setting values in a trip unit that includes a sensor for sensing a condition of a circuit providing electricity to a load and a signal converter for converting signals generated by said sensor into a digital value indicative of said condition, the method comprising:

• selecting a first trip setting value from a plurality of trip setting values with a first selecting means;
• selecting a second trip setting value from said plurality of trip setting values with a second selecting means;
• storing said first trip setting value in a first storage device;
• storing said second trip setting value in a second storage device;
• switching between a digital means and an analog means to select said first and second trip setting values;
• and
• generating an a trip signal from a microcontroller in response to said digital value indicative of said condition in the circuit and one of said first and second trip setting values selected by said switch;
• said microcontroller is configured for receiving and accessing said first and second trip setting values.

A method of setting multiple trip setting values in a circuit breaker having a set of contacts for making and breaking an electrical connection between an electrical load and an electrical power supply and a trip unit operably connected to said contacts, the trip unit includes a sensor for sensing a condition of a circuit providing electricity to a load and a signal converter for converting signals generated by said sensor into a digital value indicative of said condition, the method comprising:

• selecting a first trip setting value from a plurality of trip setting values with a first selecting means;
• selecting a second trip setting value from said plurality of trip setting values with a second selecting means;
• storing said first trip setting value in a first storage device;
• storing said second trip setting value in a second storage device;
• switching between a digital means and an analog means to select said first and second trip setting values;
• reading said switch by a microcontroller to determine which one of said first and second storage device is selected to read from;
• generating an a trip signal from said microcontroller in response to said digital value indicative of said condition in the circuit and one of said first and second trip setting values selected by said switch;
• said microcontroller is configured for receiving and accessing said first and second trip setting values.

A trip unit including a sensor for sensing a condition of a circuit providing electricity to a load and a signal converter for converting signals generated by said sensor into a digital value indicative of said condition, and further comprising:

• a first selecting means configured to select a first trip setting value from a plurality of trip setting values;
• a second selecting means configured to select a second trip setting value from said plurality of trip setting values;
• a first storage means for storing said first trip setting value therein;
• a second storage means for storing said second trip setting stored therein;
• a switching means 85 configured to switch between a digital means and an analog means for selecting said first and second trip setting values;
• a microcontroller means for generating an output trip signal in response to said digital value indicative of said condition in the circuit and one of said first and second trip setting values selected by said switching means.